Coq Au Vin is a classic French dish of braised chicken (or rooster) with wine, mushrooms and onions. For my low carb and keto friendly version I keep this Keto Coq Au Vin as close to the traditional recipe as possible. This is a fantastic recipe that I think any home cook should try to attempt. It dish takes some time and preparation but it isn’t too complicated! For my Keto Coq Au Vin recipe, I choose a dry red wine. You could use any wine but as Julia Child says, “red is more characteristic” and I completely agree.
Chicken:
Typically most people use a chicken leg quarter but for this recipe I use chicken drumsticks (6). If you are going to use the chicken leg quarter, 4 of these will work nicely with the dish. Dry the chicken thoroughly before browning. This creates a sear that gives the protein a nice charred and roasted flavor.
Red Wine:
Use a Burgundy wine (made in the Burgundy region in eastern France) or full-bodied red wine such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Zinfandel, and Shiraz.
Bacon:
Any bacon will do in this recipe, but the fattier the better! While cooking bring the heat up slowly to render out the fat. This will leave the pot with some flavorful fat to brown the chicken.
Onions:
We have two types of onions in this classic Keto Coq Au Vin recipe. The diced white onions are cooked into the stew and peeled pearl onions are cooked on a separate pan with butter and sweetener to remove the bitterness.
Carrots:
I know! These aren’t technically keto, however in small amounts these can add a great amount of flavor to the dish. I highly recommend adding these into your dish but if you’re following a strict ketogenic diet you can leave these out. Below, I’ve added the nutrition information for this dish with and without the carrots.
Mushrooms:
In this dish we have the same type of mushrooms cooked two different ways. One is sliced and cooked in the stew, the other half is quartered and cooked with the pearl onions. This step adds some really nice visual texture to the dish!
Herbs:
Combine the herbs into a classic bouquet garni (bay leaves, parsley and fresh thyme). Bundling up the herbs makes for easy removal.
Brandy:
Even though this is technically not keto, this is an important ingredient that cannot be skipped. While pouring the brandy, deglaze the pot to reincorporate the brown bits on the bottom back into the sauce. This adds in a ton of flavor!
Thickener:
Traditionally this recipe uses flour as a thickener. However, to make it keto we will be using Konjac Four (Paleo) or Xanthan Gum. I recommend starting with 1/8 tsp and work your way up as needed (you shouldn’t need anymore than 1/2 tsp). You can find Xanthan Gum here. Not sure what Konjac Flour or Xanthan Gum is? See my list of 15 Keto Pantry Essentials.
Coq Au Vin is traditionally served with potatoes but for our Keto Coq Au Vin, a simple salad or a side of Cauliflower Mash would be a great addition.
Low Carb Coq Au Vin (Keto Friendly)
Equipment
- Large Dutch Oven
Ingredients
- 6 Bone-in Chicken Legs Alternative: 4 skin-on chicken leg quarter.
- 750 ml Dry Red Wine
- 1/4 cup Brandy
- 3 Springs of Thyme
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 Bunch of Fresh Parsley
- 225 grams Bacon Approx. 6-8 pieces. Cubed.
- 200 grams Cremini Mushrooms Sliced.
- 200 grams Cremini Mushrooms Quartered.
- 5 Garlic Cloves Minced.
- 2 tbsp Tomato Paste
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 100 grams White Onion Diced.
- 200 grams Pearl Onions
- 100 grams Carrot Optional. Diced.
- 1/4 tsp Konjac Flour or Xanthan Gum Thickener. Start with 1/8 tsp and work your way up as needed. You shouldn't need anymore than 1/2 tsp.
- 1/4 cup Fresh Parsley Garnish.
- powdered stevia or any low carb sweetener A pinch.
- Pepper To Taste.
- Salt To Taste.
Instructions
- Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to a deep bowl.
- Add the bouquet garni to the bowl with the chicken and pour in the red wine. The wine should completely cover the chicken. Cover and marinate overnight.
- Add the chopped bacon to a large Dutch oven, while bringing the heat up slowly to render out the fat. Cook for approx. 15 minutes until the bacon is nice and crispy.
- Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and transfer to a paper towel. Leave the excess fat in the pot.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and thoroughly dry the chicken with paper towel. NOTE: Don't discard the wine.
- With the remaining bacon fat, increase to high heat and place chicken in the hot skillet until nicely browned. About 3-4 minutes per side. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. NOTE: Work in batches. Be careful not to over crowd the pot, otherwise you won't get a nice sear on the chicken.
- Lower the pot to medium-high heat. Add 200g of the sliced mushrooms, 100g diced white onion, minced garlic cloves, and 100g of the diced carrots (optional) to the pot and cook until the vegetables are softened. About 10 minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes.
- Pour brandy into the pot and deglaze the pan by scraping up the brown bits to reincorporate them into the sauce. Cook until liquid has evaporated, approx. 2 minutes.
- Add the wine, including the bouquet garni back into the pot. Stir to incorporate and bring the wine to a boil. Cook until wine has reduced by half, approx. 15 minutes.
- Sprinkle the thickener to the pot (xanthan gum or konjac flour) and stir to combine. Start with1/8 tsp and work your way up as needed. You shouldn't need anymore than 1/2 tsp. If needed , slowly add more thickener throughout the cooking process. Being careful not to add too much to the stew.
- Add the chicken and half the bacon back to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 1 hour until the chicken has cooked and the sauce has thickened.
- While the stew is simmering, heat olive oil and butter in a large nonstick pan. Add the pearl onions and sweetener. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 15 minutes, shaking the skillet often to move the onions.
- Add 200g of the quartered mushrooms to the pan with the pearl onions. Cook for approx. 7 minutes until softened.
- Once the stew has simmered for an hour, add the quartered mushrooms and pearl onions to the Coq Au Vin. Sprinkle on fresh parsley and remaining cooked bacon.
- Serve with a simple salad or cauliflower mash. Enjoy!
Notes
6 Servings 524 Calories / Serving 10.8 Carbs 2.4 Fiber Net Carbs: 8.4g / Serving Nutrition Information (Without Carrots):
6 Servings 517 Calories / Serving 9.1 Carbs 1.9 Fiber Net Carbs: 7.5g / Serving
Have you attempted to make this Keto Coq Au Vin? I’d love to hear your thoughts and comments below. Let me know if there are any other classic French recipes that I should try to make keto friendly!
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