Coq au Vin
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Learn how to make traditional coq au vin, a classic French recipe with tender chicken braised in a rich red wine sauce. This flavorful stew is the perfect dish to warm you up on a chilly day.
If you’re craving something cozy and a little special, this coq au vin recipe is just the thing. A classic French stew from the Burgundy region, coq au vin (literally “chicken in wine”) features chicken braised in red wine with mushrooms, onions, and crispy pancetta until tender and full of rich, savory flavor.
Like my traditional French beef stew, it’s the perfect weekend cooking project—comforting to make, satisfying to eat, and even better the next day. Serve it with buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes, creamy polenta, or a good crusty bread to soak up every bit of the luscious red wine sauce.
“Oh my goodness, this was off-the-charts good…We are living in Paris now and I have to say this is better than any other coq au vin we’ve eaten locally. Merci beaucoup!”
What You’ll Need To Make Coq au Vin
- Pancetta: Unlike American bacon, which is smoked, pancetta, or Italian bacon, is cured with salt and spices before being dried. It’s readily available at the deli counter or pre-cut and packaged in the refrigerated gourmet foods section.
- Chicken thighs: While traditional recipes call for a whole cut-up chicken (a coq is an old rooster), I prefer to use only bone-in chicken thighs only. The thighs remain tender and succulent when braised for a long time, whereas white meat/chicken breasts tend to dry out.
- Onion and garlic: These aromatics form the flavor foundation for the stew.
- Cognac: A type of French brandy, cognac adds complex flavor (similar to how it used in other French-style dishes like chicken pot pie, steak au poivre, and turkey gravy).
- Red wine: The classic choice is a Burgundy or Pinot Noir, but any light or medium-bodied red wine, such as Merlot or Zinfandel, will work. You don’t need to use an expensive bottle; just make sure it’s a wine you’d enjoy drinking—no supermarket cooking wine!
- Chicken broth: The base of the sauce.
- Tomato paste: Brings depth, richness, and a subtle tang that keeps the flavors bright and balanced.
- Fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaf: Infuse the dish with herbal notes.
- Carrots and cremini mushrooms: These classic vegetable additions add sweetness, earthiness, and texture to the dish.
- Butter and all-purpose flour: Combined to form a paste (called beurre manié or kneaded butter) used to thicken the sauce.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the pancetta. Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and it’s nice and crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan—you’ll add it back at the end.
Step 2: Brown the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then brown over medium-high heat until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
Step 3: Cook the aromatics. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat, then reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds or so, just until fragrant.
Step 4: Build the sauce. Pour in the Cognac and cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until it’s almost evaporated. Add the wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar, thyme, bay leaf, and salt, then bring everything to a boil.
Step 5: Simmer the stew. Reduce the heat to medium and let the sauce gently boil, uncovered, for about 15 minutes to thicken and concentrate the flavors. Return the chicken, any accumulated juices, and the carrots to the pot. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes, until the chicken and carrots are tender.
Step 6: Cook the mushrooms. While the stew simmers, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until they’re golden brown and any liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Step 7: Make the beurre manié. In a small bowl, mash together the softened butter and flour until it forms a smooth paste—you’ll use it to thicken the cooking liquid into a silky sauce.
Step 8: Remove the chicken skin. Pull the chicken out of the pot and use a fork and knife to remove and discard the skin—it slides off easily. It adds great flavor and helps keep the meat moist while cooking, but it turns soggy, and the dish is more appealing without it.
Step 9: Thicken the sauce. Increase the heat in the Dutch oven/pot to medium and stir in three-quarters of the beurre manié. Gently boil until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes, adding the remaining paste if needed to make the sauce thicker.
Step 10: Finish the dish. Return the chicken and any juices to the pot and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes to let the flavors come together. Stir in the mushrooms and pancetta just before serving, then taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve right away, or cool and refrigerate for up to 2 days (it only gets better with time). The stew also freezes beautifully for up to 3 months.
Video Tutorial
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Coq au Vin
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 oz diced pancetta (or bacon)
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4 lbs/1.8 kg), trimmed of excess skin (see note)
- Salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large yellow onion, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup Cognac
- 2½ cups red wine, preferably Burgundy or Pinot Noir
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- 1½ tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- 1½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into ½-in (13-mm) chunks on the bias
- 8 ounces sliced cremini mushrooms
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large (5-qt/4.8-L) Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crispy, 5 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Season the chicken all over with 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Increase the heat to medium-high and brown half of the chicken in a single layer, skin side down, until golden and crispy, about 5 minutes (brown on the skin side only). Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of the fat.
- Return the pot to the stove and reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the onions to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are softened and just starting to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Add the Cognac and cook, stirring to scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan, until the Cognac has evaporated. Add the wine, chicken broth, tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, sugar, thyme, bay leaf, and ½ teaspoon salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and gently boil, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
- Add the chicken and any accumulated juices from the plate back to the pot, along with the carrots. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes, or until the chicken and carrots are cooked through.
- While the chicken cooks, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
- Also while the chicken cooks: In a small bowl, mash the softened butter and flour to make a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
- Increase the heat in the Dutch oven/pot to medium and stir in three-quarters of the flour and butter paste. Gently boil until the sauce is thickened, 5 to 7 minutes; add the remaining paste if you'd like the sauce a little thicker. Fish out and discard the bay leaf.
- Using a fork and knife, pull the skin off of the chicken and discard.
- Add the chicken and any accumulated juices back to the pot and simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Right before serving, stir in the browned mushrooms and pancetta. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, then serve.
Notes
- Sometimes chicken thighs have excess skin and/or fat. Before cooking, using kitchen shears, trim any skin that extends farther than the edges of the chicken thigh, and snip off any excess fat.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: Prepare the stew as directed, then cool it to room temperature before refrigerating for up to 2 days. Reheat over medium-low heat on the stovetop before serving. (For best results, store the sautéed mushrooms and crispy pancetta in separate containers in the refrigerator and add before serving.) If you want to freeze the dish, transfer it to an airtight container once it has cooled and for up to 3 months. Before serving, defrost the stew in the refrigerator for 24 hours and then reheat on the stovetop over medium-low heat until hot.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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I made Coq au Vin once for my wife and I when I was in law school and it was delicious. I made it again about a year later (from the same recipe) and it was meh, at best, so I gave it up for 30 or so years. But because I’ve never disliked anything I have made from a recipe from this site, I made the coq au vin recipe last weekend. My wife, who never has anything too bad to say about my cooking, whether it is true or not, said “this is good”. A few seconds later she said “this is really good!” I heard more than one “this is really good” from her over the next day or so and I agree. This is really… really … good! Jenn, thank you once again for another great recipe!
Thanks, Jenn! Yum!! Sooooo darn good! I made it for solely my husband and me (but it’s totally company-worthy!) so we could have lots of leftovers. It just got better and better! It’s a foolproof recipe, as is every single recipe I’ve tried from your cookbook.
Your Coq au Vin was the highlight of our winter Sunday, Jenn! Since finding your blog from Pinterest two years ago and then purchasing your wonderful book, I have been so impressed with the consistent ease and excellent outcomes in following your recipes. I even gifted your book to my two God daughters this past Christmas and both of them are loving trying your family friendly recipes. This Coq au Vin was super flavorful and my husband and I can’t wait to have the leftovers! Definitely a keeper recipe! Thanks so much!!
You’re so welcome – thanks for all of your support! ❤️
Amazing. I only had skinless/boneless thighs but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. I made this recipe a day ahead and then added the cooked mushrooms and pancetta after re-heating as directed. I served it with mashed russet potato and a glass of pinot noir (what I used for the recipe). OMG. I wish had a better vocabulary to describe my impression, hahaha… I’m going to “change it up” and make noodles with the leftovers tonight. Thank you, Jenn!
CAN YOU USE BONE-IN SKIN ON CHICKEN BREASTS INSTEAD OF THIGHS?
Hi Melissa, I’ve made this with both breasts and thighs much prefer dark meat here. White meat can be used – you just have to be really careful not to overcook it. Cut the chicken breasts in half so they aren’t too big and reduce the cook time to about 20 minutes (for the first phase). Please LMK how they turn out!
We tried this last night I have made several Coq au Vin recipes in the past and they were great but yours was at another level when you are eating this in amazement you know it’s something special. I would give it a ten but the ratings don’t go that high. Thanks and look forward to the next. Greg
I made this last night, to be served tonight. It is already delicious! Reserved the mushrooms and bacon separately. To serve, buttered long noodles as a nod to Chinese New Year.
Your instructions are easy to follow and straightforward. Time consuming, a little, but worth it. Thanks!
Absolutely delicious and so easy to make! I made 2 batches and glad I did, as my family wanted it again the next night.
Let me echo what most others have said: This was a lot of work AND it was worth it. Totally wonderful and much appreciated by our guests last night. Used thick cut bacon instead of pancetta b/c that’s what I had on hand. Served it with garlic mashed potatoes and a crusty baguette. Finished up with a light dessert of sorbet and macarons. Fab! Looking forward to the leftovers tonight.
So good! Another winner from Jenn’s recipes. Did not have any cognac but it still tasted delicious. This is one of those dishes that tastes great the second day!