Coq Au Vin

Written by
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Leah Maroney
Updated 02/04/21
coq au vin in a pot

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 60 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 4 to 6
Yield: 1 pot

Coq au Vin is a classic French dish, meaning chicken with wine. It’s very simply chicken and vegetables braised in a lot of delicious wine until everything is tender, juicy, and so full of flavor. There are lots of variations—you can make changes to the vegetables and herbs in this dish, but the basics remain the same. It’s a nice pot of cozy goodness that’s perfect for chilly fall and winter nights. It’s even better reheated the next day as the flavors continue to develop with time. Just reheat in a pot with a touch of water. It will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days or you can freeze it up to 3 months. 

Ingredients

  • 4 slices bacon (diced)
  • 1/2 pound baby bella mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt (divided)
  • 2 teaspoons ground black pepper (divided)
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 whole chicken (cut into 8 pieces)
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 small onion (diced)
  • 2 carrots (coarsely chopped)
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 1 1/2 cups red wine
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 8 sprigs thyme
  • 1 1/2 cups pearl onions

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather your ingredients.

    coq au vin ingredients

  2. Heat a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot over high. Add the diced bacon and brown, stirring as needed, until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a bowl, then set aside.

    bacon cooked in a pan

  3. Add the mushrooms to the pot of bacon grease and cook over high heat, without disturbing, until they are browned on the bottom. Remove from the pot and place in a separate bowl; set aside.

    mushrooms cooked in a pan

  4. Stir to combine the flour, garlic powder, and 1/2 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper in a shallow bowl.

    seasoned flour in a bowl

  5. Toss the chicken in the flour mixture until well coated. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture.

    chicken coated in seasoned flour

  6. Add butter to the same pot. Heat over medium-high. Add the chicken, shaking off the excess flour before each addition, and sear, undisturbed, until golden-brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip and brown on the opposite side. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. (The chicken will not be cooked through; it will continue to cook later on.)

    chicken browned in a pan

  7. Add the onions, carrots, and the reserved 1 tablespoon flour mixture to the pot. Saute over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent the flour from burning, until the onions are softened, about 2 minutes

    carrots and onions cooked in a pan

  8. Add the garlic and brandy, scraping the bottom of the pot with a spoon to release any browned bits. (The addition of brandy helps release the flavorful bits from the bottom of the pot.)

    garlic and brandy with carrots and onions

  9. Add the red wine and chicken broth. Stir to combine and heat through.

    wine added to vegetables in a pot

  10. Add the bacon, mushrooms, chicken, and pearl onions. Bring the liquid to a boil, then cover the pot and heat over low for 35 minutes or until the chicken reaches 165 F.

    chicken and onions added to wine in a pot

  11. Remove the lid and cook for another 10 minutes. Stir gently to make sure the bottom of the pot does not burn.

    Serve immediately with mashed potatoes and asparagus or your favorite starch and vegetable sides.

    coq au vin