Coq au Vin: Authentic French Wine-Braised Chicken
A classic French bistro dish featuring chicken braised in red wine with mushrooms, pearl onions, and bacon, served with crusty bread for soaking up the rich sauce. This Mediterranean recipe, ready in about 100 minutes, pairs chicken thighs, smoked bacon, red wine for a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together with one pan and minimal cleanup. Each serving lands at about 520 calories and feeds 4, so it slots cleanly into a weekly meal plan and pairs well with a quick salad or grain on the side. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg, bone-in chicken thighs
- 150 g, diced smoked bacon
- 750 ml red wine
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 4, finely chopped shallots
- 300 g, sliced mushrooms
- 200 g, peeled pearl onions
- 30 g butter
- 200 ml chicken stock
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
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Equipment for this recipe
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Instructions
- Step 1: Pat 1.2 kg bone-in chicken thighs dry and season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Dredge in 30 g all-purpose flour, shaking off excess.
- Step 2: Render 150 g diced bacon in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp (5 minutes). Remove bacon, leaving fat. Sear chicken in batches until golden brown (8 minutes per side), then set aside.
- Step 3: Add 4 chopped shallots to pot, cooking until translucent (3 minutes). Stir in 300 g sliced mushrooms and 200 g peeled pearl onions, cooking until onions are golden (5 minutes).
- Step 4: Deglaze pot with 750 ml red wine, scraping up browned bits. Add 200 ml chicken stock, 2 thyme sprigs, and 2 bay leaves. Return chicken and bacon to pot, bringing to a simmer. Cover and braise at 160°C (320°F) for 1 hour until chicken is tender.
- Step 5: Remove chicken and bacon; strain liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. Return liquid to pot, add 30 g butter, and simmer until reduced by half (10 minutes). Slice chicken, arrange with vegetables, and spoon sauce over top.
