Classic French Coq au Vin (Printable Version)

Tender chicken slowly braised in red wine with smoky bacon, mushrooms, and aromatic herbs.

# Ingredient List:

→ Protein & Main

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

→ Vegetables

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

→ Liquids

07 - 2 1/2 cups dry red wine (e.g., Burgundy or Pinot Noir)
08 - 1 cup chicken stock

→ Pantry & Herbs

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

# Directions:

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 bacon 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 all-purpose flour, cooking for 1 minute to eliminate raw flour taste.
06 - Return chicken and bacon to the pot. Add red wine, chicken stock, bay leaves, and thyme. Scrape browned bits from the bottom to enrich flavor.
07 - Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low heat for 1 hour 30 minutes 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, approximately 5 minutes. Set aside.
09 - Remove lid from Dutch oven for the final 15 minutes to slightly reduce sauce. Stir in sautéed mushrooms and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
10 - Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Serve hot, optionally garnished with fresh parsley.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce becomes silky and complex without any cream, just time and good wine doing the work.
  • Bacon and mushrooms do something magical together that makes people ask for seconds before they finish their first plate.
  • Once it's braising, you have nearly two hours to yourself—or to prep sides, pour another glass, set the table.
02 -
  • Don't use wine you wouldn't drink straight—there's no long cooking time to redeem it, and the taste comes through directly.
  • The chicken will look pale after browning if you don't get a real sear; medium heat is your friend, not high heat and rushing.
  • Removing the lid at the end isn't optional if you want sauce with body instead of wine soup; those last 15 minutes matter.
03 -
  • Brown your bacon and chicken in the same pot without washing between steps; that fond builds flavor you'd otherwise throw away.
  • Pearl onions taste almost sweet by the end of cooking, but only if you peel them while they're still whole—cutting them releases juice that makes them tough.
Go Back