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These 30 Minute Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs…with browned butter mashed potatoes. Best for those cold fall and winter nights when you want a fancy slow-braised chicken, but you want it ready in less than an hour. Made quickly with healthy oven-baked chicken meatballs, using simple wholesome ingredients that you may already have on hand. This dish is warm, flavorful, hearty but healthy, and so delicious. The Coq au Vin sauce is made using rich red wine, root vegetables, and fresh herbs. Great for both a simple family dinner and holiday entertaining.
If I had to choose the recipe for you to all be making this week, tonight even, it would be these meatballs. And you know what’s funny? For someone who has really avoided making meatballs in the past, I sure have taken a liking to them this past year.
So far I’ve shared butter chicken meatballs, coconut curry chicken meatballs, sticky sesame ginger meatballs, and now these coq au vin meatballs. Without thinking twice, these are my favorite meatballs of the “bunch”. I know I shouldn’t be picking recipe favorites, but these are the flavors I love, especially this time of year. The weather in NYC has turned cold and deary (and very snowy in Colorado), and it’s just the time of year for recipes like this.
When I made these meatballs just last week, my oldest brother, Creighton, was in town. I, of course, fed him multiple dinners (the boy lives to eat!). But at the end of his trip he declared these meatballs as the best dish he ate all week. He LOVED them, so I think it’s safe to say this is a very good recipe.
And easy too, which is honestly just an added bonus.
Here is how you make these meatballs.
Start with the meatballs themselves. I always use the simplest mix of ground chicken (or turkey), an egg, Panko bread crumbs, and a little parmesan cheese.
Here’s my trick though, instead of pan-frying the meatballs, I bake them in the oven. Not only is this easier, but it also saves on time. While the meatballs are cooking away in the oven, you can be working on the coq au vin sauce…
This sauce…it’s everything.
If you could not tell by now, I love Coq au Vin so much. I shared a more classic coq au vin a few years back. Here’s a link to watch me prepare it on Hallmark Home and Family. And the thing that makes Coq au Vin so delicious?
The red wine based sauce. This sauce is truly one of the most delicious sauces you will make.
But today’s Coq au Vin is all about these meatballs. There’s also a little bacon…for flavor, along with a mix of hearty fall vegetables, rich red wine, and herbs. The wine is key as it’s what gives the sauce its signature “french” flavor.
Traditionally, Coq au Vin is a slow-braised chicken that can take hours to make. Using meatballs allows this classic French dish to turn into a quick-cooking weeknight dinner…that also happens to be fancy enough for a weekend gathering.
My favorite way to serve these meatballs is over my buttery herbed mashed potatoes. Spooning the sauce over the creamy mashed potatoes and topping with the meatballs leaves you with a cozy dinner that’s effortless to make.
And one that everyone really loves! My only other suggestion is to add a side of crusty bread for dipping. Perfect dinner, right? I’m excited t have this one in my back pocket for the upcoming holiday season. I already know it’s going to be a go-to recipe once my family arrives and the craziness begins!
If you make these 30 minute Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
watch the how to video:
30 Minutes Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 348 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 pounds ground turkey or chicken
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 2-3 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- mashed potatoes, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment.2. Add the turkey, egg, bread crumbs, parmesan, and a pinch each of salt and pepper to a bowl. Coat your hands with a bit of olive oil and roll the meat into tablespoon-size balls (will make 15-20 meatballs), placing them on the prepared baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 15 minutes or until the meatballs are crisp and cooked through.3. Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon and reserve. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. To the skillet, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, until softened and fragrant. Stir in the garlic, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook another 5 minutes, until the vegetables are caramelizing on the edges. Add the tomato paste. Cook 1 minute.4. Add in the red wine, chicken broth, bay leaves, and thyme. Season with salt and pepper. Stir to combine, bring the sauce to a boil, cook 10 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in the meatballs, cover and cook 5 minutes, until the meatballs are coated in the sauce. Remove the bay leaves and thyme and discard. Stir in the parsley and reserved bacon.4. Serve the meatballs and sauce over mashed potatoes.
Notes
To Freeze the Meatballs: Bake as directed, then freeze on a parchment lined baking sheet in a single layer for 2 hours. Transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or simmer in the sauce over low heat for 20 minutes, until thawed, adding water if needed to thin the sauce.
To Freeze the Meatballs in the Sauce: Spoon the meatballs and sauce into a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. To serve, thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm on the stove until heated through, about 15 minutes, adding water if needed to thin the sauce.
This post was originally published on October 30, 2019
Trying this tonight, can’t wait! But don’t have any bacon on hand. Will adding just a tbsp of olive oil suffice? Thank you!
Hey Awanti,
I hope you love the recipe, yes olive oil with work just fine. Happy Holidays! xTieghan
This recipe was divine! I made it for guests about a month ago and they messaged me later that week asking foe the recipe. I of course, directed them to your account.
I am making this again tonight for my family. SO GOOD
Hey Robin,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
SInce a lot of comments are from readers who haven’t tried the recipe, just wanted to throw in my two cents having made it twice. It’s absolutely fantastic and SO easy to make. I’ve tried it as written with turkey meatballs which was great, and last night I made it with beef (which my family prefers). The sauce is rich and forgiving (I ran out of the amount of red wine called for and subbed extra broth for the amount missing). After making that substitution, the sauce seemed a little thin, so I mixed a bit of corn starch with broth to get it to the right consistency. However, everything else remained the same — no need to make any changes. Served over mashed potatoes, it’s the coziest and most delicious meal that my family loves. Going to put this one high on my rotation list.
Hey DJ,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe, thanks so much for giving it a try! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Is there a substitute for the red wine in this recipe? I made it with once and loved it but I have to make it without alcohol for my second try.
Hey there,
You can use beef broth or Pomegranate/cranberry juice mixed with water. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
This was absolutely delicious! I left out the mushrooms because of an allergy, but it still came out perfect. I made this with the browned butter mashed potatoes which were awesome, but served the leftovers over buttered egg noodles with fresh parsley & garlic which were just as good and a little bit easier to make. Will definitely be making this again.
Hey Tessa,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try, I am so glad it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays! xTieghan
The timing of this recipe is COMPLETELY off. I am so disappointed. Did not turn out. probably won’t try again.
Hey there,
So sorry you had issues with this recipe. Please let me know how I can help! xTieghan
We were all out of potatoes, so we served it over pasta. It mixes in very nicely.
Thank you so much Barbara! xTieghan
This looks delicious! Do you have a suggestion for a mushroom substitute? Can I make this without? Thank you so much!
Hey Beth,
Totally fine to omit:) I hope you love the recipe. Please let me know if you have any other questions and Happy Holidays! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious. I followed the directions exactly and the result was sooooo good. My whole family loved it. I did find the ground chicken a bit sticky to roll out but I just popped it in the freezer for about 15 minutes and then they rolled better. Im not sure I’ll make mashed potatoes any other way now! Thanks! xoxo
I am so happy you loved this recipe, Amy!! Thank you so much for trying this one! xTieghan
Loved this recipe! Served it with the mashed potatoes recommended and a side of steamed brussel sprouts. Even my 4 year cleaned his plate!
Yes!! So happy this turned out so well for you all! xTieghan
I made this last night. It was super delicious, but it definitely took just over an hour (approx 65 minutes) from beginning to end, there’s no way it was even close to being done at 30 minutes. I’m not sure how that would be possible since mixing the meatballs, rolling them, baking them, frying bacon, cooking up onion and carrot until they’re starting to caramelize, and reducing the sauce are all time-consuming processes. It’s not *that* quick of a meal, but it was definitely worth it. It was warming, hearty, and crowd-pleasing. I also found that the amount of meat in the recipe is somewhere between one and two packages (the pre-prepared packages of ground turkey from the store, I know I could have gotten exactly the amount I needed if I’d gone to a butcher counter). So I ended up with extra meatballs since I wasn’t going to leave half a package of opened ground turkey sitting around. Not that I’m complaining! Anyways, I’d recommend this meal and I’d definitely make it again, but don’t start it 30 minutes before you want to get dinner on the table!
Hi Jess! I am sorry this took longer than expected, but I am really glad it turned out so amazing for you! Thank you for trying this one! xTieghan
Another great one! Made it for my sister who is visiting for a few days (she actually introduced me to HBH a few months back), and it was perfect for the cold and rainy night she arrived on. She loved it! I doubled the mushrooms and garlic because that’s how we like things, and made a simpler mashed potato than yours, and it went super well together. Delicious and easy and something I will make over and over again. Thank you!
Aw that is so sweet of you! I am really glad this turned out so well for you both, Tina! Thank you for trying it! xTieghan
Made this tonight and it was yummy. Took more than 30 minutes, more like an hour, but would make again! Made double batch of meatballs so I could freeze a bunch to have for another meal.
Love that! Thank you so much Chris! xTieghan
This was easy and delicious! Don’t skip the bacon! In my opinion, it just perfectly completed the dish!
Thank you so much Sue! I am really happy this recipe turned out so well for you! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious though definitely takes more than 10 mins to measure and prep everything. Took me closer to an hour start to finish.
Thank you for trying this one, George! I am really glad it turned out so well for you! xTieghan