Slow-Cooker Dijon Chicken With Barley and Mushrooms Recipe (2024)

I made this last night in my instant pot. Followed the directions but cooked it under pressure for an hour and let it come to room pressure for about 30 minutes. The chicken was fall apart good and the barley was cooked nicely. We had it with a watercress salad. I think I’ll turn the leftovers into a weeknight bake with egg noodles and Parmesan breadcrumb topping!

I haven't actually tried any alternative cooking method, but I believe you could use a Dutch oven instead of a slow cooker: Just combine all the ingredients as specified in step 1 of the recipe in the Dutch oven, bring to a boil on top of the stove, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer gently until the barley is tender, which should take about an hour.

I made this last night. It was really tasty, and the family loved it. I like garlic, so added an entire head instead of 6 cloves! Step 2 was correct; it seemed like there was too much liquid, but it thickened as it cooled. It has a nice (but not overwhelming) kick because of the red-pepper flakes. I will definitely make this again!

Barley has gluten. You could try Arborio or brown rice instead?

https://blog.williams-sonoma.com/slow-cooker-vs-dutch-oven-a-conversion-guide/I use this as a general guide...

Would this also work if you wanted to do it on low (prepping before work in the mornings)? If so, 6 hours? 8?

Sarah,Always looking for Slow Cooker recipes. Having cooked whole chickens in a crockpot many times that have always been successful this one looks very nice. Looking forward to the barley ingredient. I will only make one change. I’ll use bone in, skin on chicken thighs. I’ll trim the skin and fat. For two reasons, the cost and the flavor from the the skin, bone and fat. Everything else is a go. Thanks

I made this with 3 minor changes, added the lemon's zest. Used bone-in skin-on thighs for extra flavor & I cooked it in the Instapot for 25 minutes pressure & 10 minutes natural release. Removed chicken thighs & pulled skin & bones out gave it a quick dice & added back in. Topped with cultured sour cream & had one of the easiest - and tastiest weeknight suppers of my life. Any GF grain, rice or quinoa could be subbed, I'd suggest brown to mimic barley's chewy texture. YUM!

Lovely, minus the peas…always minus the peas.

Any tips for cooking without a slow cooker?

Strong flavors appealed to me. I will make it again. A few comments:1. Why onion *powder*? I quartered some red pearl onions instead of the powder--cooked down well.2. 10 oz. of frozen peas is way too much. Maybe 5...3. The thyme is no longer noticeable if you add the tarragon. I wouldn't bother. Big fan of thyme, but tarragon is the right match here.4. Salt addition probably unnecessary. Not all kosher salts equal--specify by weight.5. Did not have too much liquid--needed to add!

Use any herbs YOU like. I think basil also goes really well with the flavors of dijon but thyme, cilantro, oregano and even dill could work well here. Every recipe should be looked at as a starting point. Every persons tastes differ. Always make food the way that YOU like it. Enjoy the process and the food will sing. Happy cooking!

What starch could be used to make this gluten free?

My husband only likes white meat so I always sub breast meat when a recipe calls for thighs. Given the long cooking time, for this recipe, I'll use bone-in, skin-on breasts since both help retain moisture (and add flavor). Before serving, I'll debone the breasts, remove the skin, and shred the meat. I made something very similar to this recipe yesterday and it was delicious, not dry at all.

I cook to have leftovers - this dish is great fresh - but NOT good leftover.

Loved this, and so did my guests. Lots of leftovers, and the guests took half home, as well as the recipe. No creme fraiche, but sour cream worked just fine. Definitely will make this again.

I've made this twice and it's tasty. But it can be a little sticky, pasty and may need more liquid. Flavor overall is very good.

Awful! My fiance and I hated it. Couldn’t even think of any way to salvage. I never comment or rate anything but felt compelled to here given how much we disliked it. We have never hated a recipe from the NYT before, this is a rare swing and miss.

As for reheating this, I don't think a microwave will yield satisfying results, as it was a congealed mess when I pulled it out of the fridge. But I put the leftovers in a pot, added a half cup of water, put it on low and stirred it from time to time. 15 min later, it was good as new. AND it was good - though I don't think it needs parmesan at the end, and everyone is right - a little tarragon goes a long way.

I made this exactly as written except my store was out of fresh dill and tarragon so I omitted those (and I used dried thyme). Made in crockpot. My spouse and I agreed it was slightly bland (tho the fresh Parm helped), but also quite satisfying comfort food. Despite what several other commenters thought, we found the leftovers to be very tasty with a nice creamy texture. We'll make this again! Curious to try it with the fresh herbs.

I enjoyed this and it was easy to make. I took note of the issues with reheating leftovers and before storing the leftovers, I drained the sauce and stored it in a jar separately. I added it back in when heating it the next day and did not have problems with mushiness. I used faro instead of barley because it’s what was available.

This is OK if you’re eating it fresh but absolutely disgusting slop the next day. Sticky and gluey and honestly terrible. And way too much lemon; I would half it if I were making it again (which I am not).

I made this in a slow cooker and I felt there was too much liquid. Flavors were delicious. I will make it again but on stove top.

I didn't have straight up dijon mustard, so I used a "country" dijon mustard. I accidentally used half of what the recipe called for, but boy was I glad I did. It was way too mustardy/salty, inedible until I put a couple of heaping tablespoons of greek yogurt in the pot. I would try it one more time but this time I'd definitely use dijon and greek yogurt in a 1:2 ratio. The best thing about this recipe was it's ease of preparation.

Need salt to being out flavours, although I did make a couple of alterations: replaced barley with rice made on the side, halved liquid since grains were cooked separately, and used a pressure cooker (Ninja Foodi) to drastically reduce cook time. Cooked for 13 mins (boneless skiness mostly thawed chicken thigh) on high pressure and chicken came out wonderfully. With the rice substitution this was better to meal prep as barley would get mushy

No slow cooker so used a Dutch oven with lid on in the oven for approx 1hr 20min at 350 degrees - worked perfectly!

Pretty good! I went a little overboard on the Dijon, probably close to 3 tablespoons, and ended up using the remaining 3/4 cup of sour cream (from an 8-oz tub) to mellow the taste. Didn't really need the parmesan. I was able to do this in a 4-quart slow cooker. Increased cooking time to 3 1/2 hours, since the ratio of food-to-cooking-surface was a little less.

I used a Dutch oven in the oven at 300 for 2.45 hours. Swapped artichoke hearts for the mushrooms and fresh spinach for the peas. Also used goat cheese instead of the sour cream. Skipped the tarragon. Really delicious considering how easy it is to make!

Excellent notes for preparation

The flavors of this dish are absolutely wonderful! (although I went much lighter on the tarragon since it’s so powerful.) A lot of the reviews complain that it’s too mushy but I think it’s supposed to be… that’s what happens when barley cooks for three hours in a bunch of liquid! I personally really like the consistency - it’s a warm, comforting, stick to your ribs kind of meal in a bowl. Give it a try, it’s an easy winter staple!