Instant Pot Coq au vin without wine
For a family friendly twist on a classic, this Chicken coq au vin is made in the Instant Pot without wine and alcohol.
Main Ingredients:
 | Fresh or frozen boneless chicken |
 | Fresh or frozen white mushrooms (cremini), bella mushrooms or oyster mushrooms. |
 | Chopped or sliced white onion is preferable. |
 | Chopped fresh or frozen carrots |
 | Chopped fresh or frozen celery |
 | (Optional) Bacon, chopped pieces to add a ton of flavor. |
 | (Optional) Potatoes, if you want to make it a one dish meal. |
 | (Optional) Spinach for that extra dose of vegetables |
Spices and flavoring ingredients:
 | Garlic powder or crushed garlic cloves |
 | Parsley |
 | Thyme |
 | Bay leaf |
 | Chicken liquid stock or chicken cube stock in water |
 | Pinch of salt and pepper |
Accents for the sauce:
 | Abricot, peach or pear juice for a touch of sweetness |
 | Apple cider vinegar |
 | Butter to sear the bacon |
 | Flour to thicken the sauce |
In France, legend has it that the coq au vin dates back to the time when Julius Caesar and the Romans had invaded France.
A slow-cooked old chicken for hours in a luscious wine sauce to bring out the flavors. It is quite similar to the beef bourguignon recipe which also is slow-cooked for hours to tenderize the meat.
With the Instant pot however, this is an easy international recipe to launch even on a weeknight, while enjoying time with family and friends. You can even make it in advance the night before and keep it in the fridge. A coq au vin always tastes better the next day!
Cooking without wine
Coq au Vin in French translates literally to “Chicken in Wine”. The traditional recipe includes 1/3 cup of wine and 1/4 cup of cognac.
The theory is that the alcohol should cook off in the cooking process. However, if you want to avoid alcohol, I’m going to replace it with fruit juice and a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar.
Cooking tips
- Chicken thighs and legs are preferable in a coq au vin since they have more flavor when slow cooked or pressure cooked. But boneless chicken is easier to serve, so you can use either.
- Frozen ingredients are fine in a coq au vin because the Instant pot automatically increases the heating time. The dish is traditionally slow-cooked for hours, so letting the juices meld together longer will only made the dish better.
- Coq au vin typically uses a bouquet garni, which is usually a range of herbs that you have at home. If you don’t have a bay leaf for example, you can substitute and compensate with other herbs.
- Since this recipe has no alcohol, apple cider vinegar adds that touch of flavor for the sauce. The coq au vin will be too sweet if you skip this step.
- While the bacon or pancetta is optional, it adds a lot of flavor to the dish. You can also use ham or sausages, if you wish.
- Celery and carrots are traditional ingredients in a French coq au vin, but don’t hesitate to throw in other vegetables like spinach, potatoes, etc.
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Instant Pot Coq au vin without wine
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 pounds of chicken (approx. 8 pieces of thigh and leg)
- 1 cup of sliced white or button mushrooms
- 1 onion chopped up
- 1 carrot sliced
- 1 chopped celery stick
- 2 tablespoons of butter
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- 1 cup tomato sauce or 1/2 cup tomato paste
- 6 strips of bacon sliced into small pieces (optional)
- 6-8 baby potatoes (optional)
- 2 cups of fresh spinach (optional)
Herbs and spices
- 1 garlic clove chopped up
- 4 sprigs of parsley
- 4 sprigs of thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cubes of chicken stock bouillon mixed into 2 cups of water
- 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup of abricot, peach or pear juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add the bacon and butter in the Instant pot and sauté for about 5 minutes. (optional).
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the flour), and set the Instant Pot to High Pressure for 45 minutes.
- Once the countdown has finished, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Mix in the flour with a tablespoon of water to make a slurry. Add the slurry to the Instant Pot.
- Press the Sauté button again for 5 minutes to let the sauce thicken.
- Let the Coq au vin rest for 10 minutes on the Keep Warm function.
- Taste to add salt and pepper if necessary.
- Serve while warm.
Nutrition
Please note: We are not certified nutritionists and these estimates written and produced for entertainment purposes only.
What to serve with it?
The traditional French accompaniment with Coq au vin is mashed potatoes or tagliatelle pasta. And there are many other possibilities as well such as white rice, polenta, or even bulgur.
But my favorite is long-grain brown rice. It is drier and less sweet than some other accompanying dishes, and so I find it goes really well. (I usually have my rice cooker going at the same time.)
How to store it?
This is one of those recipes that tastes better the next day. You can easily put aside portions in a sealed container and put it in the freezer.
