Chicken braised in red wine with mushrooms, pearl onions, and lardons
Coq au Vin
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
1 hr 30 min
Total Time
1 hr 55 min
Servings
6
About 6 portions
Difficulty
Medium
Cost
Moderate
$$
Coq au Vin
Chicken braised in red wine with mushrooms, pearl onions, and lardons
★4.6(22)
A rustic French classic where chicken pieces are braised in Burgundy wine with smoky lardons, mushrooms, pearl onions, and aromatic herbs until fall-off-the-bone tender.
25m
Prep Time
90m
Cook Time
115m
Total Time
6
Servings
Medium
Difficulty
Moderate $$
Cost
Sarah Chen
(Updated )
Coq au vin is French country cooking at its most glorious. Originally a method for cooking a tough old rooster (coq) by braising it slowly in wine (vin), this dish transforms humble ingredients into something magnificent through time and technique.
The chicken is first browned deeply for flavor, then simmered in a full bottle of red wine with smoky lardons, sweet pearl onions, earthy mushrooms, and a bouquet garni of thyme, bay, and parsley. As it braises, the wine reduces and melds with the rendered fat to create a glossy, deeply flavored sauce.
This is the kind of French cooking that Julia Child made famous — approachable, rewarding, and genuinely soul-satisfying.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 lbs), cut into 8 pieces
- 1 bottle (750ml) Burgundy or Pinot Noir
- 150g thick-cut bacon or lardons, diced
- 200g cremini mushrooms, quartered
- 200g pearl onions, peeled
- 2 carrots, roughly chopped
- 2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 bouquet garni (thyme, bay leaf, parsley stems)
- 1 cup chicken stock
- Salt and pepper
- Fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- 1
Season chicken pieces generously with salt and pepper. Optionally, marinate in the wine overnight in the refrigerator.
- 2
If marinated, remove chicken and pat dry. Reserve the wine. In a large Dutch oven, cook lardons until crispy. Remove and set aside.
- 3
Brown chicken pieces in the bacon fat in batches, about 4 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- 4
Pour off excess fat, leaving 2 tablespoons. Saute carrots, celery, and garlic for 3 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and flour, cooking for 1 minute.
- 5
Pour in the wine and chicken stock, scraping up the fond from the bottom. Add the bouquet garni. Return chicken pieces to the pot.
- 6
Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 1 hour until the chicken is very tender.
- 7
While chicken braises, saute mushrooms in 1 tbsp butter until golden, about 5 minutes. In the same pan, cook pearl onions until caramelized, about 8 minutes.
- 8
Add mushrooms, pearl onions, and crispy lardons to the pot for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Remove bouquet garni. Adjust seasoning and serve garnished with fresh parsley.
Serving Suggestions
Ways to Serve This Dish
Serve alongside a fresh baguette and salted butter
Pair with a crisp green salad with Dijon vinaigrette
Substitutions
Lardons/baconPancetta
Equally smoky and rich; cut into similar-sized pieces
Pearl onionsShallots, halved
Similar sweetness; slightly less traditional
Cremini mushroomsButton mushrooms or mixed wild mushrooms
Wild mushrooms add earthier flavor
Tips & Storage
Pro Tips
Use a wine you would actually drink — the quality of the wine directly impacts the sauce.
Marinating overnight in the wine is optional but produces noticeably deeper flavor.
Pat the chicken completely dry before browning — wet chicken steams rather than sears.
Coq au vin improves dramatically when made a day ahead and reheated.
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 4 days. The flavor improves significantly overnight. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
Reheat gently in a 325°F oven, covered, for 20-25 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly when cold; it loosens as it warms.
Nutrition Facts
Per serving (1 chicken piece with sauce) · 6 servings
Calories520
LowModerateHigh
A hearty, energy-rich serving · based on a 2,000 cal daily diet
Protein38g
Carbohydrates14g
Fat28g
Fiber2g
Sugar4g
Sodium720mg
Nutritional values are approximate and may vary based on specific ingredients and preparation methods.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What wine should I use?
- Traditionally Burgundy (Pinot Noir). Any dry, medium-bodied red wine works. Avoid heavily oaked or tannic wines (like Cabernet) as they can become bitter when reduced.
- Can I skip the wine?
- The wine is essential to coq au vin — it is literally chicken in wine. If you do not cook with wine, this is not the right recipe. Consider a different braised chicken recipe.
- Why is my sauce thin?
- The sauce should reduce and thicken during braising. If it is still thin, remove the chicken and boil the sauce over high heat until it thickens to your liking.
About Sarah Chen
Sarah Chen is a professional recipe developer and food editor with over a decade of experience in test kitchens and food media. She trained at the Culinary Institute of America before spending six years developing and testing recipes for national food publications, where she honed her ability to translate restaurant techniques into approachable home cooking. At RecipePool, Sarah leads recipe development, ensuring every dish is tested at least three times for clarity, accuracy, and genuine deliciousness. When she is not in the kitchen, she is browsing farmers markets and collecting vintage cookbooks.
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