Chicken in red wine sauce recipe is a delicious dish where hearty chicken is braised with wine, and a variety of vegetables and aromatics are added to the pot to enhance the flavor. The chicken is slow cooked on the stove top until the meat falls off the bone. It is similar to a traditional ‘Coq Au Vin’ recipe, with smokey bacon notes and a thick sauce that goes great with a crusty piece of buttered bread!
What Does Chicken In Red Wine Sauce Taste Like?
Before the chicken is added to the pot, bacon is cooked until crispy, and the chicken and vegetables are then cooked in the bacon fat. This added lard contributes a slight smokey flavor to the dish, and also thickens and enhances the flavor of the broth.
The chicken is braised prior to slow cooking, and when the pan is deglazed, all of the super flavorful bits on the bottom of the pan release into the broth, providing a concentrated caramelized meat flavor.
The red wine is cooked down, so in the end you don’t taste that strong alcohol flavor at all. What you’re left with is an intricate and rich sauce that is very unique, and dare I say, PERFECT.
Looking for a the perfect dutch oven for this recipe? You can’t go wrong with an 8 quart enameled cast iron dutch oven from Le Creuset!
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What Cut Of Chicken Should I Use?
You know my motto, use what you have! On this specific day, I had chicken drumsticks with the skin on (mainly because chicken breasts are so expensive now!). I left the skin on to add to the flavor of the dish, but you can absolutely remove it if you don’t like the skin. Here are some other cuts of chicken that you can use!
What To Serve With Coq Au Vin/ Chicken In Red Wine Sauce:
You can’t go wrong with a hearty side of mashed potatoes! Whatever side you decide to serve this chicken in wine recipe, I HIGHLY recommend adding a crusty slice of buttered bread on the side to soak up all of that flavorful goodness in the broth! And of course, you must have a glass of red wine (or two) to tie it all together.
How To Improvise The Recipe:
When I went to make a traditional coq au vin recipe, I quickly realized I did not have many of the ingredients to complete the dish, like brandy and mushrooms.
I DID have frozen pearl onions and a red bell pepper, so that is what I used. If you don’t have frozen pearl onions, but you do have fresh onion that you can chop up, by all means, use the fresh onion! If you want to swap out the bell pepper for mushrooms, please be my guest. Recipes are meant to be a guide, not a law!
I will say though, don’t skip out on the bacon, because that added fat and flavor is necessary. But if you do not eat pork, or if you want something a little healthier, try using turkey or chicken bacon.
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Chicken In Red Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 4 strips bacon
- 12 oz frozen pearl onions (or fresh onion, sliced)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped (and/or carrots/mushrooms)
- 4 large chicken drumsticks or the equivalent in chicken thighs/breasts, bone in preferred
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1.5 cups dry red wine
- 1 cup chicken broth or stock
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp minced fresh parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a large dutch oven over medium-high heat until hot. Add the bacon strips to the pot and cook until crispy on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Place the chicken drumsticks in the pot (if you are using thighs or breasts, put skin side down first). Cook on each side until brown, about 3-4 minutes per side, being careful not to burn. When browned, transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Immediately add the frozen pearl onions and chopped red bell pepper to the pot. The water from the frozen pearl onions will deglaze the pan. Stir and cook until the bell pepper is beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.
- Place 1 tbsp of unsalted butter to the pot, and add the minced garlic. Stir and cook for 60 seconds.
- Pour in the red wine, and scrape any bits off of the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Add to the pot the chicken broth, dried thyme and 1/2 tsp table salt, and stir well.
- Transfer the chicken back to the pot, and cover with the liquid. Place the lid on and lower the heat to the lowest setting. Cook covered for 2 hours, stirring only occasionally.
- When the chicken is 'fall off the bone', spoon about 4 tbsp of the liquid into a small ramekin or bowl. Mix in 1 tbsp of corn starch to the ramekin, and add this mixture to the pot. Stir well so that it is fully dissolved, and bring the stew to a simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- When done, crumble the cooked bacon over the top, and sprinkle with minced parsley. Enjoy!
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