The Best Coq au Vin at Home
When you hear “coq au vin” what comes to mind? Labor intensive? Too fancy to be practical? Maybe just a bit intimidating? Well none of that is true! In reality, this classic French dish is a simple recipe made in one pot, and is as good for a weeknight dinner as it is for a celebratory dinner party. If we haven’t convinced you yet, please read on!
What is Coq au Vin?
Translated from French, coq au vin means “rooster in wine.” Despite its straightforward name, coq au vin is a dish full of nuanced, deep, savory flavors (not unlike its counterpart boeuf bourguignon). Served over mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or a good parsnip puree, it’s the kind of dish that makes anyone you serve feel special. Coq au vin takes humble chicken thighs and drumsticks and elevates them with a braise in wine (red or white) infused with bacon, garlic, herbs, and vegetables. The result is a dish full of fall-apart chicken and the most succulent sauce. Because we aren’t trying to be the next Julia Child, we’ve taken the liberty of simplifying the recipe and skipping a few (non-essential) steps to transform classic coq au vin into a weeknight dish that anyone can cook with ease.
What Should I Cook My Chicken Coq au Vin In?
In true French fashion, coq au vin is best cooked in a Dutch oven or cast iron braising dish. If you don’t have either of those, we highly recommend adding one to your collection. It will become your most beloved pot, guaranteed. The heavy lid of a Dutch oven creates the perfect environment for keeping in steam while your coq au vin braises away in the oven, resulting in supremely tender meat and veggies.
Which Wine is Best for Coq au Vin?
Coq au vin is traditionally made with red wine. White wine (and even champagne!) is a fun variation on the classic, but we love the bold flavor that a good red has to offer and so we've decided to stick with tradition on this one. Red wine from the French wine growing region of Burgundy is most common, and we like using Pinot Noir or another lighter bodied red wine for this coq au vin recipe.
Recently we have discovered (and enjoyed thoroughly) the wines of the Rioja region of Spain. The wines of Rioja are the only ones in the world that are not released until they are ready to drink. The cool growing conditions in Rioja produce fruity wines with moderate alcohol and low acidity, making them the perfect wine for pairing and cooking virtually any dish, especially this coq au vin.
We’ll be frank, a big old Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot boxed wine is going to be just as tasty after everything is cooked together in the red wine sauce, so don’t sweat it!
How Do You Make Coq au Vin?
While coq au vin is a relatively simple dish, these key steps will set you up for success:
Start with a Dutch oven. You will be using this pot for the entire dish.
First, brown your bacon (or lardon or pancetta), then remove it from the pan leaving all that nice grease and fond (the bits that stick to the bottom of the pot as the meat cooks).
Next, brown your chicken in a single layer in the bacon grease. Get those skins nice and crispy, and then remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.
Cook the garlic and herbs and add the chicken and bacon back into the pot, nestle the carrots around the chicken and cover with wine and chicken stock. (Go ahead and pour a glass of wine for yourself while you’re at it.)
Cover, place the pot in the oven, and cook for 30 minutes.
Finally, remove from the oven, uncover, and add all the mushrooms, and shallots (or pearl onions), along with the melted butter and flour mixture for thickening. Cook this on the stove over medium heat for 5-8 minutes and then garnish with a little sprinkle of parsley and you're good to go!
Nous T'aimons Chicken Coq au Vin.
See, I told you it was easy. We love this recipe for coq au vin, because it is:
- Easy.
- Comforting.
- Great for company.
- Perfect for winter.
- Insanely delicious.
- Makes us feel fancy, without stressing us out with too many complicated steps.
What do I Serve With Coq au Vin?
We love this recipe for coq au vin. It’s way easier to make than it sounds, and makes us feel like we’ve mastered a pillar of classic French cooking without too many complicated steps. Coq au vin is a comforting meal (especially in the depths of winter) that is great for company. Coq au vin really is a one-pot meal. It has protein and vegetables all together in one pot. You don’t need to serve it with anything else, but it really would be a shame to not have something to soak up all that sauce. We recommend making a big batch of these Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Herby Rhodes Rolls to do just that. Alternatively, you could eat this wine-braised goodness with egg noodles, cauliflower mash, or parsnip puree. This dish is the perfect winter meal; hearty, cozy, full of depth, and blissfully uncomplicated. Even though the French are known for their beautiful confections, home cooks tend to keep dessert simple. Make a Skillet Caramel Apple Crisp or a couldn’t-be-easier-to-make Baileys Chocolate Bundt Cake (trust us, it’s impressive and delicious).
Tools You’ll Need
C’est Magnifique le Coq au Vin!
Once you’ve made this easy coq au vin recipe, we have tons of other great one pot meals just waiting for you to make:
In the mood for noods? Try One Pot Creamy Mediterranean Chicken Pasta or Beef Stroganoff
Stew on this: Meatball Stew or Classic Beef Stew or a Spiced Vegetable Stew
Rich and flavorful: Osso Buco, Chicken Adobo, and Red Curry Beef
Our full round up of one pot wonders is here–Best One-Pot Dinners
How'd it all Turn Out?
Did you make this coq au vin? Julia Child would be so proud! Post a picture and tag @themodernproper and #themodernproper so we can see how it turned out!
