The classic French Coq au Vin gets a low carb makeover! This comforting Keto chicken stew has all the great flavor of the original, with a fraction of the carbs.
Grab a napkin, my friends, and get ready for the mouthwatering aroma of Keto Coq au Vin bubbling away on your stove. Because if you are looking for a classic comfort food dish with healthy vibes, this is it!
Don’t be intimidated by the name. It may sound all fancy because it’s French, but it’s actually quite a basic recipe. And like Keto Chicken Marsala and Creamy Chicken Florentine, it’s easy to make it more keto-friendly.
It’s absolutely luscious and you get to channel your inner Julia Child as you make it. Let’s get cooking!
Why you will love this recipe
The original Coq au Vin took the tough meat of a rooster and turned it into a tender, wine-braised stew. Of course, rooster isn’t available to very many of us these days, but regular chicken is now the standard for this dish.
Braising tough meat in wine for a long period of time has a magical tenderizing effect. It also enhances the rich flavor of the final product. And while traditional coq au vin can be a laborious process, I’ve made it easier and more streamlined.
This classic French dish is typically made with flour, carrots, and plenty of pearl onions. To make a more keto-friendly version, I subbed the carrots for some zucchini and red pepper, and kept the onions to a minimum. And of course I skipped the flour altogether. Instead, I whisked in a bit of glucomannan at the end to thicken the sauce. It was absolutely perfect!
This super comforting keto chicken stew is rich and flavorful, high in protein and low in carbs. What more could you ask for?
Ingredient Notes
- Bacon: Chopping the bacon before cooking helps it crisp up more easily.
- Chicken thighs: Bone-in, skin-on chicken is the classic option for Coq au Vin. I like thighs, but you can use a mix of thighs and drumsticks.
- Low carb vegetables: Classic coq au vin takes mushrooms, pearl onions, and carrots. I swap out the carrots for zucchini and a little red pepper, and I keep the onions to a minimum.
- Aromatics: Onion, garlic, and thyme.
- Red wine: A good dry red wine gives the best flavor.
- Thickener: Use a little glucomannan or xanthan gum for a thicker sauce.
- Pantry Staples: Tomato paste, salt, and pepper.
Step By Step Directions
1. Cook the bacon: In Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, and remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan.
2. Brown the chicken: Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes, to brown the skin. Remove to the plate.
3. Sauté the mushrooms: Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced by about half.
4. Simmer and cook: Whisk in the broth and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, skin side up, back into the pans and sprinkle with about two-thirds of the bacon. Cover and cook on medium low for 45 minutes, adding the zucchini and red pepper at the halfway point.
5. Thicken the sauce: For a thicker sauce, remove about ½ cup of the broth from the pot after cooking. Whisk in the glucomannan or xanthan gum, then add back into the pot and stir to mix with the remaining sauce.
6. Serve: Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon before serving.
Tips for Success
Between the bacon and the chicken thighs, you should not need any additional oil to sauté the mushrooms. Skin on chicken thighs release a lot of fat and oil as they cook in a hot pan.
Add the softer vegetables like zucchini and red pepper halfway through cooking so they don’t get overly mushy.
You don’t have to thicken the sauce if you prefer not to. My favorite thickener is glucomannan as it ends up less slimy than xanthan gum.
Frequently Asked Questions
This classic French dish is usually made with chicken, bacon, mushrooms flour, carrots, onions, and red wine. For a more keto-friendly version, I skipped the flour and substituted zucchini and red pepper.
You can freeze this dish, but keep in mind that the vegetables may become more mushy during the freezing and thawing process. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.
More delicious comfort food recipes
- French Onion Meatloaf
- Keto Cabbage Roll Soup
- Keto Chili Recipe
- Slow Cooker Meatball Casserole
- Chile Relleno Soup
Easy Coq au Vin
Ingredients
- 6 slices bacon chopped
- 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- Salt and pepper
- 6 ounces mushrooms quartered or sliced
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup dry red wine
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 small zucchini cut lengthwise and slices ½ inch thick
- Half medium red pepper cut into 1 inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon glucomannan or xanthan gum optional
Instructions
- In Dutch oven over medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate, and remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease from the pan.
- Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook undisturbed for 4 minutes, to brown the skin. Remove to the plate.
- Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic, and sauté 2 minutes. Add the red wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, until reduced by about half.
- Whisk in the broth and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, skin side up, back into the pans and sprinkle with about two-thirds of the bacon. Cover and cook on medium low for 45 minutes, adding the zucchini and red pepper at the halfway point.
- Cover and cook on medium low for 45 minutes, adding the zucchini and red pepper at the halfway point.
- For a thicker sauce, remove about ½ cup of the broth from the pot after cooking. Whisk in the glucomannan or xanthan gum, then add back into the pot and stir to mix with the remaining sauce.
- Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon before serving.
Lisa says
Looks as though I already have this recipe originally published in 2020 but modified in 2022. Is this one different?
Carolyn says
Yup, this one is not for the crockpot… and I like this version better.
Eric says
I love Coq au Vin, and am delighted to find this recipe. will make it soon.
I was wondering if you had any idea of it could be cooked in an Instant Pot? If yes, how would the directions change? Perhaps fully cook the veggies and then remove, then cook the chicken, and add the veggies (and thickener) back at the end? But how long for the veggies and how long for the chicken?
Carolyn says
Sounds like you need to experiment! 🙂
Vicky Price says
Hi Carolyn. So excited to try this. Any advice on how to double the recipe? Should I just double all ingredients?
Thank you for so many wonderful recipes!
Carolyn says
You would need a much bigger crockpot.
Lynn says
Hi Carolyn, I made this the other night, it was moist and delicious! I only had boneless chicken (no skin) and it worked out just fine. I served it with a side of sauteed brussel sprouts that had a dash of keto maple syrup and pecans. Yum!
I want to thank you for your dedication and all of the work you put into your website. You have great recipes, it is my go to! Thank you!
Roberta says
can I cook in my oven?
Carolyn says
You will need to experiment.
Kathy says
May I ask what dry red wine you used? I don’t know anything about wine and don’t want to mess this dish up. Thanks!
Carolyn says
I think mine was just Cabernet Sauvignon? But you don’t have to go pricy either. If you are only using it for cooking, you can get a small bottle of red for this.
Dana says
This is a delicious, easy version of Coq au Vin. Definitely will keep this in my dinner rotation!
April says
This was amazing! Juicy, tender and flavorful – a huge hit in our house!
Alicia Kreisberg says
I have a couple of questions; 1. Can you use a whole chicken rather than just the chicken thighs? 2. Do you add water to the glucomannan (make a slurry) before whisking it in?
Thanks!
Carolyn says
No need to make a slurry. You can use whatever chicken you want but it needs to be in pieces, not whole.
Maureen says
Excellent recipe! Easy to make and so flavorful!
Kathy Cooke says
OMG, so good! I fried the bacon and mushrooms separately to keep them from getting soggy and added them in at the end. I used pinot noir for the wine. I cooked it in a Le Creuset dutch oven on the stove; I used the ingredients mentioned, but Julia Child’s stovetop method, and it was amazing.
Alicia says
Can this be frozen?
Carolyn says
No idea, since I didn’t try. I am sure it would be fine.
Terry Marks says
I love chicken thighs and usually eat 2. Would this work as well cooking without the skin and reducing the bacon by half to reduce the fat and calories?
Carolyn says
Probably. As I have not tested it that way, I can’t say for sure.
Alice says
I just made this for dinner. It was really good. My husband isn’t a mushroom or zucchini guy, but he complimented it twice and went back for seconds.
Carolyn says
I am so happy to hear that!
Sandra says
Took chicken thighs out of the freezer the minute I saw this recipe yesterday and just finished dinner tonight….WONDERFUL! All my slow cooker recipes are for 8-10hr cooking times so I appreciated being able to start prepping later in the day for this. My house smelled divine…and this is the perfect keto meal for families “divided”–enjoyed by all keto and nonketo alike! Even though there were plenty of veggies (peppers, zucchinis, mushrooms), I still served it with a bit of mashed cauliflower (yay!) and mashed potatoes (nay!). side note: I seem to be using glucomannan with more success lately for thickening than xanthan gum…the sauce was rich and the perfect consistency.
Amanda says
Thank you! I haven’t made this one yet but it looks great, and like the flavors will pair together really well. Love a dish that is mostly hands-off and you’re not spending hours in the kitchen. Thank you again for bringing great low carb mains and sides, even though I know they don’t attract the same amount of fervor as your desserts. I appreciate the use of the cooking wine. I have their white and their red on hand for these types of recipes; I don’t drink that much and hate wasting a bottle of wine when I don’t need that much for a recipe. I appreciate all of the ways you try to help make this WOE and healthy lifestyles in general sustainable. Have a great weekend!
Carolyn says
Thanks, Amanda. Holland House is ideal for having on hand for cooking, I agree!
LMS says
You have most likely eaten “rooster” many times and just didn’t realize it. Chicken is labeled and sold based on age, not sex. Unless you are raising your own meat and/or egg production chickens, you won’t run into full grown tough stringy roosters. Coq au vin (Cock or Rooster in wine) is a country way of cooking up a tough full grown roster. The wine helps to tenderize the meat and make it taste better as well since an older rooster is often a bit gamey tasting. Pretty much every rural country has a similar recipe. An old laying hen that has stoped laying works well in Coq au vin. I have often used turnips or rutabagas in place of potatoes. Depended on what the garden produced that year.
Barbara Owen says
I was wondering if I could use a stew hen! Thank you for your comment. I will also add turnip or rutabaga.