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This classic coq au vin recipe is what it says. It’s classic. Chicken pieces browned until golden, then slowly braised in red wine with carrots, onions and mushrooms. It’s absolutely divine!
Serve this chicken with a side of Herb and Garlic Mashed Potatoes. And this French inspired Spinach Apple Salad with Walnuts and Blue Cheese for a starter.
The sight of snow and a definite chill in the air makes me want to spend the day smelling the incredible aroma of coq au vin simmering away in my oven. Cold days are made for cozy and comforting stews. Don’t you think?
The recipe for chicken slowly braised in red wine is truly outstanding. No special culinary training is required to ace this French classic. It takes very little effort and is the definition of rustic food.
If chicken is not your first choice of meat, take a look at my Beef Bourguignon recipe. Similar flavours and equally as iconic in the French cuisine as Coq au Vin.
I prefer making it in a deep cast iron pan but if you want to make life even easier, take a look at my Instant Pot Coq au Vin. It’s done in half the time the traditional recipe takes.
Is Coq au Vin difficult to cook?
I am usually on the lookout for the recipes that are tasty yet simple. This Coq Au Vin (French for “Chicken in Wine”) is one of those dishes. It is good enough to serve for a fancy dinner yet doesn’t require much hands-on time.
It could be cooked a few hours in advance, and then reheated quickly right before dinner. This way you can relax, make yourself look pretty and avoid greeting your guests red-faced and sweaty.
French cuisine is so impressive for its ability to be sophisticated, deeply satisfying and comforting at the same time. I have made Coq Au Vin numerous times. It’s a consistent crowd pleaser that doesn’t get old.
Ingredients
The rich taste in this wonderful dish comes from the quality ingredients and a few spices artfully put together.
Here is what you will need:
- Chicken thighs and legs. I prefer using chicken pieces with skin and bones but skinless, boneless will also work.
- Mushrooms, carrots and onions for your vegetables.
- Thyme and garlic for spices.
- Red wine and chicken stock for braising liquids.
- Finally, flour and butter for thickening the sauce and adding extra flavour.
What wine to use
You can guess from the name that wine is one of the main ingredients, alongside chicken. I am sure you have heard it before but I will say it again – only use wine that is good enough to drink.
I have tried this dish with a bottle of homemade wine and I thought it tasted fine. Good but not memorable enough to make it my “dinner special”.
It took me a few years before I came back to this recipe, cooking this time with a decent bottle of wine. That time I saw the magic of Coq Au Vin, the quality that stood the test of time and kept this dish on people’s tables for generations.
Traditionally Burgundy wines are used in this recipe but don’t stress yourself if you can’t source a bottle. My favourite wines to use are Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Merlot. Medium-bodied wines work best as they won’t overpower the dish, and nothing too sweet.
In the Alsace region of France, this dish is made with Riesling and is called Coq au Vin blanc.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- This recipe is cooked in the oven at lower temperature than usual, 120C/250F. The temperature is adjusted to allow for a longer cooking time.
- I used bacon lardons, which are less smoky and fatty than bacon, for this recipe as they are more authentic but feel free to use regular bacon or pancetta.
- Chicken thighs and legs are ideal for this recipe, although skinless, boneless chicken thighs can be used as well. Avoid using chicken breasts. They lack the succulence of the other cuts and tend to become stringy, not tender, when cooked for a longer period of time.
- Browning chicken pieces before braising adds so much flavour to the overall taste of the stew. No need to cook them all the way through at this point.
- I used brandy to deglaze the pan. Once again this ingredients add flavour. You can substitute with whiskey, bourbon or the same red wine you are using later.
- The colour of your sauce will range from brown to dark purple depending on the wine you use. It will not change the taste of your dish as long as your wine quality is decent.
- Long cooking time in the oven will allow your stew to reduce and thicken naturally. However, for a thicker sauce, stir in a mix of melted butter and flour at the end.
Serving Suggestions
I heartily recommend serving a dish with a lovely, flavourful sauce like this one with something to soak up all that flavour. For that I serve coq au vin with mashed potatoes or potatoes au gratin and good crusty bread.
You’ll definitely want to compliment the dish with a glass of nice French wine. Bon Appetit!
Storage and leftovers
You can store leftovers in a refrigerator for up to 4 days in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container.
The best way to reheat leftovers is on the stovetop set to low heat, and heating in a pan with a splash of water or stock to keep the sauce loose. Cover the pan with a lid or foil to keep the coq au vin from drying out. It will take at least 15 minutes but check to make sure the meat is hot in the middle.
It is possible to freeze any leftovers for up to three months in an airtight container. Let them thaw completely before reheating.
More classic French chicken recipes
- Chicken Provencal
- Chicken Casserole a la Normande
- Chicken in Wine and Mustard Sauce
- Chicken Chasseur
Coq Au Vin, the Ultimate One Pot Dinner
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 120g / 4 oz pancetta or bacon lardons, cubed
- 8-10 pieces chicken thighs and legs
- 1 onion
- 2 carrots
- 1-2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 80ml/1/4 cup brandy or whisky
- 375ml / 1½ cup red wine, your choice
- 250ml / 1 cup This is an affiliate link.chicken stock
- 8-10 sprigs thyme
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1½ tbsp flour for thickening, or use corn starch for gluten-free version
- 250g / 1/2 lbs mushrooms
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 120C/250F. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large Dutch oven. (A cast iron pot it's perfect if you have one.) Fry your pancetta or bacon lardons for 8-10 minutes until browned and remove them to a plate.
- Season your chicken pieces with salt and pepper and brown them in the same pot in batches to avoid overcrowding. Remove to the same plate as bacon. You are not cooking your chicken all the way through, just browning on both sides.
- Slice your onions and carrots in medium sized chunks and add them to the pot with salt and pepper, cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, add the garlic and cook for 1 minute longer stirring the whole time not allowing it to burn. Add your brandy and scrape all the burned bits to incorporate them into your sauce, now add bacon and chicken with all the juices they collected, pour in your wine, chicken stock and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Once boiling, cover with a lid and put it in the oven for 55 minutes.
- When chicken is no longer pink mix melted butter with flour and stir in the sauce. Slice mushrooms thickly and add to the pot, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Put back in the oven with the lid off for 10-15 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken.
Notes
- This chicken stew could be made with skinless, boneless chicken thighs but not chicken breasts. Chicken breasts tend to become stringy instead of tender when cooked for a longer period of time.
- This recipe has a longer cooking time because it is cooked in the oven at a lower temperature than usual.
- There is no need for the chicken to be cooked all the way through after browning. This step is just to add additional flavour to the stew.
- Deglazing with brandy also adds flavour. Whiskey, bourbon or red wine can also be used.
- The sauce can vary in colour from brown to dark purple depending on the wine. As long as you use a decent quality wine, this won’t negatively affect the taste of the dish. Read above for recommendations on the wine to use.
- We are giving a long time for the stew to cook in the oven, which will allow it to reduce and thicken naturally. But if you still want a thicker sauce, stir in a mix of melted butter and flour at the end.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks delicious!!! Can I do this with skinless bone in chicken?
Ruchi
You absolutely can, Ruchi! Enjoy!
do i need to put it in the oven? or will it be the same if I simmer it over the stove?
I prefer cooking it in the oven but if it’s too hot out I think you can do it on a stove. Just make sure it’s on very low heat, so the bottom doesn’t burn, Nicole.
Absolutely the best! We finished up the 2nd meal of this. Definitely a keeper 😋😋
Lovely!! Thank you for a great review, Mary!
How deep does your pan need to be? Yours doesn’t look overly deep. And can I use a stainless steel pan/pot?
It’s not a very deep pan and yes, you can use a stainless steel pan or a pot.
Going to try this recipe tonight. I love mushrooms-Do I need to sauté them before adding them to the pot? Worried they are going to be mushy.
Hi Leigh, if you look at the recipe instructions you can see they are added uncooked.
Hello! This sounds delicious, but I don’t eat chicken. What other meats would you recommend that might be worth the try? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Hi Kelly, yes you can try my Beef Bourguignon recipe, it’s very similar but uses beef and also a French classic.
I make a no meat version whenever I do a chicken one, for vegetarian family members. Just add a couple of potatoes in place of the bacon and chicken, and all the other ingredients. It is always well loved in my house.
Sounds delicious, Amanda!
This is the best dish I have ever made. Just delightful. I’ve made it a couple of times before, but I get a little rushed and don’t read through. Although, last night, I did my mise en place and took my time. Turned out beautifully.
I am so pleased to hear it, Savannah! I just made it last week myself. Cold weather is perfect for it!
what wine and whisky/brandy did you use ??
I don’t have a particular brand that I recommend, Hannah as it makes no difference as long as it’s decent quality drinking wine. I used dry, full-bodied red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz, and you can use any brand of brandy or whiskey you like. I usually use whatever my husband has open.
Suggestions on what to serve with this. I’m having a dinner party for 8 and this sounds delicious.
Hi Debi, I always serve this dish with buttery mashed potatoes, a good quality French loaf or baguette and perhaps roasted root vegetables like carrots, parsnips or butternut squash. I also start the dinner party with a cheese and charcuterie platter. Add some good wine to it and it’s a party to remember!
Does the sugar from the alcohol in the wine reduced in the cooking process. I’m wondering if the recipe is keto-friendly?
Hi Gigi, I am afraid I can’t answer that question. You might need to do some research on Keto websites but I personally don’t think that sugar is going anywhere.
Making cow au vin and it smells amazing! Just added the corn starch to thicken. Sauce seems a bit greasy from all the chicken and bacon fat. Should I have tried to skim some the fat off first or will it blend in??
Thanks!
Hi Jane, it definitely depends on how fatty your bacon is. I usually use bacon lardons or pancetta that are leaner than North American bacon. You can still skim the fat off even after it’s cooked.
Correction…coq au vin….darn spell check! Thanks for the quick response. I did taste the sauce and it is yummy!
I signed up for your emails and look forward to trying more of your recipes. Especially if I can count on this amazing support. Thanks again!
Very happy to hear that, Jane! Bon appetit!
Oops forgot to rate it.
I made this tonight and it was delicious! It took longer than the recipe indicated because I live at high elevation in Colorado. So I cranked up the oven to 300 degrees and it finished perfectly. I highly recommend this to anyone. Thank you for all your effort in posting these recipes. This is my second recipe that I’ve tried and I will make more!
Very happy to hear that, Jaqueline! This is my go-to recipe for cold nights and when company is coming!
Made this on stove top instead of oven and it worked a treat. Clear instructions and a wonderful outcome. Great little recipe 😊😊😊😊😊
Thank you so much for your feedback, Roni. I am so happy to hear it worked well for you even on the stove top!
Such a great recipe. I’ve cooked this about 3 times, and again tonight. After a taste test before putting in oven, the wine seemed to overshadow everything else, so I added more Chicken stock. Don’t know why that happened, unless I forgot that the wine evaporates. Hopefully I didn’t add too much.
So happy to hear that you’ve cooked this Coq au Vin several times already, Leslie! Yes, wine evaporates and really needs time to reduce in order to produce that deliciously rich sauce. The great thing about this recipe is it’s hard to mess up! I am sure yours turned out great!
Oh yes it surely did! Making it right now. Again, thanks so much for this recipe.