This French Poulet au Vinaigre recipe features golden chicken thighs in a creamy, tangy vinegar sauce that’s rich, velvety, and incredibly delicious. Elegant enough for entertaining but simple enough for weeknights. A cozy, restaurant-quality French chicken recipe your family will love!
Poulet au Vinaigre - Skillet Chicken Thighs with Shallots in Red Wine Vinegar Sauce
Poulet au Vinaigre is a classic French chicken dish where golden seared chicken thighs simmer in a tangy, aromatic sauce made with red wine vinegar, white wine, chicken stock, herbs, and a splash of cream. The vinegar mellows as it cooks, turning into a silky, slightly tangy, deeply flavorful sauce that tastes like something straight out of a cozy French bistro.
I became absolutely obsessed with this dish when I made a very Americanized version from a little magazine clipping I had right after getting married. It used ingredients like sour cream instead of cream and skipped the wine and tarragon, but it was still SO good. I called it "Skillet Chicken Thighs with Shallots in Red Wine Vinegar Sauce" because the clipping didn't have a title and those were the main ingredients!
After cooking it many more times over the years, and eventually learning the more traditional French ingredients that make it even more amazing, it's time to share it here!
If you love restaurant-quality comfort food with simple ingredients, this Poulet au Vinaigre is unbelievably easy, elegant, and perfect for both weeknight dinners and entertaining. Plus, the sauce is just absolutely to-die-for, lick-the-plate-clean AMAZING. A beautiful French recipe easy enough for weeknights and elegant enough for entertaining!
Why You’ll Love This Poulet au Vinaigre
- Classic French flavor, simple ingredients: No fancy techniques. Just pantry staples layered into an elegant sauce.
- Rich yet balanced: The vinegar reduces into a mellow, bright sauce that’s finished with cream for a velvety finish. The perfect mixture of fats and acids.
- One-pan recipe: Everything cooks in the same skillet for easy clean-up.
- Make-ahead friendly: Tastes even better the next day as the flavors develop.
What Is Poulet au Vinaigre?
Poulet au Vinaigre (pronounced poo-LAY oh vee-NAIG-ruh) is a traditional French dish. It features chicken browned in butter and braised in a mixture of vinegar, wine, stock, aromatics, herbs, and cream.
Despite the name, the dish isn’t sharply acidic at all. The vinegar reduces as it simmers, transforming into a deep, savory, slightly tangy sauce that coats every bite of tender chicken.
It’s classic French comfort food. Simple ingredients cooked slowly to create layers of restaurant-level flavor.
Tips for the Best Poulet au Vinaigre
- Use bone-in thighs for the most tender, flavorful results.
- Don’t skip the sear—the golden skin adds richness to the final sauce.
- Let the vinegar reduce fully so the sauce is tangy but not harsh.
- White wine matters—choose a dry wine you would drink, not cooking wine.
- Simmer gently to keep the chicken juicy and tender.
What to Serve with Poulet au Vinaigre
This dish is rich, creamy, and full of flavor, so it pairs beautifully with simple sides like:
- Mashed potatoes
- Buttered noodles or egg pasta
- Steamed rice or wild rice
- Crusty French bread
- Roasted or sautéed green beans
- Simple green salad with vinaigrette
- Garlic sautéed mushrooms
- Ratatouille or vegetable tian
The sauce is the star, so give it something to soak into!
More Easy Chicken Recipes You'll Love
- Mushroom Chicken Bake - Tender baked chicken smothered in a creamy mushroom sauce with garlic, herbs, and plenty of savory flavor. An easy, cozy weeknight dinner that tastes like comfort in a casserole dish.
- Honey Mustard Chicken Thighs - Juicy chicken thighs baked in a sweet-tangy honey mustard sauce with garlic and spices. Sticky, flavorful, and family-friendly.
- Baked Maple Mustard Chicken - Sweet maple syrup and tangy Dijon create the perfect caramelized glaze for this easy baked chicken. A simple, 30-minute dinner with big fall-inspired flavor.
- Creamy Dijon Chicken Thighs - Golden-seared chicken thighs simmered in a silky Dijon cream sauce with garlic and white wine. Rich, cozy, and restaurant-worthy, made in one skillet.
- Romesco Chicken - Chicken baked in bold, smoky Spanish Romesco sauce made with roasted red peppers, almonds, garlic, and paprika. Bright, flavorful, and simple enough for weeknights.
- Chicken Scallopini - Thin, tender chicken cutlets sautéed and simmered in a lemon-butter wine sauce with capers and herbs. Light, bright, and classic, an easy Italian-style dinner that cooks in minutes.
Poulet au Vinaigre Video
Poulet au Vinaigre
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs
- Salt & pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 medium sweet onion chopped
- 1 large shallot thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- ⅔ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 tablespoons freshly chopped tarragon or sage (optional)
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat.
- As soon as the butter foams, add the chicken skin side first and saute on each side until they have light golden color.
- Remove chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add onion and shallots to the same skillet the chicken was in. Saute until translucent and tender.
- Add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 more minutes.
- Stir in tomato paste and leave to cook for 30 seconds, and then raise the heat to high, before adding the vinegar.
- Add the stock and white wine and reduce by simmering for 10 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to low and add the tarragon leaves.
- Then add the chicken pieces to the sauce and cook covered for 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of your chicken pieces.
- When the chicken is cooked, remove them from the pan and set aside in a covered dish to keep warm while you finish the sauce.
- To finish the sauce, boil the sauce for another 10 minutes after chicken is removed.
- Add the cream to the sauce and leave to reduce for 15 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the dish before serving. Garnish with fresh parsley.
- Serve warm with sauce drizzled on top.
Notes
- Storage: Store up to 4 days covered in the fridge.
- Reheat: Warm gently on stovetop until hot and creamy again. Add a splash of cream or stock if sauce thickens too much.
Nutrition
UPDATE INFO: This recipe was originally published in July 2015. It was updated with new pictures, tips, and video and republished in January 2026.
Never Miss a Thing!
Join our newsletter to get new recipes, tips, tricks, and tutorials every week!
Leave a Reply