Easy to Make One Pot Coq Au Vin Recipe

Easy to Make One Pot Coq Au Vin Recipe

Why You Should Give This Recipe a Try

French food has a reputation for being some of the best in the world, and for good reason: it is generally delicious, refined by generations of practice and improvements. I have spent a lot of time in France visiting my husband’s family and tend to eat in people’s houses way more than I have ever eaten at a restaurant. In my very long experience, I can’t say that I’ve ever encountered a bad cook (although I’m sure they exist). And while Americans tend to think that cooking French food is a daunting task to undertake, I am here to say it is not! Because while my mother-in-law does have a recipe for a Beef Bourguignon that takes two days to prepare, you do not have to engage in that level of commitment to achieve a truly great meal with a French flair. This Easy to Make One Pot Coq au Vin Recipe, for example, is absolutely delicious, super easy to make, and involves only one pot! Crispy pancetta, onions, carrots, mushrooms, and chicken thighs smothered in a rich red wine sauce are close to the traditional recipe, but they come together with very little work on your part – a bit of American ingenuity and French tradition!

Some of the best features of this recipe:

A delicious sauce made of your choice of red wine. I used Cabernet Sauvignon, but most any dry red wine will do.

Crispy pancetta! A lot of American recipes call for bacon pieces but France doesn’t really have American style bacon and pancetta is so good. 

Little prep work! Chop an onion and some carrots and the prep work is done. Everything else happens on the stovetop.

Everything comes together in one pot! Brown the chicken, cook the pancetta, sauté the veggies, and make your sauce: everything happens in one large pot.

As always, Easy to Make One Pot Coq Au Vin Recipe is simple to prepare with no complex cooking techniques, no special equipment, and with ingredients that are easily found in the grocery store.

Recipe Ingredients

2 lbs bone-in chicken thighs 

1-2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup chopped pancetta

1 medium yellow onion

2-3 carrots

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp dried thyme

3 bay leaves

2 cups dry red wine

1 cup low sodium chicken broth

​1 tbsp tomato paste

8 oz mushrooms

2 tbsp butter (optional)

Salt

Helpful Tools

• Dutch oven or large stock pot
• ​Sharp knife
• Cutting board
• Small bowl
• Paper towels
• ​Slotted spoon
• Liquid measuring cup
• ​Measuring spoons
• Tongs
• Wooden spoon or large spoon
• Sauté pan (optional)

Ingredient Notes

Bone-in chicken thighs are one of the best choices for this dish because they are moist and flavorful. You can also use a mix of chicken thighs and chicken legs. It is not advisable to use chicken breasts because the white meat is less flavorful than the dark meat. You can also use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you want to save some calories, but the skin does add to the taste.

When I cook with wine, I often use ingredients labeled as “ccoking wine.” It is pretty generic and fine for lots of recipes, but the sauce is a big part of this, so it is important to use a wine best suited to the dish. I use Cabernet Sauvignon but you can also use Pinot Noir. It isn’t necessary to spend a lot on your wine, however, and I often use something we received from guests.

I love mushrooms and will take any opportunity to add them to a dish. I sometimes use a mix of mushrooms and sometimes just one type. While I recommend white button mushrooms in this recipe, you can also use cremini mushrooms or chanterelle mushrooms.

The traditional method of making this recipe involves pearl onions. I find that step to be a bit laborious, but feel free to do so if you are inspired. See Tips & Tricks for the full directions.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Prepare the vegetables. Chop the onion and peel and thinly slice the carrots. Place both in a small bowl and set aside.

2. Clean the mushrooms. Remove the stems and slice the mushrooms. Set aside.

3. Mince the two cloves of garlic and set aside.

4. Pat chicken with paper towels to dry.

5. Salt each side of the chicken.

6. Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a dutch oven.

7. Carefully lower the chicken pieces, skin side down, and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Turn the chicken over and cook an additional 3-4 minutes. The meat won’t be cooked through, but that’s fine; it will continue cooking later.

8. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.

9. Add the pancetta to the dutch oven and cook over medium-high heat until brown, about 5 minutes. Lower the temperature to medium heat if you notice the edges burning. 

10. Remove the pancetta from the pot using a slotted spoon and allow to drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.

11. Pour off all but about 2 tbsp of fat from the pot. 

12. Add the onions and carrots to the pot and cook over medium high heat until the onions are translucent and the carrots soft, about 7-8 minutes.

13. Sprinkle the dried thyme over the veggies and add the minced garlic. Cook for about 1 minute.

14. Carefully pour in the red wine and the chicken broth and stir.

15. Stir in one tablespoon of tomato paste.

16. At this point you can add in the mushroom slices or you can cook them separately. This step isn’t necessary, but I prefer mushrooms cooked in butter. See Tips & Tricks for directions.

17. Add in the bay leaves and lightly salt to taste. NOTE: Remove the bay leaves before serving.

18. Return the chicken and the pancetta to the pot.

19. Cover the pot and allow to simmer over medium or low heat for 30 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil. The chicken is cooked when the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F on an instant read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat. 

Check out the printable recipe card for this Easy to Make One Pot Coq Au Vin Recipe, below.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Tips & Tricks

The traditional French dish often calls for pearl onions. I find that step a bit unnecessary, but if you wish to use them, go for it! Boil a pot of water and add 8 oz. of pearl onions. Allow them to cook until they are soft on the outside, 1-2 minutes. Drain the onions and plunge them into a bowl of cold water. As soon as they are cool enough to handle, squeeze off the papery outer layer. Add the onions at the same time you add the mushrooms.

Mushrooms are one of my favorite ingredients. I love them in Chicken Marsala and when I can convince someone to order it, on pizza. When cleaning onions, you should dampen a paper towel and wipe them. Mushrooms tend to absorb water, so it is not a good idea to run them under the tap. I also prefer to pre-cook mushrooms. You can do that by melting 2 tbsp of butter in a medium skillet or sauté pan, and adding the mushrooms. Cook the mushrooms over medium heat until they are brown, stirring occasionally, about 4-5 minutes.

The longer you allow the coq au vin to cook, the more tender the meat and more flavorful the sauce. You can always turn the temperature way down once it is completely cooked and allow it to heat a bit longer.

​What to Serve with this Recipe?

We love Easy to Make One Pot Coq Au Vin Recipe with a side of potatoes. I prefer boiled mini golden potatoes, but you can also serve over mashed potatoes. You can also parboil some potatoes (boil until soft but not completely cooked) and allow them to finish cooking in the coq au vin.

Pasta is also a great side, put pick something that holds onto the sauce like orecchiette. 

In true French fashion, coq au vin needs a nice crusty bread to sop up the sauce. A baguette is the go to choice, of course, but if you’re feeling ambitious, you could make a Crusty Country French Bread.

A final note, If you want to serve wine with your coq au vin, be sure to serve the same wine that you used to make the sauce.

French recipes and chicken recipes are some of my favorites! 

This Easy French Comfort Food: Creamy Potatoes and Pancetta (Tartiflette) is a great French comfort food and you can’t go wrong with Easy Spinach Quiche with Store Bought Crust. 

If you’re in the mood for chicken, you can always try these easy recipes:

Creamy Chicken with Gnocchi and Spinach

Creamy Chicken Pot Pie with Tater Tots

Cheesy Skillet Chicken Spaghetti