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Chicken pieces and mushrooms in a dark red-wine sauce served in a wide white bowl

Photo: Gerda Arendt / Wikimedia Commons · CC0 1.0

Instant Pot Family Dinners

Instant Pot French-Style Coq au Vin with Mushrooms

Chicken thighs braise in a glossy red-wine sauce with bacon, mushrooms and pearl onions, delivering weekend character on a family-night timeline.

Developed for DishGal · Updated 2026-10-09

Instant Pot Family DinnersEasy Chicken RecipesEasy Pork Recipes
Prep25 min
Cook35 min
Total80 min
Cost$3.85

Directions

  1. Season and brown the chicken

    Pat chicken very dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Select Sauté High on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Cook bacon until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes, then transfer it to a plate. Brown chicken skin-side down in two batches, 5 minutes per batch, using a little oil only if the pot is dry. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.

  2. Brown the vegetables

    Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add mushrooms and pearl onions and cook 5 minutes until spotted brown. Transfer them to the bacon plate so they keep their shape during the pressure cycle.

  3. Build a clean thin base

    Add carrot and garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste for 30 seconds, then pour in wine. Scrape every browned bit from the heating plate and simmer 3 minutes. Add 1 cup broth, thyme, bay leaf and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; scrape once more until the base is completely smooth.

  4. Layer and pressure-cook

    Set the chicken in the thin liquid, skin-side up, without stirring tomato solids underneath it. Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes; allow about 12 minutes to reach pressure.

  5. Release in two stages

    Let pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then vent the remainder in short controlled pulses, keeping hands and face away from steam. Open only after the float valve drops.

  6. Verify chicken and finish vegetables

    Check the thickest part of several thighs without touching bone; each must reach 165°F. Transfer chicken to a clean platter. Discard the bay leaf, stir mushrooms, onions and bacon into the pot, and simmer on Sauté Normal for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are tender.

  7. Thicken after pressure

    Mash butter and flour into a smooth paste. Whisk it into the simmering sauce a teaspoon at a time, adding the remaining 1/2 cup broth as needed, and cook 2 minutes until glossy. Return chicken just long enough to coat and heat through.

  8. Serve mild-first

    Taste for salt, scatter with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes or bread. Offer cracked pepper or chile flakes at the table rather than making the shared braise hot.

Why this works

Why it worksWine is reduced before pressure and joined by a full cup of thin broth over a completely deglazed base, lowering burn-warning risk.
Why it worksMushrooms and pearl onions brown first but finish after pressure, so the sauce gains savory depth without turning the vegetables to mush.
Why it worksThe flour-butter thickener goes in only after pressure; the cook phase stays fluid enough to circulate and seal correctly.

Useful kitchen gear

Tools that make this easier.

Compare the function and specifications first; skip anything your kitchen already handles well.

Paid links: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. You pay no additional cost.
Compare on Amazon6-quart electric pressure cookerThe wine-and-broth base, ten-minute cycle and two-stage release are calibrated for this common family capacity.See current options → Compare on AmazonInstant-read thermometerCheck several chicken thighs beside, but not touching, the bone and confirm each reaches 165°F.See current options → Compare on AmazonSilicone-tipped kitchen tongsTurn chicken and vegetables cleanly without scratching the inner pot during the two browning stages.See current options →

Swaps & notes

Easy swaps

  • Use skinless bone-in thighs and add 1 tablespoon oil for browning; keep the pressure time and 165°F safety check.
  • Replace wine with 3/4 cup additional chicken broth plus 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar added after pressure; the sauce will be lighter but balanced.
  • For a pork-free version, omit bacon and brown the chicken and mushrooms in 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Cook notes

  • Total time includes batch browning, wine reduction, about 12 minutes to pressurize, the 10-minute cook, a 10-minute natural release and post-pressure sauce finishing.
  • Follow the exact model manual for locking, minimum liquid and venting. Do not exceed the two-thirds line or double this recipe in a 6-quart cooker.
  • Never force the lid. If the valve sputters during the controlled release, close it, wait 2 minutes and resume in shorter pulses.
  • Chicken is safe only when multiple thighs register 165°F at their thickest points; return any under-temperature pieces for additional cooking.

Storage

Cool chicken and sauce in shallow containers within 2 hours and refrigerate up to 4 days. Reheat gently to 165°F, thinning the sauce with broth. Freeze up to 2 months; thaw overnight before reheating.

Questions

Does all the alcohol cook out?

No method guarantees zero alcohol. The wine simmers before pressure and cooks again in the sauce, but use the broth-and-vinegar swap when complete avoidance matters.

Why is the sauce thickened after pressure cooking?

Flour and other starches can settle on the heating plate and trigger a burn warning. Keeping the pressure liquid thin is safer and gives better control over the final consistency.

Can I make coq au vin ahead?

Yes. Chill it promptly, then lift off any firm surface fat and reheat gently to 165°F. The flavor deepens overnight and the sauce can be loosened with broth.

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Instant Pot French-Style Coq au Vin with Mushrooms
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1. Season and brown the chickenPat chicken very dry and season with 1 teaspoon salt and the pepper. Select Sauté High on a 6-quart electric pressure cooker. Cook bacon until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes, then transfer it to a plate. Brown chicken skin-side down in two batches, 5 minutes per batch, using a little oil only if the pot is dry. Transfer chicken to a clean plate.
2. Brown the vegetablesPour off all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add mushrooms and pearl onions and cook 5 minutes until spotted brown. Transfer them to the bacon plate so they keep their shape during the pressure cycle.
3. Build a clean thin baseAdd carrot and garlic and cook 1 minute. Stir in tomato paste for 30 seconds, then pour in wine. Scrape every browned bit from the heating plate and simmer 3 minutes. Add 1 cup broth, thyme, bay leaf and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; scrape once more until the base is completely smooth.
4. Layer and pressure-cookSet the chicken in the thin liquid, skin-side up, without stirring tomato solids underneath it. Lock the lid and cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes; allow about 12 minutes to reach pressure.
5. Release in two stagesLet pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then vent the remainder in short controlled pulses, keeping hands and face away from steam. Open only after the float valve drops.
6. Verify chicken and finish vegetablesCheck the thickest part of several thighs without touching bone; each must reach 165°F. Transfer chicken to a clean platter. Discard the bay leaf, stir mushrooms, onions and bacon into the pot, and simmer on Sauté Normal for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are tender.
7. Thicken after pressureMash butter and flour into a smooth paste. Whisk it into the simmering sauce a teaspoon at a time, adding the remaining 1/2 cup broth as needed, and cook 2 minutes until glossy. Return chicken just long enough to coat and heat through.
8. Serve mild-firstTaste for salt, scatter with parsley and serve with mashed potatoes or bread. Offer cracked pepper or chile flakes at the table rather than making the shared braise hot.