The best coq au vin I have ever had in my life was at my friend David’s house. It was made the traditional way over a gloriously long weekend afternoon, and it was perfection.
The next time I need perfect, traditional coq au vin I am planning to show up on his doorstep with my puppy dog eyes, and I am positive he will make it for me.
But sometimes I get a hankering for coq au vin on a Tuesday night when I have more like 30 minutes to make it, and that’s when this recipe for what I call Weekend Coq Au Vin comes in handy.
It ain’t David’s, but for something that can go from fridge to table in a half hour, it is pretty delectable, red-wine-infused, comfort food deliciousness.
What Is Coq Au Vin?
Without letting any of David’s secrets out of the bag, I can tell you that traditional coq au vin is braised chicken on the bone, cooked with red wine, lardons (aka succulent strips of pork belly) and other good things.
It is marinated and seared and braised and oh my my. My shortcut version keeps the red wine, but uses boneless chicken breasts, thick cut bacon and adds in some carrots, which also get to cook in the red wine, in case you were wondering about the unusual color up there.
I also serve it on a bed of pasta, which is as far from traditional as you can get, but I do love it for soaking up every smidge of that red wine sauce.
Here’s How To Make Weeknight Coq Au Vin!
Cook 8 ounces of fettucine or any other long pasta that you like according to package directions and drain.
While the pasta is cooking, cook 4 slices of chopped, thick cut bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Scoop the bacon out onto a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan.
Dredge 4 boneless chicken breast halves in some flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper and dried thyme and place in skillet. Cook for 4 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden.
Take them out and set them aside while you make the sauce! Carefully pour a cup of chicken broth and a cup of red wine – any kind will do – into the skillet.
Stir in a little more dried thyme and add 4 peeled and sliced carrots. Simmer over medium heat until the carrots are just barely cooked through and sauce is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
Return chicken to skillet and simmer until chicken is warm and covered in sauce, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in that glorious bacon. Serve garnished with chopped parsley on a bed of pasta.
More tips for making Weeknight Coq Au Vin!
Yep! That’s probably what my mama would do.
Traditional coq au vin uses Burgundy or Pinot Noir, and since I always have Pinot Noir in the house that’s what I use. But any red wine should work just fine.
You caught me! Yesssssss….but since mushrooms and I don’t get along, I don’t use ’em. But you can! Slice up a cup of fresh mushrooms and add them when you add the carrots.
So for those busy days when you HAVE to have coq au vin (I do have those days!)…here you go.
OTHER SPEEDY BUT FANCY RECIPES WE LOVE!
Weeknight Coq Au Vin
This recipe is a streamlined version of the classic coq au vin, for when you are yearning for this chicken in red wine sauce but only have about a half hour to cook dinner!
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pappardelle, fettuccine or other flat pasta
- 4 slices of thick cut bacon, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 4 medium size boneless skinless chicken breast halves
- 1/2 cup flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper
- 4 carrots, peeled, quartered lengthwise and cut in half again
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- Fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions and drain.
- While the pasta is cooking, cook bacon in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat until crisp. Remove to a paper towel lined plate with a slotted spoon, leaving the drippings in the pan.
- Dredge chicken in the seasoned flour and place in skillet. Cook for 4 minutes on each side until cooked through and golden. Remove to a plate.
- Carefully pour broth and wine into skillet. Stir in thyme and add carrots. Simmer over medium heat until carrots are cooked and sauce is slightly reduced, about 10 minutes.
- Return chicken to skillet and simmer until chicken is warm and covered in sauce, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in bacon.
Serve garnished with chopped parsley on a bed of pasta.
Notes
Need to add something to your kitchen equipment to make this recipe? Below are some of the items we used in the Framed Cooks kitchen to help cook this up. These are affiliate links to things we use and love, which helps to pay for all that bacon I keep buying (without any extra cost to you)! Thanks for using them to keep our kitchen cooking…xoxo!
Updated (and made even more delicious!) from a previously published Framed Cooks post!
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