Coq au Riesling

Coq au Riesling is a classic French style chicken dish made with chicken thighs simmered in a creamy white wine sauce with bacon, mushrooms, and thyme. Rich, comforting, and full of flavor, it’s perfect for a relaxed but special dinner.

Prep 20minutes minutes
Cook 50minutes minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients

• ▢6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs ( (or 4 whole chicken legs))
• ▢1 teaspoon salt
• ▢½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ▢4 slices bacon (chopped)
• ▢1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢1 small onion (finely chopped)
• ▢3 cloves garlic (minced)
• ▢8 ounces mushrooms (sliced)
• ▢1 cup Riesling wine
• ▢1 cup chicken broth (low-sodium )
• ▢1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried)
• ▢1½ cups heavy cream
• ▢1 tablespoon parsley (chopped, for garnish)

Instructions 

• Pat the chicken thighs dry and season both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
• In a large skillet or Dutch oven, cook 4 slices chopped bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove and set aside, leaving the fat in the pan.
• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the bacon fat if needed. Sear the chicken skin-side down 6 to 7 minutes, until golden. Flip and cook another 4 minutes. Remove to a plate.
• Add 1 chopped onion to the pan and cook 3 minutes. Stir in 3 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds.
• Add 8 ounces sliced mushrooms and cook 4 to 5 minutes until lightly browned.
• Pour in 1 cup Riesling and 1 cup chicken broth, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in 1 tablespoon Dijon, and 1 teaspoon thyme.
• Return the chicken and bacon to the pan. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce thickens.
• Transfer the chicken to a plate for another minute. Combine 1½ cups cream with a couple ladles of the sauce from the pan. Stir in the heavy cream mixture to the sauce in the pan and whisk. Make sure heat is still low for this step, so your sauce doesn’t curdle or split.
• Taste and adjust seasoning. Return the chicken to the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. Garnish with parsley before serving.

Notes

1. Use a dry or off dry Riesling. Avoid sweet wines, as they can overpower the sauce.
2. Pat the chicken dry before searing so the skin browns properly and adds flavor to the sauce.
3. When adding the cream, mix it with a couple ladles of the hot sauce first, then stir it into the pan over low heat.
4. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of chicken broth to loosen it.
5. Leftovers reheat well over low heat and taste even better the next day.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 657kcal (33%)Carbohydrates: 7g (2%)Protein: 29g (58%)Fat: 54g (83%)Saturated Fat: 23g (144%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 7gMonounsaturated Fat: 20gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 219mg (73%)Sodium: 656mg (29%)Potassium: 597mg (17%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 3g (3%)Vitamin A: 1052IU (21%)Vitamin C: 3mg (4%)Calcium: 67mg (7%)Iron: 2mg (11%)

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.