Coq au Vin Recipe
Browning the chicken and bacon first builds a fond that carries through the whole braise, and a slow simmer in wine gives the collagen in the chicken thighs time to break down into a silky, self-thickened sauce.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 115 min
- Servings
- 6
Ingredients
- 3 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 6 oz thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 lb pearl onions, peeled
- 12 oz cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 2 medium carrots, sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups dry red wine, such as Burgundy or Pinot Noir
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp tomato paste
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme sprigs
- 1 leaf bay leaf
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp salt and black pepper
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Instructions
- 1Pat the chicken pieces dry and season generously with salt and pepper.
- 2Cook the bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
- 3Brown the chicken in the bacon fat, skin side down first, in batches, until deep golden on all sides, then remove and set aside.
- 4Add the pearl onions and carrots to the pot and cook 5 minutes, then stir in the garlic and tomato paste and cook 1 minute more.
- 5Pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, then add the stock, thyme, and bay leaf.
- 6Return the chicken and bacon to the pot, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 45 minutes.
- 7Add the mushrooms, cover, and continue cooking 20-25 minutes more, until the chicken is fork-tender.
- 8Transfer the chicken and vegetables to a platter. Mash the butter and flour together into a paste and whisk it into the simmering liquid to thicken the sauce.
- 9Simmer the sauce 5 minutes, season to taste, discard the bay leaf and thyme stems, then pour the sauce back over the chicken.
Tips & variations
- A cheaper Cotes du Rhone or Pinot Noir works fine here, you don't need an expensive bottle, just one you'd actually drink.
- Boneless thighs cut the cooking time by about 20 minutes if you're short on time, though bone-in gives more body to the sauce.
- Frozen pearl onions, thawed, are a fine substitute for fresh and skip the fussy peeling step.
- This dish tastes even better the next day, making it a good one to braise a day ahead and reheat gently before serving.
Storage & reheating
Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 4 days, the flavor deepens overnight. Reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat, or freeze the braise (without the mushrooms, which turn rubbery) for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
A rich, protein-heavy braise, the wine cooks down substantially so most of the alcohol content evaporates during simmering.
Tips from the Tulo kitchen
- Let the pot sit at a bare simmer, not a boil, once the chicken goes back in, a hard boil toughens the meat instead of tenderizing it.
- Taste the sauce before you thicken it, wine brands vary a lot in acidity and you may want a pinch of sugar to balance it.
FAQ
Do I need to marinate the chicken in wine overnight?
Traditional recipes sometimes call for it, but it's not necessary for a great result, the long braise itself does the work of infusing the wine flavor into the meat.
What's the best wine to use for coq au vin?
A medium-bodied dry red like Burgundy, Pinot Noir, or Cotes du Rhone works well, avoid anything oaky or overly tannic, which can turn bitter as it reduces.
Can I make coq au vin in a slow cooker?
Yes, brown the chicken and bacon and saute the vegetables on the stovetop first, then transfer everything to a slow cooker and cook on low for 6-7 hours.
