You will love Coq au Vin, a classic French dish of braised chicken in a creamy wine sauce with bacon, onions, mushrooms, and garlic!
To start the new year I tried this Coq au Vin recipe and it was fantastic. My husband—who studied French—kept raving about it (and helped with the pronunciation: “kawk oh van”). Traditionally made with Burgundy, some regions such as Alsace use a white wine like Riesling. This version uses white wine, which yields a beautiful sauce color that pairs nicely with browned chicken. The steps are straightforward: sear, sauté, braise, then finish with cream.
Coq au Vin Smells Incredible While It Cooks
While this cooked, our house filled with the rich aromas of braised chicken, wine, bacon, garlic, onions, and mushrooms. It smelled so good my husband noticed it even after stepping outside. The depth of flavor develops as the dish simmers, and the scent alone makes dinner feel special.
How to Make Coq au Vin
Begin by melting butter with olive oil in a large skillet and heating it until hot.
Pat the chicken pieces dry and season with salt and pepper. Sear them in the hot skillet without moving, about 3–4 minutes per side, until nicely browned, then remove and set aside.
Sauté finely chopped onions with sliced bacon in the same pan until the onions are translucent and the bacon has rendered its fat. Add minced garlic briefly, then remove the mixture, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.
Cook sliced mushrooms in the reserved bacon fat until they are tender and browned.
Add the Chicken Back to the Skillet
Return the browned chicken, onion-and-bacon mixture, and garlic to the skillet. Pour in the white wine (Riesling works beautifully here), bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer and cover. Let it cook for about 15 minutes so the flavors meld and the chicken finishes cooking through.
After the covered simmer, uncover the pan, raise the heat slightly, and stir in heavy whipping cream. Allow the sauce to reduce and the chicken to cook uncovered for another 10–12 minutes, spooning sauce over the pieces as it thickens.
Serve the Coq au Vin
To finish, sprinkle a handful of chopped parsley over the chicken for freshness and color. Serve the chicken and sauce with rice, pasta, or crusty bread, making sure to spoon plenty of the sauce over each serving.
This recipe is a reliable crowd-pleaser: elegant in presentation, rich in flavor, and wonderfully aromatic. I found the recipe online and adapted it slightly; I’ll definitely make it again and recommend you try it too.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 medium brown onions, finely chopped
- 3 slices bacon, sliced into thin strips about 2″ long
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 chicken pieces (bone-in; e.g., 4 thighs and 4 drumsticks)
- 1 1/2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms (white button or mini portabella)
- 2 cups dry white wine (Riesling recommended)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Salt and pepper, to season
- Handful of chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- In a large skillet, melt butter with oil over medium-high heat.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Sear in the hot skillet without moving until golden brown, about 3–4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Add chopped onions and bacon to the skillet and cook until onions are translucent and bacon fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add garlic for 30 seconds, then remove the mixture, leaving bacon grease in the pan.
- Cook sliced mushrooms in the bacon fat for about 5 minutes until tender.
- Return the chicken and onion-bacon mixture to the skillet. Pour in the wine, bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer and cover. Cook for 15 minutes.
- Uncover, increase heat slightly, and stir in the whipping cream. Cook uncovered for another 10–12 minutes, spooning sauce over the chicken until cooked through and sauce has thickened.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and serve 1–2 pieces per person with rice, pasta, or crusty bread.
Notes
Serve this flavorful chicken with rice, pasta, or a loaf of crusty bread to soak up the sauce. The recipe yields about four adult servings (eight pieces total), with the option to stretch further if serving smaller portions.
