Coq au Vin Blanc is a classic comfort food and traditional French dish. The rich flavors of chicken braised in white wine make it a lighter but equally satisfying alternative to its red wine counterpart, Coq au Vin. This dish is the epitome of French comfort food and is perfect for casual gatherings or a special occasion.
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This Coq au Vin Blanc recipe has a special place in the repertoire of dishes my family and friends love! It’s a comforting recipe that fills my kitchen with delightful aromas that bring us together.
This French rustic stew recipe, which is translated as ‘rooster in wine’, is characterized by succulent chicken pieces, typically a whole chicken, cut into pieces and cooked until tender. I prefer to use chicken thighs.
I love this coq au vin white wine recipe for its rich, creamy sauce from simmering chicken with bacon, mushrooms, and aromatic vegetables.
Cooking this French chicken stew involves the following steps:
- Searing: Chicken pieces are first browned in bacon fat, which imparts a smoky flavor.
- Sauteing: Aromatics like onions and garlic are sautéed until soft, followed by mushrooms that absorb the flavors from the pan.
- Deglazing: Brandy is added to deglaze the pan, lifting all those flavorful bits stuck to the bottom.
- Braising: The chicken is returned to the pot with white wine, broth, and herbs, then simmered until tender.
- Finishing: A final touch of butter and flour enriches the sauce before serving.
This one-pot method simplifies cooking and minimizes cleanup, making it a perfect choice for casual dinners with friends or family. But you can also serve it for an elegant dinner without much fuss.
Serve it with sides that can soak up the delicious sauce, like creamy mashed potatoes and parsnips, a crusty baguette, or even a healthy arugula salad to balance the richness.
➡ Looking for other stew recipes? Try my Instant Pot chicken stew, beef curry stew, or African peanut stew. These are all family favorites that my readers love!
Ingredients and Tips
🧂 Ingredients You’ll Need for White Wine Coq au Vin
💡 Recipe and Ingredient Tips
Here are some tips that will help you make this white coq au vin a success.
🍷 Wine: I love the flavor of white wine (especially sauvignon blanc) in this dish, but you could use red. Avoid sweet wines like rieslings. Dry vermouth is also a decent substitute. If you don’t want to use wine, substitute chicken broth.
🍾 Brandy: Traditional recipe calls for cognac, but brandy is cheaper and works well. A substitute for brandy can be white wine or broth. The alcohol does add a unique flavor to the dish!
🍗 Chicken: Use bone-in skin-on or skinless thighs and legs. It is essential to pat the chicken dry before browning.
🧅 Pearl Onions: I love using pearl onions for this recipe, and I usually find them in the freezer aisle of the grocery store. Substitute shallots or yellow onions and saute them with the vegetables.
🥓 Browning: It takes time but is worth it. Brown in batches. It’s important to pat chicken dry before browning. After browning, deglaze pot with liquid, scraping up browned bits.
🍲 Broth: Homemade chicken broth enhances flavor. Store-bought works fine too.
🥕 Leeks: Wash leeks thoroughly. Cut, soak in water, then rinse in a sieve to remove dirt.
🧈 Beurre Manie: (Pronounced burr mahn-yay) It’s a great flavor enhancer! Mix softened butter and flour. Add gradually to thicken the sauce without clumps.
🍵 Healthier Options: Use cornstarch to thicken, reduce/omit bacon, or use olive oil instead of bacon fat. Note: These changes will affect flavor.
🍽️ Serving: Pair with mashed potatoes and parsnips, egg noodles, or crusty French baguette.
❓FAQs
You can substitute ¾ teaspoon dried herbs for the fresh herbs.
This dish is traditionally made with whole chicken pieces. You can use boneless chicken (whole or pieces) and cook for less time. You can also decrease the liquid since the chicken will cook much faster.
How to Make Coq au Vin with White Wine
Recipe card below has detailed instructions!
♨️ Stovetop Method
Pat chicken dry and rub with salt and pepper. Set aside until needed.
- Cook bacon in a large pot until crisp. Transfer to a plate.
- Brown chicken in batches on both sides and set aside.
- Sweat the leeks, carrots, and mushrooms in the bacon drippings.
- Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook until tomato paste changes color and/or sticks to the bottom of the pan, for 2 minutes. Deglaze with brandy. Add reserved chicken, wine, broth, pearl onions, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer the stew for 20 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, make the beurre manie by mixing together softened butter and flour. Set aside.
- Drop the butter and flour mixture into the pot using a teaspoon.
- Stir the chicken coq au vin and simmer until thickened.
- Top each serving with bacon and garnish with fresh parsley, if desired.
⏲️ Instant Pot Method
- Saute bacon
- Saute chicken and mushrooms
- Add remaining ingredients
- Pressure cook
- Release pressure
- Add beurre manie
- Simmer to thicken
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Coq au Vin Blanc
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs or drumsticks bone-in, skinless
- salt to taste
- black pepper powder to taste
- 4 bacon strips – diced
- 2 cups leeks cleaned well and diced
- 1 ½ cups baby carrots
- 2 cups mushrooms sliced or quartered
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced
- ½ cup brandy
- 2 cups dry white wine
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth preferably homemade
- 1 cup frozen pearl onions
- 4 springs fresh thyme or ¾ teaspoon dried thyme
- 4 tablespoon butter softened
- 3 tablespoon all purpose flour
Instructions
Stovetop Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Increase heat to medium-high, brown the chicken in batches on both sides and set aside.
- Cook the leeks, carrots, and mushrooms in the drippings until leeks are soft, about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the tomato paste and garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and deglaze the pot with brandy, stirring frequently, until brandy has almost evaporated.
- Add back the reserved chicken, wine, broth, pearl onions, and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer the stew, partially covered, for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is done.
- While the chicken is cooking, mix the softened butter and flour in a small bowl. Stir mixture into the chicken stew and simmer until thickened. Serve in individual bowls and top with bacon.
Instant Pot Instructions [See Note 1]
- Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel, and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
- Select Saute and cook bacon until crisp. Press Cancel and remove bacon; set aside.
- Select Saute and brown the chicken in batches. Remove and set aside. (You can also brown the chicken in a skillet. This may allow you to do it in one batch since there's more room.)
- Saute mushrooms and set aside.
- Cook leeks and carrots till leeks are soft, about 1 minute.
- Stir in tomato paste and garlic and cook till tomato paste begins to change color and/or begins to stick to the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Press Cancel and deglaze with brandy, until almost evaporated, stirring often.
- Stir in chicken, wine, broth, pearl onions and thyme and close the Instant Pot.
- Pressure cook on High Pressure for 12 minutes.
- While Chicken is cooking, mix together the softened butter and flour.
- Do a Quick Release of pressure and open the Instant Pot. [Read More: The Different Pressure Release Methods]
- Stir in the sauteed mushrooms.
- Select Saute and drop the butter and flour mixture into the Instant Pot using a teaspoon. *
- Stir the coq au vin and simmer until thickened. Press Cancel.
- Top each serving with bacon.
Notes
- Note 1: To make this recipe in the Instant Pot, use:
– 6 pieces of chicken
– ¼ cup brandy
– 1 cup of white wine
– 1 cup of chicken broth
– 2 tablespoon butter
– 1 ½ tablespoon flour.
All other quantities remain the same.
Nutrition
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I am not a certified nutritionist. I provide my best estimate of nutritional information merely as a courtesy to my readers. If you depend on nutritional information for dietary or health reasons, I suggest using your favorite online nutrition calculator to confirm the nutritional value of this recipe based on the actual ingredients that you use.
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Stephanie says
Can I make this a day ahead in my instapot and reheat the next day on the stove in a Dutch oven?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Stephanie, I haven’t done that before. I feel it would taste best on the day it’s cooked, but I don’t see why you can’t reheat and still have good flavor.
Elaine says
This is definitely a keeper. So delicious.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks, Elaine! It’s one of my family’s favorite winter recipes! Recently I’ve served it over polenta!
NWSnowolf says
I loved this! It came out perfectly done and the chicken was so tender it fell off the bone and the flavors melded perfectly. Definitely adding this to my go to recipes.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks for the comment – I’m really happy to hear you liked the recipe!
Jan says
I followed the recipe exactly. Although it tasted good, it was a big mushy mess – nothing like the picture. Glad I tried it for ourselves before serving it to guests. The chicken should have been cooked before the veggies were added.
I will not make this again. I guess some dishes should not be made in an IP.
Very disappointing.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Jan, I’m sorry the recipe didn’t meet your expectations. Sounds like your chicken overcooked but I’m not sure what happened because I and many readers make this recipe and it isn’t mushy. Maybe the model of Instant Pot or the cut of chicken, the size of chicken? The veggies can be cooked separately if you want them crisper.
Aldo says
Terrific, delicious, definitely a keeper!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you, Aldo, for taking the time to comment. I’m excited that you liked the recipe!
Joey says
We have made this recipe twice now, and it has been fantastic both times.
We skip the brandy and add a bit more flour but follow the rest of the instructions to a T and put it over a bed of mashed potatoes.
Thank you! this will be a monthly recipe for us moving forward.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Joey, thank you so much for sharing. I’m really glad to hear you like the recipe and it worked well for you 🙂
David says
Great recipe! I had to improvise the seasoning since I thought I had thyme until I started cooking. I will definitely make this again, but I would reduce the amount of flour as it was a bit too thick for my taste. Thank you for posting.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi David, Thanks for your comment; glad you liked the recipe. You can also add a bit more liquid and make it less thick.
David says
Great recipe! I had to adjust the seasonings since I thought I had thyme but I could not find it when I started cooking. I love the thickening tip, but I would reduce the amount of flour the next time I make it, as it was a bit too thick for my taste. I will definitely make it again. Thank you for posting!
Karen A says
I read the instructions a few times, but I do not see when to add the leeks and carrots. Do you add with the wine and broth, or after with the mushrooms?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Karen, the leeks and carrots are added in step 5 of the recipe card. After the mushrooms.
Zach says
A lot of effort for mediocre results. Way too watery and not very flavourful, even after adding more seasoning.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
I’m sorry it didn’t meet your expectations, Zach. I think a few other readers have halved the quantity of liquid and been happy with it, in case you decide to try again.
Deb Correia says
Made this last night. It’s definitely labor intensive, but so rich and yummy! I replaced the white wine with red, and I didn’t have brandy, so I used some balsamic vinegar. I followed the advice on a couple of the comments and reduced the liquid to 2 cups total (1 cup broth and 1 cup wine). After thickening (with cornstarch), it was still a stew, but I loved it! Delicious!!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Deb, for me the most effort comes with the browning of the chicken pieces, in order to get a nice browning. I have it on my list to try this recipe out again with less liquid, and once I do I’ll possibly update the recipe to account for this. Thank you very much for your comment!
Carmela says
I normally make this in a pan and its great. Tried it in the IP tonight….i am going to agree with the person below….i found it too much liquid…chicken came off bone so presentation was more stew like and mushy….great taste…
SKH338 says:
November 12, 2017 at 1:41 am
Very tasty. I had to make several adjustments, though. The most significant was cutting the broth and wine by half. 2 cups of each is too much liquid. With just 1 cup of each I got an appropriate amount of liquid to make gravy at the end. I couldn’t find fresh thyme today, so about a teaspoon of dried herbs de provence worked fine. I also added in the mushrooms with everything else rather than stirring them in at the end. That was fine, no loss in texture and the mushrooms add a lot of flavor.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Carmela, thanks for taking the time to comment. I think of coq au vin as being a stew, and I like to mop up the liquid with a hunk of French bread 🙂 I’ve not felt that it was TOO liquid-y especially after adding the beurre manie. That being said, I will make it again soon and make sure I didn’t make a typo! Glad you liked the flavor, though.
Ella says
For a more traditional cow au Vin can I just put red wine instead of white?
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Hi Ella – I don’t see why not. I say go for it. I’d love it if you can report back with your experience.
Peter says
Made this tonight and my wife gave it a thumbs up. that says a lot. Great recipe!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Peter – I’m so glad she liked it. Thanks for commenting and letting me know!
Danielle says
This sounds delicious! I do not have an instant pot (yet), but it seems I could just make this on the stove, or perhaps the slow cooker, as well. The flavors sound great!
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thanks Danielle! Yes, you can make it on the stovetop. Never tried the slow cooker, but that should work too.
Lindsay Wilner says
Thank you for the background notes on this iconic French dish. I admire how you weave this type of narrative into your directions and tips for the recipe. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! A must-try dish on a cold evening, at a candle lit table, surrounded by friends and family.
Paint the Kitchen Red says
Thank you Lindsay. It really is a wonderful dish and especially so on a cold evening!