While coq au vin might sound like one of those dishes you only order at a restaurant, I’m here to tell you that it’s actually very doable at home. My version uses everyday ingredients and simple steps to create tender chicken simmered in a rich red wine sauce. It’s cozy, impressive, and much easier than the name suggests.
Chicken in Red Wine Sauce
Coq au vin translates to “rooster in wine”, which is an apt description of this deeply flavorful stew. Traditionally made with tough rooster and slow cooked to make the meat tender, coq au vin was a dish for the everyman. Now, it’s a celebrated (and elevated) dish around the world thanks to Julia Child.
I make my coq au vin with chicken and bacon, since rooster and lardons are hard to come by nowadays. But it still has that same great authentic flavor. It’s rich, flavorful, and always impresses. I add carrots for a little extra sweetness, but you can leave them out for a more traditional dish.
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Rest Before Thickening
After baking, let the coq au vin rest uncovered for 10-15 minutes over medium heat. This gives the chicken time to reabsorb moisture and allows the flavors to settle while keeping the dish warm, making sauce taste richer and more balanced.
Coq au Vin Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick)
- 5 strips bacon (sliced into ½-inch pieces*)
- 2 medium carrots
- 10-15 small shallots (**)
- 1 cup chopped mushrooms (***)
- ⅓ cup brandy
- 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (****)
- 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2½ cups red wine (*****)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- ½ cup plain tomato sauce (I used the canned kind)
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon salted butter (⅛ stick, room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a Dutch oven.4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Add the bacon and cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown, then remove and set aside on paper towels to drain.5 strips bacon
- Peel the carrots and shallots, then chop the carrots into bite-sized pieces.2 medium carrots, 10-15 small shallots
- In the same Dutch oven, add the mushrooms and carrots, cook for 7 minutes.1 cup chopped mushrooms
- Deglaze with brandy, then remove the vegetables from the Dutch oven and set aside.⅓ cup brandy
- Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter on medium heat in the Dutch oven.
- Add chicken, season lightly with salt to taste, and cook for 5 minutes on medium-high heat, or until browned.2 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks, 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- Add red wine, chicken stock, and tomato sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes.2½ cups red wine, 2 cups chicken stock, ½ cup plain tomato sauce
- Add the bacon, shallots, mushrooms, carrots, and thyme.3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Cover Dutch oven with the lid and bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and place on the stovetop on medium heat. Let rest uncovered for 10-15 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix salted butter and flour.1 tablespoon salted butter, 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- Add a spoonful of the gravy sauce from the Dutch oven to the butter/flour mixture.
- Mix well with a spoon, then add back in the Dutch oven and combine well with the rest of the gravy.
Notes
- Brown chicken in batches if needed so it actually browns instead of steaming.
- Start with the chicken skin-side down so it gets golden and flavorful.
- Coq au Vin Blanc: Braise with a dry white wine, like Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, or Pinot Grigio, instead of red. Add in a swirl of heavy cream at the end, if desired.
- Simmering cooks off most of the alcohol, leaving just the flavor.
- Alcohol-Free: Skip the brandy, and use chicken stock mixed with 1-2 tablespoons of red wine or balsamic vinegar in place of the wine.
- If your dish turns purple, don’t panic! It’s just a result of the oxidation of the wine. Some varieties of wine, like Merlot, tend to dye the chicken purplish just because they contain so much pigment, while others will change the chicken’s color over time as leftovers sit in the refrigerator.
- Properly cooked chicken should read 165°F. Thighs and drumsticks can go to 175°F without drying out.
- Serve over mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or crusty bread to soak up the sauce.
- Reheat covered in a 350°F oven for about 40 minutes.
Note: Water, salt, pepper, oil, and broth are not counted as ingredients on this site.
How to Make Coq au Vin Step by Step
Prep: Gather up everything you need to make this coq au vin recipe. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Slice the bacon into ½-inch pieces, chop the mushrooms, and bring the salted butter for the roux to room temperature while you cook the bacon and veggies. Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven.
Cook the Bacon: Add 5 strips of bacon to the pot. Cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes, or until crisp. Remove and set aside on paper towels to drain.
Prepare the Onions and Carrots: Peel 2 medium carrots and 12-15 shallots, then chop the carrots into bite-sized pieces.
Sauté the Veggies: Add 1 cup of chopped mushrooms and the chopped carrots to the pot. Cook for 7 minutes, or until softened. Then, deglaze with ⅓ cup brandy. Remove the veggies from the Dutch oven and set them aside.
Sear the Chicken: Melt 2 more tablespoons of unsalted butter in the Dutch oven, the sear all of the chicken pieces (2 thighs, 2 drumsticks, and 2 breasts) until browned. Remember, we’re not aiming to cook the chicken through at this point, we just want to get a little color on the outside. Brown in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding the pan and steaming the chicken.
Simmer: Add 2½ cups of red wine, 2 cups of chicken stock, and ½ cup of plain tomato sauce. Simmer for 3 minutes. Don’t panic if your chicken turns purple at any time from this point on–it’s totally normal! The color comes from the wine.
Cook the Stew: Add the cooked bacon, shallots, mushrooms, carrots, and 3 sprigs of thyme to the Dutch oven, then cover it with a lid. Bake in the preheated oven for 50 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are cooked through to 165°F. Then, place the Dutch oven back on the stovetop over medium heat, and let rest uncovered for 10-15 minutes while you prep the roux.
Make the Roux: Mix together 1 tablespoon of room-temperature salted butter and 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour. Add a spoonful of the liquid sauce from the pot to the butter/flour mixture to help it come together.
Thicken the Stew: Mix everything together well and keep your coq au vin warm on the stove until ready to serve. I like to serve it with mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, or crusty bread for dipping!
How to Store, Freeze, and Reheat
Store leftover chicken coq au vin in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating covered in a 350°F oven for about 40 minutes.
More Exclusive Recipes to Try!
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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