This chicken with red wine sauce is like a faster coq au vin when you don’t have time to make coq au vin. It’s perfect for a weeknight when all you want is something comforting!
An easy chicken and red wine sauce when you crave coq au vin but you’re short on time!
Listen, I love coq au vin, but it is a time-intensive dish that requires a whole night of marinating chicken in red wine. It’s often a dish that I crave, but sometimes I want the goodness of tender chicken and a thick, stewy, comforting red wine sauce. This chicken with red wine sauce is an excellent stand-in! It’s faster to make, and you can throw it together on a weeknight. Even better!
How to make this chicken with red wine sauce
What you need
You don’t need many ingredients for this easy weeknight dinner.
- Chicken thighs: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or drumsticks for the best flavor. Split chicken breasts or leg quarters would also work, but you’ll need to increase the baking time. Chicken thighs are great because they cook pretty quickly in the oven and have lots of flavor!
- Mushrooms: I used slice cremini mushrooms, but you could make this with mixed mushrooms or try it with beech mushrooms instead.
- Carrots: You could use a mix of carrots and celery, or add in small-diced parsnips. For an even heartier dish, you could cook diced potatoes in the sauce too. Small-diced carrots make for an easy, tasty stewy sauce!
- Aromatics: I use minced shallot, garlic, and fresh thyme. You can use dry thyme instead. Finely minced rosemary would also be lovely.
- The sauce: The sauce is made from brandy, flour, and red wine. If you don’t have brandy, you could use sweet vermouth or just replace it with more chicken broth.
- For serving: I finish the chicken and red wine with finely minced chives, but freshly minced parsley would be great too.
How to make it
- Step 1: Pat the chicken dry and season it with salt and pepper. Brown it in an oven-proof skillet, skin-side down, for 5 to 8 minutes until the skin is deep golden brown and very crisp. Flip and cook for 1 minute before transferring it to a plate.
- Step 2: To the rendered chicken fat, add the mushrooms and sauté until they begin to brown. Then add the carrots and sauté until they soften.
- Step 3: Add the aromatics and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Step 4: Finish by deglazing the skillet with brandy. Allow the brandy to almost completely evaporate.
- Step 5: From there, add the flour and cook briefly. Stir in the red wine and cook until thick and glossy.
- Step 6: Lastly, add the chicken broth and simmer for a few minutes until it thickens.
- Step 7: Place the chicken into the sauce and transfer to the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken registers 165ºF. Remove from the oven and garnish with freshly minced chives.
While the chicken bakes, you can prepare roasted potatoes on the other rack of the oven, or you can serve it with mashed potatoes on the side!
It’s a delicious and comforting chicken dinner no matter how you enjoy it!
Chicken with Red Wine Sauce
This chicken with red wine sauce is like coq au vin when you don't have time to make coq au vin. It's perfect for a weeknight when all you want is something comforting!
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Servings: 4
Calories: 472kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1 pound)
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (plus more to taste)
- 1 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms (wiped clean and sliced)
- 2 carrots (peeled and diced)
- 1 shallot (peeled and finely minced)
- 6 cloves garlic (peeled and minced)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- ¼ cup brandy (or use more chicken broth)
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon chives (minced; optional, for garnish)
Instructions
Brown the chicken thighs:
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper.
- Heat 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil in a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the skin is very crispy and golden brown. You may need to rotate the chicken occasionally to ensure even browning. Flip and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a plate.
Cook the mushrooms and carrots:
- To the rendered chicken fat, add the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes over medium heat until they brown. Add the diced carrots and season with ½ teaspoon salt and black pepper to taste. Sauté for 5 to 6 minutes until the carrots soften.
Add the aromatics:
- Add the minced shallot, garlic, and thyme and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Deglaze the skillet:
- Add the brandy and bring it to a boil. Stir to remove any fond stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes until most of the brandy evaporates.
Finish the red wine sauce:
- Add the flour to the mushrooms and stir to coat. Cook for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine and bring to a boil, stirring often, until thick and glossy. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the wine to simmer rapidly for 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and continue simmering for 5 minutes until it thickens. Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Turn off the heat.
Bake the chicken:
- Place the chicken in the sauce, skin side up, and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the thighs reach 165ºF. Remove from the heat.
To serve:
- Sprinkle freshly minced chives over the chicken. Serve with roasted potatoes, mashed potatoes, or roasted vegetables. Enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 472kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 26g | Sodium: 739mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin C: 5mg
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You have the best recipes.
Delicious and not too hard to make, the wine sauce made it feel like we were eating in a restaurant!
Thank you, Marcus! I’m so happy you enjoyed it