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Enjoy a classic French Coq au Vin made for one. Tender chicken cooks in a rich red wine sauce with bacon, mushrooms, onions, and carrots, all in one pan in just 30 minutes. This easy, flavorful recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a special meal at home.
Featured Comment
Absolutely amazing!… This recipe was the best! My husband loved it!…
– Janet
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy to Make: Simple steps for a restaurant-quality meal at home.
- Everyday Ingredients: Uses pantry staples and common grocery items.
- Rich, Deep Flavor: Tender chicken in a savory wine sauce with bacon and vegetables.
- Perfect Portion: Made for one, with the option to double for two.
Coq au Vin, which means “rooster in wine,” is a classic French dish that was traditionally made with tougher cuts of meat slowly braised until tender. Julia Child made it famous, and for good reason. It is rich, flavorful, and feels like something you’d find in a French bistro.
My single serving version keeps all the charm of the original but simplifies the process so you can enjoy tender chicken, mushrooms, onions, and carrots in a deeply flavorful red wine sauce without spending hours in the kitchen.
Pair this coq au vin with single serving sides like mashed potatoes for one, small batch white rice, small loaf of french bread, or butter swim biscuits.
Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this small batch coq au vin recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder.
- Bacon: 2 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped into 1/4-inch wide, 1-inch long strips (lardons). Adds rich, smoky flavor. Use leftovers in German potato salad for one, cauliflower casserole for one, or zuppa toscana for one.
- Vegetables: Onion, carrot, mushrooms, and garlic add flavor and texture. Great in a pork stir fry if you have extras.
- Chicken: 5–6 ounces boneless, skinless breast or thigh, cut into 1-inch pieces. For bone-in, skin-on, cook about 40 minutes and check for 165°F. Use extra chicken in chicken shawarma for one, chicken marsala for one, chicken cordon bleu for one, or chicken nuggets for one.
- Red Wine: Burgundy, Beaujolais, or Pinot Noir. Choose one you enjoy drinking. Use leftovers in mushroom pasta for one, French onion soup for one or red wine sangria.
- Chicken Broth: Low-sodium broth controls saltiness. Use leftovers in single serving soup recipes like split pea soup for one and lasagna soup for one.
- Flour and Butter: Mix all-purpose flour with softened salted butter to make a beurre manié. Thickens the stew smoothly without clumps.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Recipe Variations
You can easily adapt this single serving coq au vin to suit your taste:
- Creamy: Add a splash of cream for a richer sauce.
- Spicy: Sprinkle in red pepper flakes for heat.
- Herb-Infused: Use fresh rosemary or tarragon instead of thyme.
- Alcohol-Free: Replace wine with grape juice, cranberry juice, or chicken broth plus a splash of balsamic vinegar for acidity.
How To Make Coq Au Vin
Follow these photos and steps to see how to make single serving coq au vin. Ingredient amounts and full details are in the recipe card below.
- Cook the Bacon and Vegetables: In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon, onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp and vegetables are softened.
- Add Aromatics: Stir in garlic, thyme, and tomato paste. Cook 30 seconds.
- Sear the Chicken: Add chicken pieces and cook 6 minutes total, flipping halfway. The chicken will finish cooking as it simmers.
- Simmer: Add chicken broth, wine, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 18–20 minutes, until liquid reduces and flavors deepen.
- Make the Thickener: In a small bowl, mix softened butter and flour into a paste (beurre manié).
- Thicken the Sauce: Stir the paste into the skillet and simmer 5 minutes, until sauce thickens. Remove bay leaf.
Transfer to a bowl. Enjoy as is, or serve with mashed potatoes for one, buttered noodles, or baked white rice.
Expert Tips
- Read First: This recipe cooks quickly. Review the recipe and ingredient notes, and prep everything before you start.
- Choose the Wine: Use a red wine you enjoy. For a milder flavor, swap half with chicken broth.
- Sear the Chicken: Browning in bacon drippings adds flavor and keeps the meat tender.
- Thicken Properly: Mix butter and flour thoroughly for a smooth, lump-free sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Coq au Vin is a classic French dish that translates to “rooster in wine.” It’s made by simmering chicken in red wine with vegetables, bacon, and herbs to create a rich, flavorful stew.
A dry red wine like Burgundy, Pinot Noir, or Beaujolais works best. Choose a wine you enjoy drinking, as its flavor will be noticeable in the sauce.
Yes. Replace the wine with chicken broth or a mix of broth and grape or cranberry juice. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar for acidity.
For this single serving version, the cook time is about 30–35 minutes from start to finish.
Yes, you can easily double the ingredients to serve two people. Use a slightly larger pan to ensure everything cooks evenly.
Ways To Use Leftover Ingredients
If you have any ingredients leftover from this recipe, check out our Leftover Ingredients Recipe Finder or you might like to consider using them in any of these single serving and small batch recipes:
If you’ve tried this easy coq au vin recipe or any recipe on One Dish Kitchen please let me know how you liked it by rating the recipe and telling me about it in the comment section below.
If you take a picture please tag us on Instagram (@onedishkitchen) we’d love to see it!
Coq Au Vin For One
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 slices thick-cut bacon -cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¼ cup chopped onions
- 1 medium carrot -peeled and cut into ½-inch pieces
- ¼ cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 clove garlic -minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 (5-ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast -cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 1 bay leaf
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon salted butter -softened
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
Instructions
- In a 10-inch skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add bacon, onions, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until bacon is crisp and vegetables are softened.
- Stir in garlic, thyme, and tomato paste. Cook 30 seconds.
- Add chicken pieces and cook 6 minutes total, flipping halfway. The chicken will finish cooking as it simmers.
- Add chicken broth, wine, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 18–20 minutes, until liquid reduces and flavors deepen.
- In a small bowl, mix softened butter and flour into a paste (beurre manié).
- Stir the paste into the skillet and simmer 5 minutes, until sauce thickens. Remove bay leaf.
- Serve: Transfer to a bowl and enjoy it on its own, or serve it with buttered potatoes, pasta, or rice.
Notes
- Read First: This recipe cooks quickly. Review the recipe and ingredient notes, and prep everything before you start.
- Choose the Wine: Use a red wine you enjoy. For a milder flavor, swap half with chicken broth.
- Sear the Chicken: Browning in bacon drippings adds flavor and keeps the meat tender.
- Thicken Properly: Mix butter and flour thoroughly for a smooth, lump-free sauce.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Joanie, you’re spoiling me with your wonderful recipes. This was absolutely delicious. I normally don’t care for French dishes because all you can taste is the sauce that they used to use to hide the rancid meat before Refrigeration. In this dish the chicken and the vegetables absorbed and were infused with the flavor of the wine sauce without being overpowered. I will definitely make this again. Next time I will saute the bacon first to get it’s crispy and then set it aside while I Brown the chicken in the bacon grease. Setting that aside I’ll follow the recipe with all the veggies. Thank you for a great tasting recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I love hearing how you plan to make it next time, crisping the bacon first and using the drippings for the chicken sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing your experience with me, it makes me so happy to know this one will be on repeat in your kitchen.
I don’t drink wine but my husband likes cabernet sauvignon so that’s what I used and served over garlic toast. This was fantastic. Will forever be on rotation. Hubbie’s happy about that.
I love hearing this! Cabernet Sauvignon is a great choice, and serving it over garlic toast sounds absolutely delicious. I’m so glad it was a hit and made it into your regular rotation—especially with your husband’s seal of approval! Thank you for sharing!
This was a great recipe. The only change I made was to leave out the salt. Everything came together quickly. It made enough for two if you added a salad to the meal. I’ll be making this again soon.
Absolutely amazing! I’ve always wanted to try this dish but to be honest my cooking skills aren’t the best. This recipe was the best! My husband loved it! Can’t wait to try some more of these recipes! Thank you for sharing.
This is a great recipe. I am not a big wine drinker, but use the entire cup of wine. It gives the recipe is great taste and does not over power the dish.
Thank you Joanie – love it.
Yum!! I always thought this would be to fussy if a recipe to make but you broke it down perfectly. Thank you!
Made this for supper tonight. It was so so good!! I don’t drink wine but like to cook with it so I appreciate you listed which ones worked well. I chose the Pinot Noir and I had thighs so used those instead of breast. I had over rice and it was wonderful! Definitely making this again, and again, and again!
Terrific recipe. This is very tasty.