Coq au Vin
The French bistro classic: chicken slowly braised in red wine with bacon, pearl onions, mushrooms and herbs until tender and deeply flavored.
By Theo Brandt, Test Kitchen Lead & Cheese Specialist
Published December 17, 2025
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 2 hrs
- Total
- 2 hrs 30 min
- Servings
- 6
- Level
- Advanced
Coq au vin is Burgundy's great gift to cold evenings, and it rewards the time you put in. Chicken pieces are browned in rendered bacon fat, then braised low and slow in a full bottle's worth of red wine with aromatics and herbs until the meat is meltingly tender and the sauce turns rich and velvety.
The classic garnish is cooked separately so each element shines: pearl onions and mushrooms browned in butter, stirred in at the end with the crisp bacon. A quick reduction of the braising liquid concentrates the flavor.
Choose a dry, fruity red you would happily drink, such as Pinot Noir. Serve with buttered egg noodles, mashed potatoes or crusty bread, and like most braises, it is even better made a day ahead.
- Classic French bistro braise
- Even better next day
- Rich red wine sauce
Ingredients
Directions
Pat the chicken dry and season with 1 1/2 tsp of the salt and the pepper. Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
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