Coq au Vin

5 from 1 vote

Cozy up with a bowl of French chicken stew! This easy Coq au Vin recipe is a rich, flavorful combination of braised chicken in red wine with bacon, mushrooms, onion and herbs.

Course Dinner

Cuisine French

Keyword chicken coq au vin, coq au vin, easy coq au vin

Prep Time 35

Cook Time 55

Total Time 1 30

Servings people

Calories 750kcal

Author Blair Lonergan

Equipment

Dutch oven

Ingredients

4 slices bacon, diced
3 ½ lbs. bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 8 thighs) or 1 (3-4 lb.) chicken, cut into pieces
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
1 yellow onion, diced
1 lb. peeled carrots, cut diagonally into 2-inch pieces and halved in thick parts
2 celery stalks, diced
12 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Burgundy red wine (such as Pinot Noir)
2 cups chicken stock
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F.
In a large cast iron Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. Reserve the drippings in the pot.
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken, skin-side down, until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes. Remove to a plate and set aside.
Leave 2 tablespoons of drippings in the pot, then discard any extra fat. Add onion, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and cook until the onion is translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 more minute. Pour in the wine and deglaze the pan by scraping up any browned bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add the stock, thyme, bay leaf, and salt and pepper to taste.
Return the bacon and chicken (skin-side up) to the pot. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook at 350° F for about 40 – 50 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink.
Place the pot on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until the liquid is reduced by about half, approximately 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat; stir in the butter and vinegar. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Remove bay leaf and thyme stems. Serve in individual bowls; garnish with fresh parsley.

Notes

Pat the chicken dry before seasoning and searing. Minimizing excess moisture helps the skin get crisp and brown in the pot.
Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces rather than boneless, skinless thighs or breasts. The skin and bones add flavor to the dish and help to prevent the meat from drying out.
While a whole cut-up chicken or rooster is most traditional, I prefer chicken thighs in this dish. The pieces are a uniform size, so they cook in the same amount of time. The dark meat on the thighs stays moist and juicy during the braising process, while white meat breasts have a tendency to become dry when cooked for too long.
If the chicken isn't crispy enough for your liking when it comes out of the oven, you can place the chicken on a rimmed baking sheet and put it under the broiler for a couple of minutes while you simmer the sauce. This will help the skin crisp up nicely! Just keep a close eye on the meat because it can burn quickly under the broiler.
Pick a high-quality dry red wine (nothing too sweet) such as Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot.

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