Chicken Provençal (Coq au Vin Blanc)
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Chicken provençal is a flavorful French braised chicken recipe. Seasoned chicken thighs are first seared, then braised in white wine with olives, shallots, garlic, artichoke hearts, and cherry tomatoes. It’s easy to make and perfect for meal prep, as leftovers taste amazing.
Chicken provençal is one of those dishes that feels both simple and special every time I make it. It comes from the sun-soaked region of Provence, and even though it’s a braised dish, the flavors are surprisingly light, bright, and full of life. I make it with my homemade herbs de provençe spice blend, but store-bought works just as well.
I love how versatile it is — cozy enough for a chilly evening, but just as perfect served outside on a warm summer night with a glass of wine. Salty olives, buttery-soft garlic, sweet cherry tomatoes, and marinated artichoke hearts simmer together with white wine, creating a sauce that’s rich, fragrant, and completely irresistible. It’s a lightened-up version of coq au vin, a richer-tasting French stew.
For a slightly different French chicken recipe, try my herbs de provençe chicken!
Answers to your questions
How to store leftovers: You may want to double the recipe as chicken provençal makes excellent leftovers. Store the leftovers in a covered container in your fridge for 3-4 days.
How to reheat: To reheat chicken provençal, warm it in a pan with some of the sauce.
Can chicken provençal be frozen? Yes! Chicken provençal freezes very well. Let it cool completely, then store it in portions that you’ll use in one meal. We love using these reusable Stasher freezer bags for storing all of our freezer meals.
Variations to try
- Use dry vermouth instead of the wine.
- Use red wine instead of white wine for a richer flavor.
- Add chopped potatoes to the pot for a heartier meal.
- Swap the green olives for black olives.
- Add diced bell peppers.
Serving ideas
You’re definitely going to want to serve this with something for the sauce. A thick slice of bread (like our no yeast bread) is ideal for mopping up the sauce. A few other ideas are:
- Pasta – Try tagliatelle.
- Basmati rice
- Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
- Polenta
- Garlic bread
Chicken Provençal (Coq au Vin Blanc)
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs (skin on or off, your choice)
- 2 tablespoons Herbs de Provence (san substitute Italian seasoning)
- 1 teaspoon EACH: sea salt and pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup pitted green olives
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes
- 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts
- 1 head garlic (10-12 whole peeled cloves)
- 6 medium shallots (cut in half)
- 1 cup dry white wine
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Season the chicken thighs with the Herbs de Provence, sea salt, and pepper.
- Heat the olive oil in a braising pan, high-sided skillet, or large pot over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin side up, and let them cook undisturbed for 5 minutes. Flip them over and cook them until the skin is golden, about 5 minutes more.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Turn the chicken pieces so they are skin side up. Scatter the olives, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, garlic cloves, and shallots around the chicken then pour the wine into the pot.1 cup pitted green olives, 1 cup cherry tomatoes, 1 cup marinated artichoke hearts, 1 head garlic, 6 medium shallots, 1 cup dry white wine
- Put a lid on the pot then put it into the oven to braise for 45 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
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This recipe sounds amazing. I have been meaning to make it for a while now. My hesitation is I don’t own a braiser. Is it ok to use a Dutch oven? Thanks so much.
Oh yes, a dutch oven will work great, too! 💛
This was a great success! It was delicious. I prepared it as directed,but used thighs and bone in breasts. It was easy to make and had rave reviews by my guests.
I’m so happy to hear that it was a hit! Using thighs and bone-in breasts sounds perfect — I bet it added so much flavor. Thanks for sharing your note, and I’m thrilled your guests loved it! 💛
This has become a family favorite! We use boneless/skinless thighs.
Layers of flavor & perfect with a nice crispy baguette.
That makes me so happy to hear! Boneless, skinless thighs are a fantastic choice, and I love the idea of serving it with a crispy baguette—perfect for soaking up all those layers of flavor!
Absolument magnifique! I made this (for the first time) tonight for a small, six-person French-themed dinner party and it turned out perfectly. Everyone was amazed and delighted. The recipe was followed exactly as written, and I’d not change a thing. (I removed the skin before searing.) After removing from the oven it was left to rest for about 10 minutes before serving.
I paired the dish with a cream of zucchini soup, freshly-made baguettes, and lots of white and red wine! (Re wine, I used a dry French white for braising).
Your dinner sounds fabulous – especially the homemade baguettes! What a treat!
Wow. I made this tonight! It will be in our dinner rotation for sure! We plan to have this our big family meal at the beach for 20+ people. I feel it will be a hit.
I’m thrilled that you enjoyed the recipe! I hope that everyone at your big family meal loves it too!
Delicious and nearly half the calories if you use skinless thighs, per myfitnesspals! I didn’t miss the skin at all. Great with a crusty sourdough because it’s juicy!
If I were to add potatoes when would you recommend doing so? Thanks!
You should be able to add them to the pot with the other veggies.
This was really, really, really good. I used boneless skinless thighs, everything else the same. Amazing. I’m obsessed with olives and artichokes and this checked all the boxes. So so good!
Love this recipe. I use half black, greek olives and half green olives.
This is so good and very easy to make! A keeper for sure!! I will be making this a lot!!