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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.

overhead photo of 30 Minute Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs with browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

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.

side angled photo vegetables cooking in skillet

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…

side angle photo of adding meatballs to skillet

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.

overhead photo of 30 Minute Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs in skillet

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!

overhead photo of 30 Minute Coq au Vin Chicken Meatballs with browned Butter Mashed Potatoes

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

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
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.

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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
US Customary - Metric

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.
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This post was originally published on October 30, 2019
4.21 from 800 votes (663 ratings without comment)

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Comments

    1. Hi Emily! I am sorry about that! Is there anything you changed in the recipe? I am glad it still turned out well for you! xTieghan

      Reply

  2. 5 stars
    I made this for my family tonight and my mom said it was top 5 best things I’ve ever cooked for her! Thank you for this incredible recipe that boasts DELICIOUSNESS, uses affordable ingredients, and is somehow cozy, hearty, and refreshing at the same time,

    Reply

  4. 4 stars
    Absolutely delicious. Thank you! Took one star off because….6 servings??!! Fed 3 of us nicely, with 6 smallish meatballs each. Your son must have a very small appetite!

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    This was really delicious. My roommate loved it too. My only complaint is that is takes me about an hour to complete. You would have to be super woman to get it all done in 30 minutes.

    Reply

  7. So it was good but maybe I used the wrong Cabernet Sauvignon ?‍♀️ The sauce in the pic looks like a gorgeous brown and mine was so red! Including my veggies! The chicken meatballs were so sticky and could barely make into balls and the sauce wasn’t as much as I anticipated. In the picture it looks like it makes a lot of sauce but mine had enough to just coat the meatballs. So not a lot for the potatoes. Anyway just wondered if anyone else experienced this? Other than that it was tasty.

    Reply

    1. Hey Kim! Was you wine cheaper? I am honestly not sure why your sauce would turn out so red.

      For the meatballs, what perfect fat did you use? Did they end up tasting good, but just look funny?

      Sorry for the trouble! Hope I can help once I have some more details! Thank you!! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. 4 stars
    Hi loved it, however took more than 30.
    My daughter made the day before and questioned timing. I made the next day, I have a culinary degree and am good at time management. Is this recipe based on ingredients being already prepped? Again very tasty but timing off.

    Thanks enjoy you blog and recipes

    Reply

    1. Hey,
      Thanks so much for trying the recipe, so sorry you had issues with timing. I include all timing above the ingredients, so prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is 20 minutes, giving a total of 30 minutes. I hope this makes sense! xTieghan

      Reply

  9. 1 star
    We made this dish recently in our online cookbook club and none of us liked it. The sauce doesn’t get absorbed by the balls so the chicken balls were all dry and bland inside. I don’t know why I wasted 20min of my life deboning, skinning and grinding chicken breast meat to form balls that don’t absorb the sauce… It probably would have been better if I just used chopped up chicken pieces.
    Also, I think your recipe rating system is rigged. We noticed that even after the low ratings we gave the average rating goes up instead of down. Shady.

    Reply

    1. Hi Sheila! I am sorry this recipe did not work for you. Please let me know if there is anything I can help with! I hope you love some other recipes of mine! Also, I am not sure why it would have gone up, but it is most definitely not rigged. I will look into this issue. xTieghan

      Reply

  10. 1 star
    Don’t like. Chicken balls no taste. Balls don’t absorb sauce. Also too much wine. Better to use beef stock for deeper flavor, and maybe 1-2 Tbsp of sugar. This is weird unbalanced recipe.

    Reply

    1. Hi Anja! I am really sorry this did not turn out well for you! Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with! xTieghan

      Reply

  12. 5 stars
    Love this! Have made it twice and loved it both times, fairly easy to follow and I love to have the great taste of a traditional coq au vin without the long braising process. I cooked it for my parents, who said that they had already had coq au vin once before at a fancy restaurant and didn’t care for it, but they really liked this recipe! Adding this to my collection of favorites.

    Reply

    1. Wow that is so amazing!! I am really glad this turned out so well for all of you, Alex! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

    1. Hey Leah,
      Sure the crockpot would be a great option for the meatballs, I would do 6-7 hours on low and make the mashed potatoes separately. I hope you love the recipe, please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan

      Reply

  15. 5 stars
    This is one of my go-to recipes. The sauce has a lovely depth of flavor. Meatballs are easy to make — I add some thyme to them for extra flavor. Love this dish.

    Reply