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4 whole chicken legs on a bed of creamy white wine mushroom sauce.
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4.92 from 12 votes

Coq au Vin Blanc (Chicken Braised in White Wine)

A rustic yet elegant dish that is mouth-wateringly tender. Perfect for a Sunday family dinner or an impressive meal for guests.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Chicken, coq au vin blanc, poulet, white wine
Servings: 4
Calories: 577kcal
Author: Andrea Mut

Ingredients

  • 4 large whole chicken legs, bone-in, skin on. (1.8 kg/4 lbs)
  • 1 teaspoon salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
  • 5 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large carrot, sliced 1 cm thick (⅜ -inch)
  • 450 g cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered or halved if small.
  • 2 Cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 ½ cups dry white wine
  • 1 ½ cups chicken stock, low or no sodium
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced or ¼ teaspoon dried
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped and divided
  • ½ cup heavy cream, optional

Instructions

  • Pat chicken dry with paper towel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Set aside.
  • Cook bacon in a Dutch oven, or deep skillet with a lid, until crispy. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate; set aside.
  • Over medium-high heat, cook half of the chicken pieces, skin side down until browned, about 5 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken and brown the other side, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken and transfer to plate.
  • Pour off all but one tablespoon of fat from pan, or add oil as necessary to achieve 1 tbsp. Reduce heat to medium. Add onions, carrots, and mushrooms and cook, occasionally stirring, until starting to lightly brown and onions are softened, about 10 minutes.
  • Stir in garlic and cook until it releases its fragrance, about 1 minute. Sprinkle flour over vegetables and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
  • Stir in white wine, broth, bay leaves, and thyme scraping up any brown bits that may have accumulated.
  • Nestle in the chicken pieces with any juices and bring to a simmer. Cover and continue simmering gently for 1 hour or until the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees F.
  • Transfer chicken to a dish and tent with foil. Bring back to simmer and cook until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in half of the bacon, 2 tablespoon parsley, and heavy cream, if using. Taste and season with salt and pepper. To serve either pour sauce over the chicken or pour sauce into a serving dish and place chicken on top. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon and parsley.

Notes

What wine to use - A dry, crisp white wine is best for coq au vin blanc such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio, Pinot Gris, and dry Riesling. Choose a wine you would be happy to drink but it doesn't need to be expensive. I used a $10 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc.
Make ahead instructions - Prepare the dish up to and including step 7. Follow directions in step 8 but reserve the final addition of bacon and parsley. Store, covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove from fridge one hour before reheating. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake, covered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken and sauce are heated through.
Storage - Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 3 days or frozen in an airtight container for 3 months.
Nutritional Facts - are based on 4 generous portions and are an estimate only using an online calculator. The calculations include chicken skin and heavy cream.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 577kcal | Carbohydrates: 17g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 29g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 197mg | Sodium: 1463mg | Potassium: 1259mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 7g