Coq au Vin Blanc makes a wonderful recipe to serve when entertaining. A great make-ahead meal that gets rave reviews.

Last week, we had the Stone side of our family over for supper to celebrate my mother-in-law’s birthday as well as for Little Buddy. (I know, his birthday has extended through the entire month of November. It is pretty ridiculous, but hey, you only have one a year.) In planning the menu for supper, I immediately thought of this Coq au Vin Blanc recipe.

Really, nothing beats a warm, comforting homemade meal when you have guests and this recipe just couldn’t be any simpler.

I knew we’d have somewhere between 21 and 28 people for supper and I wanted to be able to enjoy time with family rather than rushing around in the kitchen trying to get everything on the table at the same time. With this Coq au Vin Blanc recipe, I knew I could prepare the entree two days ahead of time and that it would be even better than if I’d made it the day of the party. The flavors just get richer and deeper making it a recipe I turn to time and again.

Another great thing about this Coq au Vin Blanc recipe is that you don’t have to use the wine in the recipe if you prefer not to do so. As a matter of fact, I didn’t when I made it for our family birthday supper. I substituted additional chicken stock instead.

We didn’t miss the wine and I didn’t have to worry about anyone not liking the flavor of wine in their meal. You know, some people love it and then there are folks that just can’t stand it. I always like to veer on the safe side when serving a crowd.

I love to serve this dish over my roasted garlic mashed potatoes to amp up the total comfort meal impact with a fresh apple-pear pomegranate salad on the side to round out the flavors in the meal. It all just works perfectly together.

Since the Coq au Vin Blanc is full of other vegetables, you really don’t have to have any other side dishes. Of course, you can always add another green vegetable like roasted asparagus or English peas. But if you are planning a menu for a large party, think of side dishes you can prepare ahead of time and have ready bake off in the oven right before guests arrive. It lowers the stress level of entertaining ten-fold, in my opinion.

The background of my Coq au Vin Blanc recipe really goes back to Julia Child’s original Coq au Vin with a touch of Pam Anderson’s influence, and then rounded out with my own family’s preferences.

The recipe is for between six to eight people. I quadrupled the recipe for our party without any issues – well, just one more pot to wash. It was well worth it!

Here’s my recipe for Coq au Vin Blanc. I hope you enjoy it.

Coq au Vin Blanc Recipe

5 from 2 votes
Coq au Vin Blanc makes a wonderful recipe to serve when entertaining. A great make-ahead meal that gets rave reviews.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Servings: 6

Ingredients 

  • 4 slices bacon, diced
  • 6 chicken thighs
  • 2 medium onion, cut into wedges
  • 3 cloves garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 pound mushrooms
  • 2 cups dry white wine
  • 2 cups chicken stock or broth,
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1 (14-ounce) can quartered artichokes, drained
  • fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions 

  • Heat a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add diced bacon and cook until just crisp and browned. Remove bacon from Dutch oven onto a separate plate and set aside for later use.
  • Pat chicken thighs dry with a paper towel and add to the Dutch oven. Brown each side of the chicken, about 10 minutes turning the chicken only once. Chicken will not be completely cooked at this point. Remove chicken from the Dutch oven onto a separate plate or baking sheet and set aside for later use.
  • Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms to the Dutch oven and cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned. Add wine to the Dutch oven to deglaze the pan or remove all the baked on bits from the bottom. Return the bacon, chicken, and vegetables back to the Dutch oven. Then, add in chicken stock until the chicken is covered. Add thyme.
  • In a small bowl, blend together the flour and butter into a smooth paste. Add to pot with other ingredients, whisking until well-combined.
  • Add artichokes.
  • Cover and simmer over medium-low heat for about 30 minutes. Ladle off any excess grease from the top of the Coq au Vin Blanc. Remove from heat and if not serving immediately, allow to cool completely.
  • With cover on Dutch oven, place in the refrigerator overnight up to two days. About 30 minutes prior to serving, reheat over medium heat. Serve with a garnish of fresh parsley.

Notes

Chicken stock may be used entirely in this recipe rather than using wine.

Nutrition

Calories: 355kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 415mg | Potassium: 645mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 176IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Our Menu:
Coq au Vin Blanc

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Apple Pear Salad with Pomegranante Vinaigrette

Wouldn’t this make a delicious meal for Christmas?
Robyn xo

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About Robyn

Robyn Stone is a cookbook author, wife, mom, and passionate home cook. Her tested and trusted recipes give readers the confidence to cook recipes the whole family will love. Robyn has been featured on Food Network, People, Southern Living, and more.

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Recipe Review




42 Comments

  1. What a beautiful meal you prepared for your guests! This looks so beautiful. My sister has been bugging me to try a Coq au Vin recipe she likes, as I’ve never made it before. I want to try yours, too!

  2. Robyn – this is a first for me too! I’ve never seen a recipe for this, it looks so good – perfect for guests! (or not 😉 )

    What a beautiful meal.

  3. I’ve actually never heard of Coq au Vin Blanc, I know the classic Coq au Vin, but not this one. I love how it uses white wine instead of the red! I’m not really partial to red wine, but I always cook with white (and then drink the rest haha). Lovely idea for a family dinner :).

  4. I seriously need no cookbooks, just a permanent link to your site for all my dinner menu ideas! Another winner here Robyn, going on the rotation (by the way, your Balsamic Beef was amazing!!!!)

    1. Aww, Aimee! You just made my day! I’m so glad y’all loved the Balsamic Beef. I can’t get enough of it! If you like pork, do try that pork roast recipe. It will become a favorite, too. 🙂

  5. Looks amazing–thanks for sharing! I’m always in need of recipe to make to help with entertaining!

    1. Thanks, Elizabeth. We love to entertain, too and I want to be able to enjoy guests instead of looking stressed out when they arrive. 🙂 I hope you enjoy this recipe. It is one of my husband’s favorites.

  6. Oh, Robyn! You just amaze me. 21-28 people would have had me ordering pizzas…but you, YOU make this incredible, gorgeous MEAL! I’m swooning over here! It’ll be on our menu (for 3) soon! 😉

    1. Pizzas work, too and would probably be my son’s preferred menu! I can’t wait to hear how you like it!