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Easy, Make-Ahead Parisian Coq au Vin (with boneless chicken breasts)
5 from 6 votes

Easy, Make-Ahead Parisian Coq au Vin (with boneless chicken breasts)

Much easier than traditional Coq au Vin but just as delicious, the magical tenderizing trick results in amazingly tender chicken. It's a fabulous, make-ahead dish that's perfect for entertaining or an easy weeknight treat.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
45 mins
Total Time
1 hr 15 mins
Servings: 6
Calories: 408 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French, French-American Fusion

Ingredients

For the prep:
  • 8 ounces button mushrooms (I like cremini but regular button mushrooms will also work)
  • 8 ounces carrot about 4 medium carrots
  • 1 large shallot
  • 4 medium garlic cloves
  • 3 lices Bacon smoky, thick-cut
  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
For the mushrooms:
  • ½ cup chicken broth low sodium
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter
For the sauce:
  • 2 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 ½ cups red wine I like a Burgundy or Pinot Noir but almost any dry, red wine will work!, dry
  • 3 cups chicken broth maybe a bit more, low sodium
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons soy sauce low sodium
  • 2 medium bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon herbes de provence
  • 4-5 medium-size fresh thyme sprigs
  • 2 teaspoons rosemary divided, finely chopped fresh
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt more to taste
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ cups pearl onions thawed, frozen
  • 2 tablespoons butter soft
For the chicken marinade:
  • 1 large egg from one large egg, white
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar any kind of vinegar will work
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
To finish:
  • 1 cup pea thawed, tiny frozen
  • rosemary for garnish, if desired, fresh leaves and sprigs
  • thyme for garnish, if desired, fresh leaves and sprigs

Instructions

For the prep:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash the mushrooms under warm running water, rubbing all sides to remove the dirt. Lay the mushrooms on a clean kitchen towel after washing then cut into ¼-inch slices. Set aside.
  2. Peel the carrots if using whole carrots. Slice them into ½-inch slices on a slight diagonal. Set aside.
  3. Finely chop the shallot and mince the garlic cloves with a garlic press or a sharp knife. Set aside separately.
  4. Stack the bacon strips on top of each other and cut the stack in half width-wise. Cut each stack in half length-wise then cut into ¼-inch slices.
  5. Trim any excess fat from the chicken breasts then cut, width-wise on a slight diagonal into ¼ inch slices. Refrigerate sliced chicken for now.
For the mushrooms
  1. Combine the mushrooms, ½ cup of chicken broth, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper in a large lidded cast iron or sauté pan or heavy-duty braiser or skillet (not a non-stick pan).
  2. Cook over medium-high heat for about 6-8 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated, stirring occasionally.
  3. Push the mushrooms to the side of the pan and add the butter in the center. When the butter is melted, stir to coat the mushrooms then spread to a single layer.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the mushrooms to cook undisturbed for 1-2 minutes, until turning golden on the underside. Stir well then spread to a single layer again and cook another 1-2 minutes. Repeat if needed until the mushrooms are nicely browned. Remove them from the pan to a clean plate or bowl. Do not wash the pan.
For the sauce:
  1. Keeping the heat on medium, add the diced bacon to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes until crisp and golden brown, stirring frequently. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a clean plate or bowl. Set aside.
  2. Reduce the heat to low and add the chopped shallots. Stir and cook for 2 minutes until softened. Add the minced garlic and tomato paste and stir again. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, stirring continuously, until the tomato paste darkens a bit and the mixture is fragrant.
  3. Add the red wine, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce to a syrupy, thick glaze. Watch it carefully near the end so it doesn’t burn.
  4. Add the chicken broth, brown sugar, soy sauce, bay leaves, Herbes de Provence, thyme sprigs, half of the chopped rosemary, the carrots, pearl onions, reserved bacon and the mushrooms (reserve a few for garnish, if desired).
  5. Bring to a boil then reduce to a steady simmer and cover. Cover and cook for 20 minutes, until the carrots are nice and tender.
  6. Combine the soft butter and the flour and stir until lump-free.
  7. Add the butter mixture (beurre manié) to the simmering sauce, one tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition, until desired thickness is achieved. (You may have a bit of beurre manié left over.) (At this point, you could cool and refrigerate the sauce until ready to finish or finish now and serve.)
To finish:
  1. Prepare the chicken marinade while the sauce is simmering by combining the egg white, cornstarch, vinegar and oil in a medium-size bowl. Add the sliced chicken and massage for 20-30 seconds with your hand. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.
  2. After the chicken has marinated in the egg white mixture for 20 minutes, add it to the simmering sauce and stir to separate the pieces.
  3. Return to a nice steady simmer, add the peas and remaining rosemary, then stir once more. Cover the pan tightly and turn off the heat. Allow the pan to sit undisturbed for 10 minutes.
  4. Uncover and, if you prefer a thinner sauce, add a bit more broth. Stir well then taste. Add more salt, if needed. Garnish with fresh thyme, and the reserved mushrooms, if desired.
  5. Serve and ENJOY!

Notes

  • If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutrition Information

Calories 408kcal (20%) Carbohydrates 24g (8%) Protein 31g (62%) Fat 17g (26%) Saturated Fat 7g (35%) Polyunsaturated Fat 2g (12%) Monounsaturated Fat 6g (30%) Trans Fat 0.3g (15%) Cholesterol 130mg (43%) Sodium 792mg (33%) Potassium 913mg (19%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 8g (16%) Vitamin A 6799IU (136%) Vitamin C 20mg (22%) Calcium 68mg (7%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 6 Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 408

% Daily Value*

Calories 408kcal 20%
Carbohydrates 24g 8%
Protein 31g 62%
Fat 17g 26%
Saturated Fat 7g 35%
Polyunsaturated Fat 2g 12%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Trans Fat 0.3g 15%
Cholesterol 130mg 43%
Sodium 792mg 33%
Potassium 913mg 19%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 8g 16%
Vitamin A 6799IU 136%
Vitamin C 20mg 22%
Calcium 68mg 7%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.