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This Healthier Instant Pot Coq au Vin is 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. All made in the instant pot (or the slow cooker), using simple, wholesome ingredients that you might already have on hand. This dish is warm, flavorful, hearty but healthy, and so delicious. Great for both a simple family dinner and holiday entertaining.
What better way to start Monday off than with an easier, healthier take on a fancy French classic? Especially one that involves cooking with red wine? Yes, this is a good Monday recipe.
Coq au vin is a family favorite. Every time I make it, I love it more and more.
Coq au Vin is the fancy French way of saying chicken braised in red wine. It’s a truly delicious and hearty recipe that’s perfect when served over mashed potatoes. Add a side of crusty bread to soak up all the flavorful red wine sauce…la perfection!
Today I’m simplifying the traditionally lengthy recipe by cooking this entirely in the instant pot in less than an hour. If you prefer to use the slow cooker I’ve included directions for that too, you choose. But by far, the most requests this past month have been for more instant pot recipes.
It seems as though everyone is getting on board with the instant pot. Which makes me happy, because I actually love it too. It definitely took me a while to get on the instant pot train. But once I got the hang of cooking with it, I quickly realized why everyone loves their instant pot so much. It’s kind of like cooking magic, and I do think it cooks the best chicken every single time…
Which is why I am excited for today’s recipe!
As mentioned, coq au vin is traditionally a French style chicken that’s slowly cooked in red wine on the stove top. Some recipes require four plus hours of cooking, multiple steps, a good amount of ingredients, and a lot of hands on time. That’s all great if we have the whole day to spend in the kitchen, but I totally get that most of us just don’t.
Enter this healthier, easier take on Coq au Vin that’s made entirely in the instant pot.
It’s simple, it’s quick, it’s flavorful…and just oh so good. The secret? A little bit of bacon, red wine, and plenty of fresh thyme (fresh herbs are my current obsession).
Here’s how you make it. You ready? It’s simple.
Cook up the bacon and get it nice and crisp. Add in the onions, garlic, and tomato paste, cooking until fragrant. Then add the wine, chicken and herbs. Cover and cook for a bit. In about 20 or so minutes, you’ll be done.
I know it sounds too good to be true, but I promise, it really is this simple.
A few notes.
Traditionally, coq au vin is made with whole chicken pieces. I used chicken breasts, which not only cook up quicker, but are also a lighter choice than skin on dark meat. The red wine helps to keep the chicken from drying out. The instant pot cooks the chicken until it’s perfectly tender and tastes as though it’s been slow cooked all day long.
It’s going to seem like a lot of wine to use, but trust me, it’s going to be great. The wine is the heart of the recipe, providing flavor while also helping to tenderize the chicken, so don’t skip it.
Highly recommending these mashed potatoes and a crusty side of bread. And for anyone looking for a simple stove-top version, check out this recipe.
Also? Maybe pour yourself a glass of wine while you’re cooking. It’s Monday and that just sounds like a nice idea…
If you make this coq au vin please 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 also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Healthier Instant Pot Coq au Vin
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 452 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2-3 slices thick cut bacon, chopped
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken breasts
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine, such as Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 thyme sprigs
- kosher salt and black pepper
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
- mashed potatoes, for serving
Instructions
Instant Pot
- 1. Set Instant Pot to sauté. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove the bacon. If there's excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. 2. To the instant post, add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste and cook an additional 5 minutes. Turn the instant pot off. 3. Add in the red wine, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, chicken, carrots, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes. 3. Once done cooking, use the natural or quick release function. Set the Instant pot to sauté and bring to a boil, boil 5 minutes or until the liquid reduces slightly. Turn the instant pot off. Remove the bay leaves and thyme and discard. Stir in the parsley and reserved bacon.4. Serve the chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes.
Slow Cooker
- 1. Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 5 minutes. If there’s excess bacon grease, drain off all but 1 tablespoon. 2. To the skillet, add the onion, garlic, and tomato paste and cook an additional 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to the bowl of your slow cooker.3. To the slow cooker, add in the red wine, chicken broth, bay leaves, thyme, chicken, carrots, and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or on high for 4-5 hours. 3. Once done cooking, cook, uncovered on high for 15-20 minutes to reduce the sauce. Remove the bay leaves and thyme and discard. Stir in the parsley and reserved bacon. 4. Serve the chicken and sauce over mashed potatoes.
This post was originally published on October 29, 2018
Thank you for this recipe! I had never made (or eaten!) Coq au vin before, but your gorgeous photos made me want to try! I used boneless thighs and didn’t have any bay leaves or fresh thyme, but it was still excellent. My sauce wasn’t nearly as thick as yours, so I used a little corn starch. Everyone enjoyed and I will certainly make again!
I am so glad you decided to try this and it turned out amazing for you, Molly! Thank you!!
This was amazing! I followed one of the reviewer’s suggestion to boil the wine for 15 minutes if you’re concerned it’ll taste like alcohol. We were pleasantly surprised with how beefy this dish tastes for being a chicken dish. Used cornstarch to thicken, the sauce was a wonderful gravy for mashed potatoes. We’ll absolutely make this again, thank you!
I am so glad you enjoyed this, Chrissy! Thank you!
I finally had a chance to make this tonight in the pressure cooker. It was so good. I did take out some of the sauce to make a slurry with corn starch to thicken it a bit. My chicken breasts were huge, so I cut them into pieces about the size of thighs. Perfect melding of flavors. I see looking at your pictures now, that I chopped mine much smaller. I’ll make them larger next time, and probably add more carrots. Mine didn’t turn out as rosy as yours, but I used a Pinot Noir and maybe that was why. I’m sure I’ll make this again.
Hi Betsy! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe and I hope it turns out better with the changes next time! Thank you so much!
I just posted that I made your Coq au Reisling for my husband over Christmas. I tried this one last night in our new slow cooker. it was just as delicious! Hubby like the Coq au Reisling better but that’s probably because it was far more rich with the cream in it. 🙂 In my particular slow cooker, I could have used less liquid. It didn’t reduce as much as I would have liked. I’m sure all slow cookers are a smidge different so I’ll just make a note to reduce the liquid by a 1/2 cup or so next time — or try the real deal! Flavor-wise, this one was stellar, as usual. Thanks, Tieghan!
Hi Martie! I am so glad you loved this recipe and I hope it turns out better for you next time!
I tried out my shiny, new Instant Pot for this recipe, and it was a marvel. The chicken was so tender! Thanks for creating and sharing!
I am so glad this turned out so well for you Beth! Thank you!
How much time would you add if the chicken is frozen?
I am not sure as I have not tested the recipe for frozen chicken. I would guess 10 to 15 minutes. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan
hi there!
i’m making this for a christmas party & i’m hoping to get 7 servings (i’ll take a small one for me 😉 ). how did you prep your chicken? was it two large breasts that you cut into pieces for serving? i can’t tell from the photos or directions & i’d love you input. i don’t want to get thinly sliced breasts if it’ll cook weird, or tenders for the same reason!
thank you!!
HI! I used 4 smaller breast and left them whole. You could use 2 large breast and cut them in half if that would work better. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Holidays!! xTieghan ?
I’ve wanted to try making coq au vin for a while and this was definitely an easy way to try it! I used the crock pot version of the recipe and, to my husband’s disappointment, I left out the mushrooms because I’m not a fan. It turned out so well and was so delicious! I served it with the brown butter sage mashed potatoes on your other coq au vin recipe.
Thank you so much Brenda! I am so glad you loved this recipe and you were able to try coq au vin!
Yummy recipe! I didn’t have wine, so I just used chicken broth and a little wine vinegar, but it didn’t turn out as thick as yours looks. Is the reduction effect something that only happens with wine/cooking wine specifically? CRanberry or pomegranate juice sound a yummy—-I will have to try that next time! Thanks!
HI! Sounds like you just need to simmer the sauce a bit longer to thicken it. You can use broth or wine, but wine will thicken faster due to the sugars. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Hi! To double the recipe and use thighs, would I extend the cooktime? Is there anything else I need to consider? Thanks, Nicole
Hey Nicole, I would increase the cooking time by 10-15 minutes. You also might need to use 2 instant pots. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much!! xTieghan ?
Great Recipe, thank You!
Thank you! I am so glad you enjoyed this!
Hi, if I cook with chicken thighs how much time should j adjust the IP for? Thank you!
Hi there! I would add 5 minutes of cooking time. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
what if you don’t use alcohol…what do you recommend as a replacement for red wine?
I recommend using pomegranate juice. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
Love this recipe! The only thing is that you didn’t state to remove the bacon after cooking, even though the last step says to stir in the “reserved bacon.” I made it with the bacon in the IP the whole time, so we will see how it turns out :/. Fingers crossed it’s not a bunch of soggy bacon!
Hi Christina! How did it turn out for you? I hope you still liked this! Thank you!
This looks so delicious! Do you think it would work with turkey breast instead of chicken?
I am sure turkey breast will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe. Thanks so much and happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan