50+ Best Side Dish Recipes To Serve With Coq Au Vin

Here are 50+ best side dish recipes to serve with coq au vin along with garnishes and traditional accompaniments for this great chicken stew recipe. Choose from classic French pairings, easy, tasty appetizers, colorful veggies sides and the essential baguette or rustic bread.

Made famous by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin, coq au vin is an indulgent yet simple meal of chicken stewed in wine along with lardons (bacon bits), mushrooms, and pearl onions.

Long simmered in a large Dutch oven (or slow cooker) with chicken stock and tomato paste, it develops great depth of flavor. The long braising process yields meltingly tender chicken meat and a rich gravy. It can be made with the classic red wine but many recipes use white wine so choose your favorite.

Garnishes

While this stew has enough going on to stand on it's own, a good garnish is always a nice touch to add another layer of flavor and texture. Try one of these along with crusty French bread for an elevated, special meal.

1. Sour cream or creme fraiche
2. Golden fried mushrooms or sautéed pearl onions
3. Parsley
4. Gremolata, a mixture of herbs, garlic, lemon zest and capers chopped together is lovely. Try this Gremolata in my bean recipe for a perfect punch of extra flavor.
5. Crunchy sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper at the table
6. Extra crispy cooked bacon bits or lardons
7. Croutons

Salad

A simple green salad of leafy greens or frisèe is what you'll find in France. Tossed with a classic vinaigrette, the crisp acidity pairs well with a hearty French stew of chicken. Below are some more great salads that will compliment your meal well.

Easy Arugula Spinach Salad With Quick Pickled Onions

A light and crisp salad with quick pickled slivers of red onion is an elegant and simple choice to pair with the rich flavor of coq au vin.

Arugula Spinach Salad

Greek Spinach Salad With Feta + Fresh Lemon Dressing

Lots of crunchy veg tossed with briny feta makes a great side dish with stewed chicken in delicious sauce.

Greek Spinach Salad

Garden Salad With Orange Vinaigrette

A perfect salad that uses whatever is fresh and seasonal from the garden. Use any mix of lettuce and greens along with fresh spring peas, radishes or tomatoes.

Garden Salad

Green Goddess Salad

This green goddess salad mixes chopped iceberg lettuce, baby spinach, and arugula with cucumber and green onions in an insanely delicious green goddess dressing.

Green Goddess Salad

Fresh Homemade Coleslaw

This fresh homemade coleslaw is quick and easy to make and tastes delicious, crisp and refreshing! It's a great side dish that holds well.

Coleslaw

Roasted Beet Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette

This roasted beet salad with goat cheese and nuts gets drizzled with honey balsamic vinaigrette. A great salad when you want something a little heartier for a special occasion.

Roasted Beet Salad

Potatoes

The top choices in French cuisine are potatoes and there are so many tasty ways to cook them. Here are the top 6 choices to pair with the classic French dish plus a few more tasty ideas below.

1. Pommes de terre à l'anglaise - English potatoes are simple boiled potatoes. A fancy name for a humble and easy side dish, make this when you can get sweet new potatoes.
2. Pomme puree - Like the name implies, these are your classic mashed potatoes. French recipes contain a lot of butter (yum) but there are other renditions to try too.
3. Pommes de terre fondantes - Fondant potatoes are crispy fried potatoes, often in a round shape, finished with butter and herbs like fresh thyme and parsley.
4. Pommes de terre parmentier - Pre cooked, cubed, fried potatoes. Similar to home fries.
5. French fries or Frites - Less common but a bistro classic side that brings a casual vibe to your traditional coq au vin recipe.
6. Au gratin - There are many styles of potato casseroles and they are similar to scalloped potatoes. French Dauphinoise are topped with cheese and a tartiflette includes bacon and onions.

Homemade French Fries

Craving restaurant-style french fries? French bistros often serve main courses with pommes frites. This French fry recipe ensures a deliciously crispy outside with a soft, tasty inside. Dip them into the cabernet sauvignon enriched gravy and enjoy.

Homemade French Fries

French Mashed Potatoes aka Paris Mash

This French mashed potatoes recipe was provided by French-born Chef Guillaume Brahimi and it can be also be found in his cookbook Guillaume: Food for Friends.

Mashed Potatoes

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

A popular twist on classic mashed potatoes, adding a little garlic brings lots of extra savory flavor. An easy to make, family-favorite recipe.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Boursin Mashed Potatoes

Boursin mashed potatoes are full of creamy, cheesy, herb flavors from Boursin cheese, Greek yogurt, and a crunchy Parmesan breadcrumb topping

Boursin Mashed Potatoes

Hasselback Potatoes

A fun and easy way to flavor up baked potatoes.

Hasselback Potatoes

Loaded Potato Skins

Easy and delicious potato skins recipe, these can be served as an appetizer before the whole chicken stew or serve them alongside.

Potato Skins

Healthy Oven Roasted Rutabaga Fries

Crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside, these oven-roasted rutabaga fries are seasoned with garlic and herbs for a flavourful, healthy side dish. These are a tasty and unexpected alternative to regular French fries. If you leave them long, they look very elegant plated alongside fancy chicken stew and a glass of pinot noir.

Oven Roasted Rutabaga Fries

Mashed Cauliflower

Mashed cauliflower is so creamy and delicious! A healthier alternative to mashed potatoes, it pairs perfectly with the main course.

Mashed Cauliflower

Vegetable Side Dishes

Sautéed wild mushrooms, haricots vert, roasted root vegetables, sweet butternut squash and pleasantly bitter brussels sprouts are just a few of the great veggie side dishes that make a great meal. French classic coq au vin goes best with simple vegetable preparations that really let the bone-in chicken shine.

Smothered Green Beans

Haricot vert but make it extra! Smothered green beans with bacon is a side dish with tons of flavor! All you need is 6 ingredients and a few minutes of prep time.

Smothered Green Beans

Mediterranean Roasted Vegetables

Mediterranean roasted vegetables burst with the sweet flavors that happen when you roast vegetables. An easy sheet pan side dish seasoned with oregano, thyme and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Roasted Vegetables

Easy Sautéed Fiddlehead Recipe With Garlic And Ginger

If you're making coq au vin in the spring, seek out these special spring vegetables for a crisp green that's most similar to asparagus but sweeter. This easy sauté highlights their freshness.

Garlic Ginger Fiddleheads

Garlic Fried Oyster Mushrooms

These mushrooms fry up golden brown and delicious with garlic and herbs. Oyster mushrooms have a meaty texture that holds up well to the dark meat of an old rooster in coq au vin.

Fried Oyster Mushrooms

Easy Teriyaki Mushrooms (10 Minutes)

Teriyaki sautéed mushrooms are coated in a sweet and savory sauce. An easy side dish with big flavor that is on the dinner table in 10 minutes. Serve them beside or over top of your braised chicken stew recipe.

Easy Teriyaki Mushrooms

Sautéed Leeks and Peas

Leeks and peas are both French favorites. Sweet and delicious, sautéed leeks and peas are a great way to enjoy extra veggies, especially in spring when they are at their sweetest. Easy to make, ready in 15 minutes.

Sautéed Leeks and Peas

Prosciutto Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles

Impress your dinner guests with these delicious prosciutto asparagus puff pastry bundles. They are easy to make and pair particularly well with lighter versions of coq au vin made with sauvignon blanc or other white wine instead of red.

Asparagus Puff Pastry Bundles

Easy Oven Roasted Asparagus

This ultra-easy oven roasted asparagus has a simple technique for HUGE flavor with almost no effort!

Oven Roasted Asparagus

Asparagus with Dijon Mustard

The delicious earthiness of asparagus is perfectly matched with the spiced umami hit of Dijon mustard. This is a perfect side dish for a spring chicken stew.

Asparagus with Dijon Mustard

Easy Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Parmesan roasted cauliflower recipe is quick and easy and a great way to level up this humble vegetable. A particularly good side dish for fall and winter.

Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower

Roasted Potatoes Sweet Potatoes and Carrots

This medley of roasted potatoes, sweet potatoes and carrots is a delicious healthy side dish, and contains 2 portions of veg.

Roasted Root Veg

Sweet Potato Wedges

These healthy sweet potato wedges are so easy to make in the air fryer. A crispy and sweet side dish to pair with a rich and delish main course.

Sweet Potato Wedges

Sautéed Rapini (Broccoli Rabe with Garlic)

Sautéed rapini with garlic is a signature Italian-American green leafy vegetable that has bitter notes and a distinct flavor–a nutritional powerhouse. It makes a sophisticated side dish for special occasions.

Sautéed Rapini

Oven Roasted Carrots

Roasted carrots are sweet with a touch of savory from herbs & spices. A traditional pairing with many stews, including Julia Child's coq au vin of course!

Oven Roasted Carrots

Mashed Rutabaga

This simple mashed rutabaga recipe is buttery, bright, and comforting! With just 3 ingredients this side dish is so easy to make and well at home with braised poultry.

Mashed Rutabaga

Rice, Noodles, Spaetzle + More

Creamy polenta, egg noodles, rice are alternatives to potatoes, that compliment the rich red wine sauce and tender chicken in French chicken stew. These sides all pair with the darker but similar beef bourguignon, another traditional recipe featuring meat stewed in red or white wine.

Soft Polenta

Polenta is a great alternative to pasta, rice and potatoes and goes well with stewed chicken or rabbit. It is creamy and warm and soaks up sauce nicely.

Soft Polenta

Authentic German Spaetzle (Easy)

Spaetzle is one of Germany’s most beloved dishes. It has the texture of a tender noodle but spaetzle doesn't require any of the kneading or rolling like Italian-style pasta. This is the original recipe for traditional German spaetzle and it is easy, foolproof, and authentic.

Spaetzle

Green Herbed Rice

Add a pop of color with vibrant green rice, a perfect blend of fresh greens and aromatic spices. Serve chicken thighs and white meat pieces over top of this vibrant rice for a perfect meal.

Green Rice

Chicken Bouillon Rice

A simple recipe with delicious flavor, cook up rice in chicken broth for a fluffy and tasty rice with so much flavor.

Chicken Bouillon Rice

Buttered Basmati Rice

Plain fluffy rice with buttery flavor is amongst the best side dishes that let the main course remain the star of the show. Also a favorite with picky eaters 😉

Buttered Basmati Rice

Buckwheat Groats

To cook buckwheat is easy. Delicious, fluffy buckwheat on the stove, in rice cooker, or in a pressure cooker makes a great, gluten-free side dish full of flavor and fiber.

Buckwheat Groats

Crusty Bread

It would not be a proper French meal without crusty bread to sop up the delicious coq au vin sauce. A classic French baguette goes without saying but other tasty homemade biscuits, loaves and breads make perfect pairings too. Here are a few for inspiration or jump right to my favorite easy, no-knead bread.

Easiest French Bread Recipe

This bread recipe is GOLD. It’s made in the food processor, there’s no kneading at all, has a crackly crust, and soft creamy crumb.

French Baguette

Easy Garlic Crostini With Olive Oil

A flavorful easy garlic crostini recipe, featuring crisp bread slices infused with aromatic garlic and rich olive oil and toasted until golden brown.

Garlic Crostini

Homemade Biscuits

Biscuits are the easiest way to put homemade bread on the table for any meal. They are buttery and delicious -- crisp tops and bottoms -- soft, tender and pair well with the delicious gravy in coq au vin.

Biscuits

Buckwheat Sourdough Bread

A hearty peasant loaf of bread with a great crumb, it stands up well to the big bold flavors of wine braised chicken. Leftover bread keeps well through the week.

Buckwheat Sourdough

Rosemary Garlic Bread

Rosemary garlic bread is a rustic bread recipe that’s bursting with savory garlic flavor and so easy to make! No bread maker required!

Rosemary Garlic Bread

More Chicken Recipes To Try

Love chicken? Try some of these great chicken recipes from quick stir fries and pasta to slow cooked soups and stews with so much flavor.

If you have any questions or comments, you can find me on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook. I try to answer any recipe related questions quickly as I know you might be in the middle of making it.

Also check out my FREE PRINTABLE meal planner to make menu planning and grocery shopping a breeze and my shopping guide. And if you like this recipe, I would love it if you give it a star rating in the recipe card.

Cheers and happy cooking, Friends! Sabrina

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