When you hear “coq au vin” what comes to mind? Labor intensive? Too fancy to be practical? Well none of that is true! In reality, coq au vin is simply a French chicken stew cooked with red wine. It’s a dish full of nuanced, deep, savory flavors (not unlike its counterparts, Chicken Fricassee, or Beef Bourguignon). Our easy coq au vin recipe is as good for a weeknight dinner as it is for a celebratory dinner party.
Coq au vin means “rooster in wine,” in French, but not to worry! You don’t need to get your hands on a rooster to make it — regular chicken is fine. Our coq au vin recipe takes humble chicken thighs and drumsticks and elevates them with a braise in wine, bacon, garlic, herbs, and vegetables. The result is a dish full of fall-apart chicken and the most succulent sauce. We love Julia Child, and her elaborate coq au vin recipe is classic to the max. But, we’ve taken the liberty of simplifying Julia’s recipe into a weeknight dish that anyone can cook with ease. For a totally different, but still classic chicken thigh dish, try our easy Chicken Adobo.
What’s In Coq Au Vin:
- Chicken: bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- Red wine: Coq au vin is traditionally made with red wine. Red wine from Burgundy is most common, and we like using any delicious, affordable Pinot Noir (which is the wine grape of the Burgundy region!) or another lighter bodied red wine for this coq au vin recipe. That said, you could use a white wine in a pinch, but the color of your finished stew will be dramatically different from ours. The flavors will still be delicious, but will also be a little different from the classic.
- Bacon: Smoky, salty bacon is key. The authentic French coq au vin recipe uses lardons, and if you can find them, wonderful! But thick-cut bacon works just fine.
- Veggies: Carrots, shallots (or pearl onions work, too), and mushrooms (OK, yes, a fungi not a veggie but you get the idea, right?).
- Aromatics & herbs: Garlic, thyme, bay leaf.
- Tomato paste: Rich flavor in just a few tablespoons
- Stock: chicken stock, and homemade if you’ve got it! Otherwise, store bought works fine.
- Flour + butter: To thicken the red wine sauce, and add a little richness.
How To Make Coq Au Vin:
- Grab your favorite big, lidded pot! Ideally, either a Dutch oven or cast iron braising dish. Why? The heavy lid of a Dutch oven creates the perfect environment for keeping in steam while your coq au vin braises in the oven, resulting in supremely tender meat and veggies.
- Brown the bacon. Remove it from the pan, but leave all that nice bacon grease behind.
- Brown the chicken in the bacon grease (yum!) and set it aside.
- Start the stew. Cook the garlic, and herbs.
- Add back the chicken, bacon, and carrots.
- Pour in the stock and wine. (Go ahead and pour a glass of wine for yourself while you’re at it!)
- Cover the pot, and pop it in a hot oven for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is falling off the bone.
- Finish the dish! Add the mushrooms, shallots, and roux (butter and flour mixture). Give your coq au vin a few minutes on the stovetop to let the sauce thicken.
- Serve!
What To Serve With Coq Au Vin
Starchy sides:
- Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes are a classic side for coq au vin.
- Homemade Sourdough Bread would be great, or Herby Rhodes Rolls are another great side dish option, if you want something easier than scratch-made bread.
- Creamy Polenta would be a beautiful, gluten-free (but still hearty) option too.
- Serving it over egg noodles — as you would Beef Stroganoff — is delicious too!
Salads to serve on the side:
- A Simple Green Salad is always an ideal side for rich coq au vin! Or….
- Butter Lettuce Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette
- Celery Pear and Hazelnut Salad
- Fig & Goat Cheese Salad
And for dessert:
- How about a Skillet Caramel Apple Crisp?
- Or a couldn’t-be-easier-to-make Baileys Chocolate Bundt Cake (trust us, it’s impressive and delicious).
How To Store & Reheat Coq Au Vin
Leftover coq au vin is DELICIOUS. This is a dish that gets better as it sits (to a point, of course). Store any leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat your coq au vin, warm the stew gently over low heat. Grab some crusty bread from the store, warm up some coq au vin, and enjoy the best, easiest dinner of leftovers you’ve ever had.
More One-Pot Chicken Dinner Ideas
How'd It Turn Out?
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