Have you ever tried Chicken In Red Wine Reduction-Pollo al Vin Cotto? Tender chicken cooked in a wine reduction sauce with capers, raisins, pinenuts, and almonds is a delectable, exciting dish. Perfect for a dinner party or special occasion.

Chicken in red wine reduction in a skillet.

What is vin cotto?

Vin Cotto means cooked wine. In Italy, it is a dark, sweet, thick paste produced in rural areas. It is made by the slow cooking and reduction over many hours of non-fermented grape must until it has been reduced to about one-fifth of its original volume and the sugars present have caramelized.

In this recipe, we have pollo al vin cotto, aka chicken in red wine reduction. I first saw this recipe in a morning TV show. A famous Italian-American chef was cooking it on GMA with Dianne Sawyer, and I was so intrigued by it. Immediately, I gathered the ingredients and made it for dinner. My husband Daryl and I loved the chicken in the sweet, thick vin cotto sauce.

Why you should make red wine reduction chicken

  • Easy to Make: Don’t let the red wine reduction intimidate you! This chicken recipe may seem complicated, but it is simple to make. Be organized, follow the directions, add the ingredients at the right time, and voila! An excellent red wine reduction chicken-pollo a la vin cotto is ready to wow everyone.
  • Budget Friendly: Making a decadent meal like red wine reduction chicken at home is a real treat. You need a whole chicken, a bottle of inexpensive yet decent red wine, and a couple of everyday pantry ingredients for a restaurant-worthy dish.
Chicken in red wine reduction in a skillet.

Here are your ingredients

For the Vin Cotto

A bottle of red wine, a bowl with honey , cinnamon sticks and cloves on a wooden surface.
  • Dry red wine
  • Honey
  • Cinnamon sticks
  • Cloves

For the chicken

On a wooden surface are ingredients to make red wine reduction chicken.
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Chicken cut in 8 pieces, or thighs and drumsticks
  • Onion and carrots
  • Green olives
  • Raisins
  • Capers
  • Pine nuts
  • Almonds
  • Red wine vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Chili flakes
  • Parsley finely chopped
  • Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

This is what you do

Make the vin cotto

A pot with wine and cinnamon sticks.

Combine the wine, honey, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until reduced to one cup. Remove from heat and let the vin cotto cool;

Make the chicken

Chicken piece in a skillet.

In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil over high heat. Season the chicken with sea salt and freshly ground pepper, add the pieces skin side down to the pan, and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. 

Chicken pieces with diced onion and carrot in a skillet.

Reduce the heat to medium, and add the onion and carrots. Cook, stirring, until the chicken gets more color and the onions and carrots start caramelizing. 

Chicken pieces with onion, carrot and capers, olives and raisins  in a skillet.

Add the olives, raisins, capers, pine nuts, and almonds to the pan. Stir and add half a cup of the vin cotto. Deglaze the pan, scraping and stirring the fond (browned bits on the bottom), and boil until liquids are reduced by half. Add the remaining vin cotto and bring to a boil.

Chicken pieces with diced onion, carrot, capers,, raisins in wine sauce in a skillet.

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and sugar. Add to the pan and cook, stirring. The sauce will reduced to a glaze. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.

Chicken in red wine reduction in a skillet.

Serve the chicken and sauce on a platter with a drizzle of olive oil, chili flakes, and chopped parsley.

Red Wine Reduction Chicken-Pollo al Vino Cotto

Servings: 4
Author: by Jenny | Miss Cookalot
Chicken in red wine reduction in a skillet.
Calories: 1210kcal

Ingredients

For the Vino Cotto

  • 4½ cups red wine
  • ½ cup honey
  • 2 cinnamon sticks
  • 3 cloves

For the chicken

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 lb whole chicken cut in 8 pieces, or thighs and drumsticks
  • 1 onion
  • 2 carrots
  • ½ cup green olives
  • 3 tablespoons raisins
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1 tablespoon pine nuts
  • 3 tablespoons blanched almonds
  • 1 cup red wine vinegar
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 tablespoon chili flakes
  • ¼ cup parsley finely chopped
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper

Instructions

Make the vino cotto

  • Combine all the ingredients in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.
    Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 1 cup (about 20 minutes).
    Remove from the heat and let cool; remove the cinnamon sticks and cloves before using.

Make the chicken vino cotto

  • In a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil over high heat until very hot but not smoking.
    Season the chicken with sea salt, add skin side down to the pan, and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes per side.
  • Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion and carrots, and cook, stirring, until deep golden brown.
  • Add the olives, raisins, capers, pine nuts, and almonds to the pan, stirring well. Add ½cup of the vin cotto to deglaze the pan, stirring up the browned bits on the bottom, then boil until reduced by half. Add the remaining ½cup vin cotto, and bring to a boil.
  • In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and sugar. Add to the pan and cook, stirring, until the liquid has reduced to a glaze.
    Season to taste, with sea salt and freshly ground pepper.
  • Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and drizzle with olive oil.
    Sprinkle with chili flakes and parsley, and serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 1210kcal | Carbohydrates: 87g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 35g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 513mg | Potassium: 1069mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 65g | Vitamin A: 6315IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 5mg
Red Wine Reduction Chicken-Pollo Al Vin Cotto

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14 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This dish was a hit for Sunday supper last night. The red wine sauce really complimented the flavor of the chicken. It’ll be a repeat recipe for us, for sure!

  2. 5 stars
    I am always on the hunt for great chicken recipes. This sounds perfect for date night. Love the red wine reduction, makes it so elegant.

  3. 5 stars
    Came here to say this chicken tastes as good as it looks. The sauce is fabulous and I can’t wait to make it again. PS it’s already been requested for dinner this weekend.

  4. 5 stars
    My guests were very impressed with my cooking skills when I served this delicious recipe. I especially loved the addition of olives, capers and nuts. Great flavors and textures!

  5. 5 stars
    You got me at wine! What a fabulous recipe. We loved all the intricate flavors, and amazing how well they all come together. The capers and olives bring out the flavor beautifully.
    A great hit at our house, thank you.

  6. 5 stars
    This is a great chicken recipe out there, the saltiness, sweetness coming from the wine, and the flavor of the chicken are coming together inside the pot. I hope to make this for tomorrow, thank you!

  7. 5 stars
    I love this Red Wine Reduction Chicken, and I’m craving this, I’ll try this at home hoping to share more lovely recipes!!!!

  8. 5 stars
    I love the red wine reduction sauce. It has all different flavors in one bite and I am a big fan of olives and caper.

5 from 15 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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