Coq Au Vin Blanc (Chicken in White Wine Sauce)

Coq Au Vin Blanc is a classic French dish. Chicken is simmered in white wine with mushrooms, onions, bacon, and herbs until tender and delicious.

When I lived in France a few years ago, one of my favorite market stops was the direct-from-the-farm poultry stand run by the always smiling and gregarious Mme. Denfert. She would take your order, advising on the right size and type of bird for the dish you want to make and the number of people to serve. Then she would add it to the queue to be butchered.

When I told Mme. Denfert that I planned to make Coq Au Vin Blanc, she picked out a poulet for me, and then debated with the young man working with her about the merits of marinating the chicken first. (Verdict, yes with an older chicken but not necessary for this one.) A few expert smacks of her cleaver later, and my chicken pieces were wrapped in paper and tucked into my shopping bag. Later that day, this recipe was born. 

Jump to:

• Why Make This Recipe
• 🥗 Ingredients
• 🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions
• Storage Tips
• 🧐 FAQs for Coq au Vin Blanc
• 🧑‍🍳 Expert Tips
• Other Delicious French Recipes
• 📖 Recipe
• More About Molly

Why Make This Recipe

• Tender chicken with so much flavor from the vegetables, bacon, and herbs
• Lighter version of the classic Coq au Vin made with red wine
• The perfect weekend project that makes your kitchen smell like a dream

🥣 Step-by-Step Instructions

Begin by prepping your ingredients. Halve 1 yellow onion, then peel and slice into thin half moons. Wipe 1 pound of button or cremini mushrooms with a damp paper towel, trim off bottom of stems, and cut into ¼-inch slices.

Stack 4 thick bacon slices together and cut crosswise into ¼ inch slices.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken pieces (from a whole cut-up chicken) with salt and pepper.

Place half of the chicken pieces in the pan skin-side down and sear until golden brown (about 3 minutes). Then flip and brown the second side for 3 minutes. Remove, and repeat with other half of the chicken pieces.

Remove all chicken from the pan and turn heat down to medium. Add bacon slices and sauté until fat begins to render and bacon begins to crisp, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Turn heat back up to medium-high. Add sliced mushrooms and cook until mushrooms have released their liquid and begin to brown, about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Remove mushrooms and bacon from pan. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan, then add onion slices. Sauté until onions have softened and lightly browned, about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add 1 chopped garlic clove and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Return everything to the pan including chicken. Add 8 ounces frozen peeled pearl onions, 2 sprigs of thyme, 2 bay leaves, 1 bottle of crisp white wine, and enough water or chicken broth to just submerge the ingredients, about 2 cups. 

Scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Bring liquid to a simmer, then turn down to medium-low heat. Cover and cook for 1.5-2 hours, until chicken is falling off the bone. Remove chicken and some of the vegetables as best you can with a slotted spoon, and turn heat up. 

Bring broth to a brisk simmer, and reduce for 15 minutes. Now, at this point, you can just add the chicken and vegetables back into the broth and serve. Or, if you’re like me, wait for the chicken to be cool enough to handle and remove meat from the bones before adding back into the broth.

It’s more traditional to leave the chicken on the bone, but I prefer it this way. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaves. Taste broth and add more salt and black pepper, as desired. Reheat until warm. Serve with a sprinkle of chopped fresh thyme. 

Storage Tips

Coq Au Vin keeps beautifully in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. And, in fact, it’s even better the next day, as all of the flavors have had time to meld together deliciously. Reheat either on medium heat in the microwave, stirring occasionally, or reheat in a saucepan over the stove. 

🧐 FAQs for Coq au Vin Blanc

🧑‍🍳 Expert Tips

If you can get a butcher to butcher a whole chicken for this dish, you won’t regret it. So much flavor from combining all types of chicken pieces, and of course you will know the chicken is perfectly fresh.

One of the keys to this dish is cooking the ingredients separately (or in stages) before combining them all in the pot. This may seem like unnecessary work, but it is not. Instead, this technique allows you to get the most flavor from each of your ingredients before they meld together in the stew, and ensure that each ingredient is cooked perfectly. 

Now that you’ve made this warming, comforting dish, what to serve it with? Personally, I prefer this with some crusty bread or a garlic baguette along with a green salad. A simple side salad works, or try a Kale Salad or Brussels Sprouts Salad. Serving with a hearty scoop of mashed potatoes or egg noodles is also recommended!

Other Delicious French Recipes

Want to try your hand at another classic French recipe? Check out my French Recipes Archive or start with one of these:

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