Coq au Vin (French Red Wine Braised Chicken) — Based on My Video
Coq au vin is a classic French red wine braised chicken dish made with smoky lardons, mushrooms, pearl onions, carrots and a deep, glossy sauce — perfect for cozy dinners in Canada or the USA when you want real bistro flavors at home. This version uses chicken thighs, a full-bodied dry red wine, chicken broth and a proper bouquet garni so the meat stays tender and the sauce actually coats your potatoes, Parisian potatoes or gratin dauphinois. If you love rustic French recipes like duck confit, blanquette or pot-au-feu, this slow simmered coq au vin will fit right into your cold-weather meal rotation.
Why You’ll Love This Coq au Vin
- Slow braise in red wine and chicken broth
- Properly browned chicken for flavor
- Sauce is bound (no thin watery gravy)
- Uses ingredients easy to find in North America
- Pairs perfectly with potatoes, not pasta
Ingredients
For the braised chicken
- 1.2kg / 2.6 lb chicken thighs or legs, boneless, skinless (or bone-in if you prefer)
- 150g / 5 oz smoked pork belly or thick-cut bacon, unsalted, diced
- 200g / 7 oz white mushrooms, quartered
- 150g / 5 oz pearl onions (fresh or frozen, peeled)
- 100g / 3.5 oz red onion, thinly sliced
- 80g / 2.8 oz carrot, diced (1 medium)
- 40g / 1.4 oz celery stalk, diced (1 small)
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (or 200 ml / ¾ cup tomato purée if that’s what you used in the video)
- 400ml / 1 ⅔ cups dry red wine (Burgundy, Pinot Noir, or a dry Cabernet-style)
- 400ml / 1 ⅔ cups unsalted chicken broth
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour, divided
- 30g / 2 tbsp butter
- 2–3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Parsley stems or a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley (for bouquet garni)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For serving
- Mashed potatoes or classic French potato sides like Parisian potatoes or traditional gratin dauphinois
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Make your bouquet garni
Tie together the bay leaf, thyme and parsley stems with kitchen twine so you can remove them at the end.
2. Brown the chicken
Pat the chicken dry. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the flour over the chicken and shake off the excess — this will help the sauce later. In a large Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on all sides until nicely colored. Remove and set aside.
3. Render the lardons
In the same pot, add the diced smoked pork belly/bacon. Cook until it releases its fat and becomes lightly golden. If there is too much fat, remove a spoonful, but keep some — it’s flavor.
4. Build the aromatic base
Add the red onion, pearl onions, carrot and celery. Sauté 3–4 minutes, scraping the bottom. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high until they start to take color. Add the crushed garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
5. Tomato and wine
Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove the raw taste. Pour in the red wine and, very important, let it boil 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly and cook off the alcohol. Scrape the bottom so all the browned bits dissolve into the liquid.
6. Add liquids and chicken
Return the browned chicken to the pot. Add the bouquet garni. Pour in the chicken broth — the liquid should barely cover the ingredients, about 2 cm / ¾ inch above. Bring to a simmer.
7. Skim and braise
When it starts to simmer, skim off any foam or impurities. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover partially (lid slightly ajar) and cook for about 1 hour or until the chicken is very tender.
8. Thicken and finish the sauce
In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp flour with 30g / 2 tbsp soft butter to make a quick beurre manié (you can also check your own detailed method here: beurre manié recipe). Remove the bouquet garni from the pot. Stir in the beurre manié a little at a time and let the sauce simmer 5 more minutes to thicken. Adjust salt and pepper. The sauce should be shiny and coat the spoon.
9. Serve
Serve hot over mashed potatoes, Parisian potatoes or gratin dauphinois, with plenty of sauce and vegetables. Finish with chopped parsley.
Substitutions & Variations
- No wine? Use 200 ml / ¾ cup grape juice + 1 tbsp red wine vinegar + extra broth. Flavor will be softer but still good.
- No pork belly? Use regular bacon, but reduce salt. Or use diced smoked turkey for a pork-free version.
- Bone-in chicken works perfectly — just extend simmering by 10–15 minutes.
- Tomato purée instead of tomato paste: reduce the broth slightly so the sauce doesn’t get too thin.
- Gluten-free: skip flour on the chicken, and thicken with cornstarch slurry at the end.
FAQ
Can I make this a day ahead?
Yes — coq au vin is even better the next day. Cool, refrigerate, and reheat gently. Skim the fat once cold.
What red wine should I use?
Use a dry red wine you’d drink. Pinot Noir, Burgundy-style, Côtes-du-Rhône, or a good Canadian red works.
My sauce is too thin — what happened?
You probably had too much liquid or didn’t reduce. Simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes or add a bit more beurre manié.
Can I freeze it?
Yes, up to 3 months. Reheat slowly so the sauce doesn’t split.
What to serve with coq au vin?
Best sides are potatoes: Parisian potatoes, traditional gratin dauphinois, or even a simple green salad like homemade Caesar salad.
Suggested posts / what to serve with
- Traditional gratin dauphinois recipe
- Parisian potatoes recipe
- Homemade French onion soup
- Duck confit recipe
- Homemade garlic butter
- Homemade brioche bread
- Crispy Belgian fries
- Creamy mushroom sauce for steak
- Homemade mayonnaise
- Easy 30-minute dinners
Coq au Vin (French Red Wine Braised Chicken)
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg / 2.6 lb chicken thighs or legs boneless, skinless (or bone-in if you prefer)
- 150 g / 5 oz smoked pork belly or thick-cut bacon unsalted, diced
- 200 g / 7 oz white mushrooms quartered
- 150 g / 5 oz pearl onions fresh or frozen, peeled
- 100 g / 3.5 oz red onion thinly sliced
- 80 g / 2.8 oz carrot diced (1 medium)
- 40 g / 1.4 oz celery stalk diced (1 small)
- 3 garlic cloves crushed
- 1 tbsp tomato paste or 200 ml / ¾ cup tomato purée if that’s what you used in the video
- 400 ml / 1 ⅔ cups dry red wine Burgundy, Pinot Noir, or a dry Cabernet-style
- 400 ml / 1 ⅔ cups unsalted chicken broth
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour divided
- 30 g / 2 tbsp butter
- 2 –3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 –3 sprigs fresh thyme
- Parsley stems or a few sprigs of flat-leaf parsley for bouquet garni
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Make your bouquet garni
- Tie together the bay leaf, thyme and parsley stems with kitchen twine so you can remove them at the end.
Brown the chicken
- Pat the chicken dry. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of the flour over the chicken and shake off the excess — this will help the sauce later. In a large Dutch oven, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken on all sides until nicely colored. Remove and set aside.
Render the lardons
- In the same pot, add the diced smoked pork belly/bacon. Cook until it releases its fat and becomes lightly golden. If there is too much fat, remove a spoonful, but keep some — it’s flavor.
Build the aromatic base
- Add the red onion, pearl onions, carrot and celery. Sauté 3–4 minutes, scraping the bottom. Add the mushrooms and cook over medium-high until they start to take color. Add the crushed garlic and cook 30 seconds more.
Tomato and wine
- Stir in the tomato paste and cook 1 minute to remove the raw taste. Pour in the red wine and, very important, let it boil 2–3 minutes to reduce slightly and cook off the alcohol. Scrape the bottom so all the browned bits dissolve into the liquid.
Add liquids and chicken
- Return the browned chicken to the pot. Add the bouquet garni. Pour in the chicken broth — the liquid should barely cover the ingredients, about 2 cm / ¾ inch above. Bring to a simmer.
Skim and braise
- When it starts to simmer, skim off any foam or impurities. Lower the heat to medium-low, cover partially (lid slightly ajar) and cook for about 1 hour or until the chicken is very tender.
Thicken and finish the sauce
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp flour with 30g / 2 tbsp soft butter to make a quick beurre manié (you can also check your own detailed method here: beurre manié recipe). Remove the bouquet garni from the pot. Stir in the beurre manié a little at a time and let the sauce simmer 5 more minutes to thicken. Adjust salt and pepper. The sauce should be shiny and coat the spoon.
Serve
- Serve hot over mashed potatoes, Parisian potatoes or gratin dauphinois, with plenty of sauce and vegetables. Finish with chopped parsley.
Video
Notes
Substitutions & Variations
- No wine? Use 200 ml / ¾ cup grape juice + 1 tbsp red wine vinegar + extra broth. Flavor will be softer but still good.
- No pork belly? Use regular bacon, but reduce salt. Or use diced smoked turkey for a pork-free version.
- Bone-in chicken works perfectly — just extend simmering by 10–15 minutes.
- Tomato purée instead of tomato paste: reduce the broth slightly so the sauce doesn’t get too thin.
- Gluten-free: skip flour on the chicken, and thicken with cornstarch slurry at the end.
FAQ
Can I make this a day ahead?Yes — coq au vin is even better the next day. Cool, refrigerate, and reheat gently. Skim the fat once cold. What red wine should I use?
Use a dry red wine you’d drink. Pinot Noir, Burgundy-style, Côtes-du-Rhône, or a good Canadian red works. My sauce is too thin — what happened?
You probably had too much liquid or didn’t reduce. Simmer uncovered for 5–10 minutes or add a bit more beurre manié. Can I freeze it?
Yes, up to 3 months. Reheat slowly so the sauce doesn’t split. What to serve with coq au vin?
Best sides are potatoes: Parisian potatoes, traditional gratin dauphinois, or even a simple green salad like homemade Caesar salad.
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