Classic Coq au Vin (Printable)

Tender chicken braised in red wine with pearl onions, mushrooms, and smoky bacon for a rich flavor.

# What You'll Need:

→ Protein & Main

01 - 1 whole chicken (about 3.3 lbs), cut into 8 pieces
02 - 5.3 oz smoked bacon or pancetta, diced

→ Vegetables

03 - 7 oz pearl onions, peeled
04 - 8.8 oz cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
05 - 2 medium carrots, sliced
06 - 2 garlic cloves, minced

→ Liquids

07 - 2.5 cups dry red wine (e.g., Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
08 - 1 cup chicken stock

→ Pantry & Herbs

09 - 2 tbsp tomato paste
10 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
11 - 2 tbsp olive oil
12 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - 4 sprigs fresh thyme
15 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

# How to Make It:

01 - Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season evenly with salt and black pepper.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
03 - In the same pot, brown chicken pieces in batches until golden on all sides. Remove and set aside.
04 - Add sliced carrots, pearl onions, and minced garlic to the pot. Sauté over medium heat until lightly golden, about 5 minutes.
05 - Stir in tomato paste and flour, cooking for 1 minute to combine and remove raw flour taste.
06 - Return browned chicken and cooked bacon to the pot. Add red wine, chicken stock, bay leaves, and fresh thyme. Scrape bottom to release browned bits.
07 - Bring liquid to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook on low heat for 90 minutes or until chicken is tender.
08 - While chicken braises, heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté mushrooms until browned, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
09 - Remove pot lid for the last 15 minutes to reduce sauce. Stir in sautéed mushrooms and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.
10 - Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs before plating. Serve hot, optionally garnished with fresh parsley.

# Expert Hints:

01 -
  • The chicken becomes impossibly tender and absorbs deep, complex flavors that taste like hours of patient cooking in the best way.
  • It's a one-pot dinner that feels fancy enough to impress but simple enough that you can mostly leave it alone.
  • Cold nights just taste better with this kind of warmth in a bowl.
02 -
  • Don't skip browning the chicken properly—it's the only chance you get to build that caramelized, savory flavor, and rushing it makes the whole dish taste flat.
  • The mushrooms must be cooked separately and added at the very end, otherwise they'll dissolve into the sauce and you'll lose their texture.
  • Simmer gently, never boil—rough bubbling makes the chicken tough and the sauce cloudy instead of silky.
03 -
  • Use a good red wine—Burgundy or Pinot Noir is traditional, but anything dry that tastes good at the table will taste good in the pot.
  • If the sauce seems too thin at the end, let it reduce uncovered for another ten minutes while the mushrooms are in there, and it will thicken beautifully.
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