Coq au Vin Recipe

This Coq au Vin Recipe has rich, earthy, aromatic flavors. Bone-in chicken slow simmers together with carrots, onions, mushrooms, bacon, red wine and fresh herbs to create the perfect comforting meal. This french chicken stew is a recipe you will make your family time and time again! 

COQ AU VIN RECIPE 

When I think of comforting meals I think of rich, hearty dishes that fill you up and make you feel extra satisfied. Today’s Coq au Vin Recipe does just that, it will make you feel so cozy on a cold winter day. 

You might know of Julia Child’s Coq au Vin that many people make time and time again.

It is a classic french dish. That is how I first heard of this french style chicken stew. You might be wondering what Coq au Vin is? 

The basics of coq au vin are slow cooked chicken on the bone and wine, mushrooms, lardons {bacon}, onions, garlic and herbs.This recipe will remind you of  beef bourguignon or my Mushroom Bourguignon.

These dishes start with onions, garlic and carrots sautéed in butter.

Bacon and mushrooms are also cooked. Chicken is then browned and everything is added into the stew that goes into the oven. 

Coq au vin is often described as having complex, rich, earthy, aromatic flavors. It is one of my favorite comfort recipes!

There is just something so perfect about slow cooked, tender chicken that is simmered in a red wine sauce with fresh herbs. 

I like to rotate chicken stews with these Braised Lamb Shanks, Slow Cooker Italian Short Ribs, Balsamic Short Ribs Recipe or Moroccan Chicken Thighs.

All of these recipes are bursting with warm flavors and the meat is just so tender. As with most of my recipes you can modify today’s recipe to your liking. You can leave the mushrooms out, or the bacon out, you can add in other vegetables like diced tomatoes or celery. 

When serving this coq au vin dish I like to put it over potatoes, rice, egg noodles or polenta. Of course you want to serve it with a large loaf of crusty bread to soak up all that delicious sauce. 

Recipe Ingredients in this Coq au Vin Recipe

• CHICKEN PIECES {CHICKEN THIGHS, CHICKEN DRUMSTICKS OR CHICKEN LEGS}
• BACON {OPTIONAL}
• EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL
• MUSHROOMS
• ONION
• CARROTS
• BUTTER
• GARLIC
• TOMATO PASTE
• RED WINE
• CHICKEN STOCK
• THYME SPRIGS & BAY LEAVES
• PEARL ONIONS

How Do You Make This Coq au Vin Recipe?

You are going to love this rich, flavorful and comforting chicken recipe!

Step 1. Preheat oven: Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F {this is for the low and slow cooking version- you could do 350 degrees F but will want to check the temp of the chicken sooner}.

Step 2. Season chicken: In a large bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Step 3. Cook the bacon and the mushrooms: Heat a large pot or large dutch oven over medium-high heat.

Add the bacon and cook for about 10 minutes until cooked through. Remove with a slotted spoon leaving the bacon fat. Transfer to a plate. Add the olive oil and add the mushrooms to the same dutch oven until tender and browned.

Step 4. Sear the chicken: Remove with a slotted spoon leaving the grease and browned bits and set aside on a plate. In the same pot, add the chicken skin side down and sear the chicken on each side for about 5 minutes.

Step 5. Add vegetables & broth: Remove chicken and set aside on a plate. Add minced onions and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Melt butter then add garlic and cook for another 1 minute. Add tomato paste and flour and stir. Add the wine and chicken broth and mix well.

Step 6. Simmer: Add chicken back in the pot with thyme and bay leaves. Add pearl onion, cooked bacon and mushrooms in the pot. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.

Step 7. Cook for 40 minutes: Cover the pot or dutch oven and transfer to the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and reaches a temperature of 165 degrees F.

Enjoy with mashed potatoes and green beans. 

Tips for Making Coq au Vin

• Dry the Chicken: If you like a crispy crust on the outside of the chicken make sure to pat the chicken dry with paper towels before searing it. 
• Thickening: If you like your stew thicker you can easily use butter and flour to thicken it. Add the butter to the pot and then once the butter is melted add the flour and stir until it thickens in the pot. 
• Bacon: You can add bacon if you like or leave it out. It definitely adds a rich flavor to the chicken recipe if you do like bacon. 
• Wine: An authentic coq au vin is made with a red Burgundy wine, like a good quality Pinot Noir. You can also use Malbec, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot. White wine can also work but I personally prefer red for the color and deep flavor.  The key to this dish is to pick a high-quality wine you actually like to drink. The wine really infuses into this dish. 
• Mushrooms: Cremini mushrooms or white mushrooms work great in this dish.
• Herbs: The herbs give this dish the earthy, aromatic flavor. I like to use fresh thyme and parsley. You could easily use fresh oregano and basil.

Recipe FAQ

What to Pair With This Chicken Coq au Vin?

I love pairing a simple salad and a vegetable or potato side dish with coq au vin. Here are some favorites:

• Salad: Salads are always a great pairing with chicken. I really like this Mediterranean Bean Salad, Lemon Arugula Salad with Pine Nuts, Summer Orzo Pasta Salad or this Easy Lebanese Salad.
• Side Dishes: If you like to pair vegetable side dishes with chicken you should try these Lebanese Green Beans, Turmeric Roasted Cauliflower or these Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables 
• Potatoes: Another great addition to this meal is potatoes. I often make Gouda Smashed Potatoes, Air Fryer Twice Baked Potato, Spicy Lebanese Potatoes or Lemon Cilantro Roasted Potatoes. Another great thing to serve this chicken over is Creamy Polenta. 

Other Chicken Recipes You Might Like:

If you like chicken recipes try one of these other delicious ideas:

• MOROCCAN CHICKEN THIGHS
• AIR FRYER MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN THIGHS
• RANCH CHICKEN THIGHS
• GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH GREEK MARINADE
• CRANBERRY BAKED CHICKEN THIGHS

If you try it, please leave me a star rating and comment below, and follow me on Instagram @acedarspoon for more delicious recipes!

Coq au Vin Recipe

Coq au Vin Recipe has rich, earthy, aromatic flavors. Bone-in chicken slow simmers together with carrots, onions, mushrooms, bacon, red wine and fresh herbs to create the perfect comforting meal. This french chicken stew is a recipe you will make your family time and time again! 

4.46 from 24 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: chicken

Cuisine: French

Keyword: chicken, dinner, dinner recipe, healthy, mushrooms, wine

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 4

4

Author: Julia

Ingredients

• ▢ 4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
• ▢ 4 drumsticks, skin on
• ▢ 1/2 teaspoon salt
• ▢ 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ▢ 3 pieces of bacon, chopped
• ▢ 8 ounces brown mushrooms, sliced
• ▢ 1 small onion, chopped
• ▢ 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
• ▢ 3 tablespoons, unsalted butter
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• ▢ 5 tablespoons flour
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups red wine, pinot noir or burgundy work well
• ▢ 1 1/4 cups chicken stock or broth
• ▢ 5 sprigs thyme {or sub in 1 teaspoon dried thyme}
• ▢ 3 bay leaves
• ▢ 1/2 cup pearl onions
• ▢ Fresh parsley for garnish

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Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F for the low and slow method. If you prefer it to cook quicker then set your oven to 350 degrees F.
• In a large bowl, season chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.
• Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.
• Add the bacon and cook for about 10 minutes until cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the olive oil to the pot and add the mushrooms to the same dutch oven until tender and browned.
• Remove without the grease and set aside on a plate.
• In the same pot, sear chicken on each side for about 5 minutes.
• Remove chicken and set aside on a plate.
• Add minced onions and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Melt butter then add garlic and cook for another 1 minute.
• Add tomato paste and flour and stir.
• Add the wine and chicken broth and mix well.
• Add chicken back in the pot with thyme and bay leaves.
• Add pearl onion, bacon and mushrooms in the pot.
• Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes.
• Cover the pot or dutch oven and transfer to the oven for 40-50 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and temperature is 165 degrees F {if cooking at 350 degrees F you will want to check it at about the 30 minutes mark}.
• Garnish with fresh parsley and extra fresh thyme. Enjoy with mashed potatoes and green beans. 

Notes

• Cooking temp: You can cook this at 350 degrees you will just need to pull the chicken out earlier and make sure not to overcook. I would say it would be done in about 25 to 30 minutes.
• Thickening: If you like your stew thicker you can easily use butter and flour to thicken it. Add the butter to the pot and then once the butter is melted add the flour and stir until it thickens in the pot. 
• Dry the chicken: If you like a crispy crust on the outside of the chicken make sure to pat the chicken dry with paper towel before searing it. 
• Storing: Coq au Vin will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.