Chicken Coq au Vin
Submitted by barbequeguy
Chicken coq au vin made weeknight-easy: browned chicken breasts braised with mushrooms, carrots, and onion in red wine, broth, and tomato paste. A lighter, faster take on the French classic, ready in under an hour.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
30 minREADY
46 minClassic coq au vin is an all-day affair with a whole bird and a bottle of wine. This version keeps the soul of the French dish but makes it weeknight-friendly, swapping in chicken breasts and a quick braise that’s on the table in well under an hour.
You dredge the chicken in flour and brown it, which builds flavor and helps thicken the sauce later, then set it aside.
In the same pan, mushrooms, carrots, and onion soften with rosemary before red wine, broth, and a spoon of tomato paste come together into the signature deep, savory braising liquid.
The chicken simmers gently in that sauce until just cooked through, then a quick flour-and-water slurry thickens everything into a glossy, spoonable gravy.
A scatter of fresh parsley brightens the rich, wine-dark sauce.
Pro Tips
- Brown the floured chicken well; those browned bits are the backbone of the sauce.
- Keep the braise at a gentle simmer, not a hard boil, so the breasts stay tender and juicy.
- Cook the chicken just to 165°F (74°C); breasts dry out if pushed past it.
- Whisk the slurry again right before adding so it blends in smoothly without lumps.
Variations
- Use bone-in chicken thighs for a richer, more forgiving braise.
- Add a few strips of bacon or pancetta for smoky depth.
- Stir in pearl onions, the traditional touch, with the vegetables.
Ingredients
Directions
Add 2 tablespoons of flour on a plate.
Cut each chicken breast in half on the diagonal to get 4 portions about equal in weight. (Two will be smaller but thicker, the other two larger but thinner.)
Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken breasts and dredge in the flour.
Whisk water with 2 tablespoons of the leftover flour in a small bowl, set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Reduce heat to medium and add the chicken.
Cook, turning once or twice, until lightly browned on all sides, about 6 minutes.
Transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining ½ tablespoon oil to the pan, reduce heat to medium-low.
Stir in mushrooms, carrots, onion and rosemary and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are softened and browned in spots, 4 to 6 minutes.
Pour in broth, wine, tomato paste and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir until the tomato paste is dissolved.
Bring to a simmer.
Bring the chicken and any accumulated juice back to the pan.
Cover, reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer, stirring twice, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breast registers 165°F, 16 to 22 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the pan onto a serving plate.
Increase the heat to medium-high.
Whisk the water-flour mixture again, stir into the pan and cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken and top with parsley or cilantro leaves.
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