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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
Easy Coq au Vin
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.
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Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 428kcal
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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Cover and cook on medium low for 45 minutes, adding the zucchini and red pepper at the halfway point.
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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.
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Season with additional salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with the remaining bacon before serving.
Notes
Storage Information: Store the leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the stew for several months.
Nutrition Facts
Easy Coq au Vin
Amount Per Serving (1 serving = ⅙th of recipe)
Calories 428
Calories from Fat 185
% Daily Value*
Fat 20.6g32%
Saturated Fat 6.9g35%
Sodium 634mg26%
Carbohydrates 6.3g2%
Fiber 1.2g5%
Protein 36.5g73%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.