Easy Coq Au Vin
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Truly the most amazing braised chicken (so tender, literally falling off the bone!) served in a heavenly red wine sauce!
This has quickly become one of my favorite cozy-winter meals. It’s incredibly simple with easy to find ingredients, most of which I typically have on hand.
And hello? A red wine sauce with the most tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken braised to perfection?
What’s not to love? Not to mention the tender carrots and mushrooms with crisp bacon pieces (an added bonus, of course).
You can of course use other parts of the chicken as needed (ex. drumstick) but I personally prefer bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. When ready to serve, don’t let that red wine go to waste. It will pair perfectly with this meal alongside some mashed potatoes or rice.
Easy Coq Au Vin
Ingredients
- 3 slices bacon, diced
- 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
- 3 shallots, quartered
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 1 ½ cups chicken stock
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 3 carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into thirds
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
Instructions
- Heat a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and cook until brown and crispy, about 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving excess fat in the Dutch oven.
- Season chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper.
- Working in batches, add chicken to the Dutch oven, skin-side down, and sear both sides until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side; set aside. Drain excess fat, reserving 2 tablespoons in the Dutch oven.
- Add mushrooms and shallots, and cook, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are tender and browned, about 5-7 minutes; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Stir in garlic until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Whisk in flour and tomato paste until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
- Stir in wine, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the Dutch oven. Stir in chicken stock, thyme and carrots. Return chicken to the Dutch oven.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, turning the chicken once or twice, until chicken has completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 175 degrees F, about 40-45 minutes.
- Stir in bacon and parsley; season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve immediately.
Did you make this recipe?
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it worked and it was pretty good
Love this recipe! Regarding ‘inexpensive Burgundy’, there’s no such thing! However, any cheaper Pinot Noir or light to medium bodied dry, soft tannin red will work. I just made this using a good value Portuguese red blend from Dao and it tasted just fine. Cost about $12 Cdn or maybe about $9 US. I’ll stay out of the alcohol discussion, except to say that when something simmers this long by far most of the alcohol does cook away.
Delicious!! I will make again for sure
Can I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts, in this recipe?
This was excellent! My guests loved this and so did my boyfriend and me!
It was excellent but not that easy lol!!!
Delicious! Picky teenager approved!
Delicious! A hearty winter warmer, this was great with a cheesy kumara and potato mash.
I will be making this again and again. Easy to make and delicious! I made on slight change using some mild fire roasted salsa in place of the tomato paste. I had just enough left so it was a great way to use that up.
This is VERY good! Made it just as the recipe was written except I only had dried thyme. We will make this again.
Tasted just as heavenly as it smelled! I made a half batch for just two of us, and the recipe halved really well. Next time I’ll double the carrots because they absorbed the sauce in the most wonderful way.
This is sooooo delish! My husband isn’t the biggest admirer of chicken, but he raved about this one! Thank you ☺️
Fantastic recipe. It’s a little time-consuming but so worth it! I realized right before I was going to make it that I forgot to get carrots so I substituted with green bell peppers since that’s all I had on hand. It was still fantastic, but I imagine it would be so much better with the right vegetables. Will definitely be making this again!
If I don’t have a braiser would a Le Creuset work? Do the shallow sides of a braiser create better browning?
I am wondering the same thing!!
I think it would absolutely work. I have a Le Creuset braised and also the Dutch oven. I think the fact that you aren’t submerging this fully in liquid is the critical part and would work in both.
Amazing recipe! This is one of my favorites for sure. Thank you for sharing 🙂 I didn’t change a thing!!!
This turned out sooo delicious and it came together so quickly. Thank you for an amazing recipe.
Can this be made a little in advance? Recipe says “Serve immediately.”
After I had cancer treatment and 4 years of chemotherapy,I lost my love of food,and I was a foodie.I have been making some of your recipes and gaining back my taste for good food,and my confidence in cooking.Thank you for the beautiful gift!
Cooked this earlier, for a family of 7. Just doubled up all the ingredients. Used a large Le Creuset pot, and a McGuigens Shiraz. 7 clear plates. Says all you need to know really.
Really want to try this but I don’t have a braiser. Could I make this in an instant pot?
A wonderful winter dinner! Savory and flavorful. Served with roasted Brussel sprouts as a side dish. Will cook again, it’s a keeper!
Hello would love to try your recipe however need nutrition rating! Especially sodium content!
Why do you expect the author to do this when you can do it yourself? There are dozens of websites you can use to calculate a recipe’s nutritional info. I really like cronometer.com.
This looks absolutely amazing – I love the flavors and the chicken has the most deliciously crispy skin!
I know it would take away from the flavor, but if children would be eating this dish, could I use all chicken broth for a alcohol free dish? If it is adults sharing this recipe, could you recommend a red wine? I am clueless when it comes to wines. Thank you.
Hi Candice! For an alcohol-free dish, a splash of red wine vinegar with beef stock should do the trick. As for a recommended red wine, an inexpensive red Burgundy wine would be perfect here. 🙂
The alcohol cooks out.
The idea that alcohol cook out of food and evaporates in cooking is nothing but a myth. Or, at least, it does not evaporate as quickly as we may have been led to believe.*
Alcohol will not completely cook out of food. Water and alcohol bind with each other, which means that as long as there is still a trace amount of water left in the food, there will be a trace amount of alcohol as well.**
All of the alcohol does not burn off. But depending on the method of cooking, the amount that does burn off varies. Depending on the method of preparation, anywhere from 5 percent to 85 percent of the alcohol used remains in the dish.***
*www.finedininglovers.com
**oureverydaylife.com
***www.ksl.com/?sid=18335340
How often do you take your kids to McDonald’s or KFC or feed them something in a box. A touch of alcohol is the least of your worries.
Agree!!
There are alcohol free wines that would work in this dish.
Pictures show carrots, recipe makes no mention of them. ?
Hi Frank! The recipe includes 3 carrots (halved lengthwise and cut into thirds) and is added in step 7. Hope that helps!
So glad to see a *new* recipe; I love yours! Can the flour be subbed with cornstarch to be a gluten free meal?