Slow baked in a low-temperature oven, this red wine chicken with fingerling potatoes has a rich, deep flavor from the well seasoned red wine and tomatoes marinade.
I love having friends or family over for dinner. As much as I love cooking just for my family there are recipes I need more adults in the house to give me the push to make them, like this slow baked red wine chicken for example. I have been meaning to give this recipe a try for ages, just waiting the right time.
And so it happened that few weeks ago my “time” has arrive and I could not have asked for even a better day. It was a rainy morning with a breezy afternoon.
For me it doesn’t really matters if it’s hot or cold outside since my kitchen doesn’t warm up while I bake, but I needed everyone out of the house for 2 hours while the chicken was cooking so I didn’t have to answer the question : is dinner ready yet? every 10 minutes or so. 
Yes, you will need to cook the chicken for 2 hours plus a couple of hours to marinate the chicken but it’s all worth it. The flavors are amazing and the chicken turns out incredible moist.
For this slow baked red wine chicken, the most important factor is time (and a good red wine). If you rush the process (by cooking it at too a higher temperature), you’ll miss out the flavors and most likely end up with something you’ll want to toss in the trash. But, if you’re patient, your efforts will be rewarded with an irresistible meal.
To make this slow baked red wine chicken you’ll need to marinade the chicken for a couple of hours ahead of time. Red wine, diced tomatoes, a touch of brown sugar and worcestershire sauce and a few garlic cloves is all you need.
3 hours before dinner time, turn the oven on and dump the chicken and the marinade in a shallow roasting pan. Add the fingerling potatoes and bake in the preheated over until the chicken is soft and tender and almost falls off the bone.
Unlike other oven baked chicken recipes, this time you need to set the oven temperature to 325F. It’s very important to keep it this low, allowing all the flavors to come together.
A little side warning before I share the recipe – once you open the oven to take the chicken out your entire house will smell like red wine. Since the chicken is both marinated and cooked in red wine, the smell will be intoxicating, but in a good way. [mpprecipe-recipe:562]
Happy Baking,
Roxana
I am not a wine drinker, could you please recommend a brand that you used and maybe include the recommendation with the recipe as a side note ? Thank you !
Hi Liz,
I’m not a wine drinker either. I always ask the cashier at my local wine store what they recommend. Most of the time I use Pinot Noir or Merlot.
Merlot gives a purplish hue to the finish dish. Pinot Noir turns a dark red close to brown.
Hope that answers your question.
Roxana
Can you use something other than drumsticks? We are not big fans at my house, but love chicken breasts. I could see maybe chicken thighs might work with an adjustment in temp. Thoughts?
Hi Amy,
Yes, you could use chicken tights as well. I prefer the ones with bone in, skin on (have more flavor). My suggestion would be to bake for 2 hours covered and then soft of estimate how longer they need to be baked uncovered. I would definitely not increase the oven temperature. Slow baking them gives them plenty of time to suck in all the wine.
Oh I know that chicken in wine is ammmmmaaaaazing. I mage one some time ago and I fell in love. And on yours skin looks so crispy.
i am drooling over here. I will be out your doorstep any time you need some extra dinner company.
Oooh, this is beautiful – the chicken must be so perfectly tender!