The best recipes to make Coq Au Vin from France

Coq au Vin, sounds fancy right? In reality, this classic French dish is a simple, one-pot wonder full of layered, rich flavors that are perfect for your next family meal or dinner party.

Best Coq au Vin at Home

This classic French dish is a simple one-pot wonder full of layered, rich flavors perfect for your next family meal or dinner party. If you're not sure enough, please read on, because you will!

What is Coq Au Vin?

Translated from French, coq au vin means “rooster in wine.” Sounds yummy, right? Despite its straightforward name, coq au vin is a dish full of nuanced, deep, savory flavors (not unlike its French beef 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 it 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.

Tender chicken thighs in a red wine sauce is exactly what you need to treat yourself at home. This classy dish is made easy with a simple recipe, but don’t worry, you won’t be missing out on any of the delicious flavors. 

Which Wine is Best for Coq au Vin?

Coq au vin is traditionally made with red wine. Lately, it's become popular to use white wine, 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.

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.

Ingredients

8 oz bacon, cut into 2" pieces

8 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken drum sticks and thighs)

salt and pepper

4 cloves garlic, minced

4 shallots, quartered

4 sprigs thyme

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 cups chicken stock

1/2 bottle Rioja red wine

3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3" pieces, then halved lengthwise

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

1 lb crimini mushrooms, quartered

Method

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F.

2) In a braiser or oven-proof pot, add the bacon and cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes, until crispy. Using tongs, remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat in the pan.

3) Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Over medium heat, brown chicken in reserved bacon grease, working with only 2-3 pieces at a time, for about 5 minutes. Set chicken aside.

4) In the same pan add garlic, shallots, thyme, bay leaf, tomato paste, and cooked bacon. Stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

5) Add chicken back into the pan (skin side up) and pour the wine and chicken stock over the top. Nestle the carrots around the chicken. Bring the liquid to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and place it in the oven. Braise for 30 minutes.

6) Remove from the oven and place back on top of the stove.

7) In a small bowl mix together melted butter with flour and stir in ¼ cup liquid from braising pan. Pour the mixture back into the pan along with the mushrooms. Stir and cover. Cook for 10 minutes longer over medium heat. Season to taste.

8) Top with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes or egg noodles.