Hey Frugal Friends! This is Coq au Riesling – Chicken with White Wine. It’s a dish that masquerades around looking (and sounding) all gourmet. It’s all smoke and mirrors, along with a handful of ingredients (and a little wine!) It’s a fave at our house, and I hope it will be at yours, too!
Coq au Riesling – Chicken with White Wine
There’s nothing to making the dish. It’s not any more complicated to make than any old toss on the table weeknight dinner – but the payoff is so much more. Best of all, it’s under 30 minutes!
About Coq au Riesling – Chicken with White Wine:
This Coq au Riesling is chicken (thighs work much better than breast) sauteed with a few onions and mushrooms. What takes it next level is a dousing of wine and a touch of cream. Once added to the dish, they make a luxurious sauce.
This dish is scrumptious. It couldn’t be more perfect for a night-in celebratory dinner with family and friends; it’s a killer company dish. It’s easy to increase; just use a larger pan.
The sheer genius of this recipe is that it is perfect for a new cook or a more experienced one. It stands as a reminder that a fabulous meal can come from a few simple ingredients when they’re treated with care.
When the compliments roll in (and they will -you’re gonna be a rock-star), there’s no need to explain how easy it is to make; just smile and say “thanks!
Serving:
Coq au Riesling – Chicken with White Wine is best served over something that highlights the sauce. I’m voting for mashed potatoes. If you choose, it would be good with an egg noodle instead.
Here are links to my two fave mashed potato reicpes, Best Company Mashed Potatoes and Perfect Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.
Add a simple green salad and/or a green veggie: green beans, broccoli, or broccolini would be good. What you’re looking for is something that would contrast with the chicken and sauce, stand out a little, and still taste great if everything mingles together.
A little bread, maybe a dinner roll, a baguette or two, or even better, my easy, overnight Crusty Bread would be a great addition to the dinner.
Crusty Bread
Making the Coq au Riesling:
This dish takes 20 to 25 minutes. There’s a minimum of chopping and no ingredients that can’t be picked up easily at the store these days. That is, unless you’re underage or your state doesn’t allow wine to be sold at a grocery.
Three simple things improve the look of the dish with very little effort.
- One is to tuck the chicken thighs into a somewhat tidy roll (not too tight) if using boneless, so they don’t splay out; secure with a toothpick.
- The second is to quarter the mushrooms rather than slicing them.
- The last is to garnish with a bit of herb for color; parsley is the most commonly used, and chives are awesome too.
Bone-in chicken thighs, either skin-on or skinless, take just a few minutes longer to cook. If needed, a touch of water (a tablespoon or two) can be added to compensate for the longer cooking time.
Storing:
Store the dish in the fridge in an airtight container for up to four days. When reheating, it’s best to separate the chicken from the sauce. The chicken takes more time to heat through than the sauce. Reheat the sauce gently over low heat and stir often to avoid breaking and separating.
Do not freeze this dish; the sauce and the mushrooms will be compromised.
Coq au Riesling – Chicken with White Wine
Saving Money on Coq au Riesling – Chicken with White Wine:
This recipe is a perfect example of Gourmet on a Budget, especially if care is taken when shopping for the ingredients. Timing is key; plan to make around sals will significantly lower the price.
Several items are at rock bottom before holidays; if you’d like to see what might be on sale before any major holiday, check out my post, Win at the Grocers.
Chicken Parts:
- In order of pricing, on-sale boneless, skinless thighs are the best value, boneless, skinless breast, next. Sale priced Bone-In breasts are a better value than Bone-In thighs. Bones can be used for stock, but aren’t “free.”
- At the grocery, chicken drops to a low about once a quarter. Take advantage, stock up, and freeze in portions your family will use.
- As a general rule, rock-bottom grocery store sale prices are better than those at discount stores like Aldi and Lidl or your buyer’s clubs, but the discount stores have frequent sales, too.
Mushrooms:
- Watch sales, especially before holidays. Discount store’s everyday pricing rivals grocery stores’ best sales. Buyers’ clubs may not be cheapest, but the quality is outstanding.
- The bargain is the button; its nutritional value is nearly identical to its pricier cousins.
- Whole mushrooms keep better. Poke or cut several holes in the package and wrap; place upside down in the fridge.
Wine:
- Sign up for emails, watch flyers, and shop the sales, including the bargain bins. There are two major sales in the industry, fall and spring. Stock up. Additional discounts usually apply when buying in bulk; if not offered, ask.
- Talk to the wine person, consultant, guide, or sommelier. A good one will ask your price range, what you’re making, and direct you to options you may not have thought of or known about.
- Cooking is an ideal way to use a partial bottle; store in a small, airtight jar until needed.
- Riesling is a wine that can easily be found at a bargain; look for a dry rather than a sweet one. Almost any white wine will do as a substitute, but the taste of the dish will vary.
Cream:
- Cream is always cheaper at discount groceries like Aldi & Lidl. Their everyday price beats out the buyer’s club and the best grocery store holiday sales price.
- Cream keeps for weeks, so if the standard grocery is the only option, get in the habit of picking up at a low price before holidays.
I hope you enjoy Coq au Riesling – Chicken with White Wine as much as we have over the years. I think it’s proof that everything old can be new again!
Mollie
Coq au Riesling – Chicken with White Wine
Coq au Riesling – Chicken with White Wine
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 8 servings 1x
- Category: main dish chicken
- Cuisine: French
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 4 to 8 bone-in or boneless chicken thighs
- 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 1/4 cups Riesling (or white wine of your choice)
- 1/4 cup cream or creme fraiche
- salt & pepper to taste
- handful chopped parsley
Instructions
Heat butter and olive oil together in a skillet. Sprinkle chicken, both sides, with salt and pepper. Add chicken, skin side down if bone-in, smooth side down if boneless, and brown until golden and, if bone-in, until the skin is crisp. Turn and cook for several minutes until some of the juices release and the chicken is partially browned on the bottom side. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the onions and cook for several minutes, until the juices have thickened and the onions are starting to pick up a hint of color. Add the mushrooms and 1/4 cup of water, cover, and cook for several minutes until they turn golden, checking and stirring now and then. Remove the lid, let the water evaporate, and continue cooking, stirring often, until the mushrooms are deep golden brown.
Pour in the wine and allow to come up to a boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and add the chicken, skin (or smooth) side up. Simmer for about 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- If desired, turn the chicken over to coat with the sauce, turn it back right side up, and set it aside on a platter.
- Alternatively, in order to preserve the crispy chicken skin, it can be set on the platter as is.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the cream or creme fraiche to the pan, stirring it in gently. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. If the sauce seems too thick, a add a touch of water to thin it to desired consistency. If it seems to thin, gently heat, stirring often, to thicken. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Pour sauce over chicken as serving and garnish with chopped parsley
Nutrition:
2 thighs and 1/4 of mushrooms & sauce: Calories 261; Total Fat 17 g 26 %; Saturated Fat 7 g 34 %; Monounsaturated Fat 7 g; Polyunsaturated Fat 1 g; Trans Fat 0 g; Cholesterol 66 mg 22 %; Sodium 199 mg 8 %; Potassium 340 mg 10 %; Total Carbohydrate 6 g 2 %; Dietary Fiber 1 g 4 %; Sugars 2 g; Protein 12 g 24 %; Vitamin A 19 %; Vitamin C 5 %; Calcium 1 %; Iron 5 %
12 thoughts on “Coq au Riesling – Chicken with White Wine”