Coq au vin is a French dish that literally translates to “chicken in wine,” which is a pretty accurate description. This keto coq au vin recipe is almost identical to the original but swaps out flour and butter with chicken broth and tomato paste to lower the carb count.
While this keto coq au vin recipe does skip the butter and flour to keep it low carb, it does use red wine.
Which Red Wines Are Keto?
Red wine might not sound like a keto option, but it’s totally OK to drink wine in moderation on the keto diet, which includes cooking with it. The keto diet is all about limiting your carb intake, so you want to choose a red wine that is lower in carbs.
Most red wine bottles won’t have nutritional information listed — it’s not required and takes away from the bottle design — but as a general rule, you want to look for dryer wines. A wine with a dry taste indicates that it’s lower in residual sugar. Another way is to look at the alcohol by volume — the higher it is, the drier it is. Look for dry red wines that have at least 13 percent alcohol.
Coq au vin is traditionally made with Burgundy wine. Luckily, pinot noir fits this bill with only 3.4 grams of carbohydrates per 5-ounce serving, but you can use other reds if you prefer, like:
- Merlot (3.7 grams of carbs per serving)
- Cabernet Sauvignon (3.8 grams)
- Zinfandel (4.2 grams)
How to Make Keto Coq au Vin
This keto coq au vin recipe takes the classic dish and gives it a low-carb twist, making it the perfect keto-friendly meal.
The classic French dish used to take hours — or even days — to make because chefs used the tough meat from roosters (yes, seriously!). Luckily, the chicken thighs and legs we eat today are much, much more tender, so you can go from prep to table in less than two hours (though there’s no harm in letting it simmer for longer if you have the time).
This keto version of coq au vin also swaps out the carb-heavy flour for chicken broth and tomato paste, and it skips some of the traditional vegetables like pearl onions (you can always add in if you’d like).
The meal doesn’t skimp on taste, though: The dish includes plenty of mushrooms and garlic, along with fresh thyme and bay leaves to add a flavor blast.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you cook keto coq au vin in the slow cooker instead of the oven?
Crock-pots are a lifesaver for busy days, but they’re not typically associated with coq au vin, but they should be since the whole purpose is to cook food low and slow.
So you’re in luck if you’d rather let your keto coq au vin simmer in the slow cooker for a few hours. Simply follow the recipe, and put the chicken, bacon, and the rest of the ingredients into the Crock-Pot after sauteeing.
What can I serve with keto coq au vin?
While coq au vin is often served with hefty helpings of potatoes, you can serve your low-carb version with any low-carb vegetables you’d like (psst… roasted asparagus is amazing with this dish).
How do you thicken keto coq au vin?
Keto coq au vin skips the butter and flour and replaces it with chicken stock (broth) and tomato paste as the thickener.
