Let's upgrade our pizza game and get fun and creative with a pizza recipe like no other! This coq au vin pizza uses leftover coq au vin sauce to make a delicious, rich red wine base topped with gooey mozzarella, buttery mushrooms, braised chicken and fresh red onions. With that unique, flavorful red wine sauce, there's no other pizza like this.
Have you ever made a big batch of coq au vin and found yourself with loads of leftover sauce? That's pretty much how this recipe was born. I first created this pizza recipe when I made my favorite coq au vin for Matt and me last winter. If you've tried my recipe, you know it makes a big batch --- much more than two people can eat in one sitting --- but that was OK because I planned to shred and freeze the chicken we didn't eat.
But what about all that delicious leftover sauce? In the past, I've always dumped the leftover sauce, but I hate wasting food, especially something that tasty. My stubborn side got the best of me, and I was determined to finally find a use for that leftover coq au vin sauce.
After a little brainstorming, it suddenly hit me --- hey, you love pizza! What if you thickened the sauce for a pizza base and then used the leftover chicken to make a coq au vin pizza? I'll be honest. This was one of my finer moments in life because this pizza is legit.
How to Make
Let's chat ingredients. Obviously, you'll need some leftover sauce from my coq au vin as well as chicken, mushrooms, red onions, mozzarella, an egg yolk and pizza dough. I highly recommend my beer pizza dough, and for the chicken, I always use leftovers from the coq au vin. However, if you devoured the chicken from your coq au vin and only have leftover sauce, a store-bought rotisserie chicken is a delicious and easy option.
When saving the leftover sauce for this pizza, strain the sauce first and then refrigerate it if you plan to use it within a few days or freeze it if you won't use it right away. Before turning the coq au vin sauce into a pizza base, I also recommend quickly heating it up in the microwave and giving it a quick stir.
Now that we have our ingredients, let's put together the pizza. As I mentioned in my beer pizza dough recipe, I'm a huge fan of using a pizza stone, so about 45 minutes to an hour before we plan to bake, we put our pizza stone in a cold oven and heat it to 500 degrees. If you don't have a pizza stone, you can use a large baking sheet instead.
Next, I like to start on our coq au vin pizza sauce. You'll notice the sauce is a bit too thin as is for a pizza, so we thicken it with a roux, which is a fancy way of saying we whisk in the sauce with a little flour and butter until it's smooth with just the right thickness.
In the recipe, I call for a cup of leftover coq au vin sauce. You won't actually need a full cup of sauce for one pizza, but I like to make a little extra because you can make more than one pizza and use the extra as a delicious dipping sauce for your crust. Go with me on this. Hey, you were about to toss that sauce anyway before this coq au vin pizza came into your life, so you might as well make a little extra, right?
Along with the sauce, I also like to cook some sliced mushrooms in butter as an ode to the original coq au vin. And I most definitely recommend cooking in butter first rather than just topping on the pizza raw for obvious reasons.
Now that our cooked toppings are ready, we hand stretch our dough and layer the coq au vin pizza with sauce, shredded mozzarella, chicken, mushrooms and red onions.
Oh, and please don't use pre-grated mozzarella. The pre-grated cheese is coated in an additive that keeps the cheese from clumping, so it doesn't melt as well as anything freshly grated. Grating the mozzarella literally takes about a minute. Trust me. It's worth an extra minute of your time.
From here, we finish our pizza with a quick egg wash and pop it into the oven for eight to 10 minutes. Let's give our pizza a few minutes to cool and then cut into this cheesy goodness. Bonus points for garnishing with some freshly grated Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Perfect Pairing
No need to reinvent the wheel here. Those same coq au vin pairings are perfect for this pizza. In case you need a refresher, a Burgundy, pinot noir or Beaujolais are delightful wine options while a biere de garde is a tasty beer pairing.
If you're looking for a fun and different pizza option, I hope you try this coq au vin pizza.
Cheers!
Need More Unique Pizza Ideas?
- Pulled pork BBQ pizza
- Mexican beef pizza with corn and green chiles
- Shrimp and avocado grilled naan pizza
- Buffalo chicken pizza
- Smoked salmon, avocado and pesto pizza
- Prosciutto and grilled peach pizza with pesto
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📖 Recipe
Coq Au Vin Pizza
Equipment
- Pizza stone
Ingredients
- 1 cup coq au vin sauce (see notes)
- 4 tablespoons butter divided
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 3 ounces sliced mushrooms
- ½ pound pizza dough homemade or store-bought (see notes)
- Cornmeal for dusting
- 2 cups grated mozzarella (see notes)
- ⅓ cup leftover coq au vin chicken or rotisserie chicken
- ¼ cup sliced red onion
- 1 egg yolk (see notes)
- ½ tablespoon water
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish, optional
- Parmesan cheese for garnish, optional
Instructions
- If using dough stored in the refrigerator, place on a lightly floured surface, gently press into a 5-inch flat circle and cover with plastic wrap about two to three hours before you plan to bake the pizza. However, if you made your dough right away and it's already risen and come to room temperature, you're ready to skip straight to step 2.
- About 45 minutes to an hour before baking, place a pizza stone in the cold oven and turn the heat to 500 degrees. If you don't have a pizza stone, you can use a large upside-down baking sheet and preheat for 30 minutes, though a pizza stone is recommended for best results.
- Pour the coq au vin sauce into a microwavable bowl or measuring cup. Heat until the mixture is warm and stir.
- In a skillet over medium heat, melt two tablespoons of butter. Whisk in flour and cook for about three minutes. Continue to whisk constantly. Pour in coq au vin sauce and whisk until smooth and thickened. Remove from heat.
- Also in a skillet, melt the remaining two tablespoons of butter. Stir in the mushrooms to coat with butter and cook until golden, about four to five minutes. Remove from heat.
- Hand stretch the dough using the bed of your fingers rather than your finger tips to pat the dough outward toward the edge. Don’t pat in the center of the dough, or you’ll get limp pizza. Really focus on staying outside of the center and work toward the edge. After you work the dough, grab the edge of the pizza and lift it in the air. Allow it to quickly hang down and keep rotating the pizza crust through your fingers to allow the rest of the pizza to have a chance to hang. Do not use a rolling pin to shape and flatten. The dough is stretched when it’s 10 inches in diameter. If any holes form, pinch the dough back together.
- Coat a pizza peel or the back of a parchment paper-covered baking sheet with cornmeal and place the hand-stretched dough on top. Adjust the shape if necessary.
- Spread ¼ cup of coq au vin sauce on the dough, leaving an edge for the crust. Use the remaining sauce to make additional pizzas or for a tasty dipping sauce for your crust. Top with mozzarella and then add the mushrooms, chicken and red onions. Whisk together the egg yolk and water and brush on the crust. Transfer to the hot pizza stone.
- If using parchment paper to transfer the pizza, bake for two minutes, remove the parchment paper and then continue to bake for six to eight minutes. If using a pizza peel with no parchment paper to transfer the pizza directly to the stone, bake for eight to 10 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let the pizza set for about five minutes. Cut into slices and top with fresh parsley and Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- When storing the coq au vin sauce prior to making this pizza, you can refrigerate it if you plan to use it within or few days or freeze it if you don't plan to use it right away. If freezing, make sure you thaw first.
- While I highly recommend my make-ahead beer pizza dough, most grocery stores sell fresh pizza dough in the section where you can find freshly prepared soups, salads and meals. If you can't find it, ask someone at the deli counter.
- Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
April says
I am definitely up to upgrading pizza game because it is getting harder and harder to surprize the crowd with a pizza. Your recipe looks so good though that I can't wait to try it at home - healthy and delicious!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thanks so much! And I can't wait for you to try it. ?
Jori says
You are so creative! I love how wonderfully you mash up a stew with a pizza and it is perfect.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Awww, thank you so much! ❤️
Kelly Anthony says
I'm drooling over this pizza. The coq au vin sauce on this pizza makes it sound so fancy that it is sure to impress any guest.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I like to think so! I hope you love it.
Geetanjali Tung says
What a fabulous pizza! I can't resist here. Love everything about this recipe. Great flavors!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thank you so much!
Sophia says
This looks amazing, such a unique idea for pizza! We're big fans of homemade pizza at my house, this is definitely on our list to try. It looks so delicious!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thank you! Homemade pizza nights are always so fun.
Jacqueline Debono says
What a brilliant way to use up leftover coq au vin sauce. I'll definitely keep this in mind for next time I make coq au vin. Now you've got me thinking what other leftover sauces can be used on pizza!!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
I so hope you do and love it!
Cheese Curd In Paradise says
I am just loving this idea to re-purpose coq au vin leftover chicken! Sometimes leftover chicken is difficult for our family to eat, but I love that you made a pizza, and I know my kiddos would be all about any type of pizza!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
And anything kid-friendly is always a plus, I'm sure. ?
Byron Thomas says
This pizza is gorgeous! Stunning! Like Gloria, I would not want to share this one. I can't wait to make this. Pizza is on the menu at least once a week in our home, so I won't have to wait long! 🙂
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thanks so much! That's good to hear because I'm sure you'll love it. ?
DEE says
love mushrooms on pizza! the crust looks crispy and thin! I love this!!!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Right? I have a soft spot for mushroom pizza.
Lesli Schwartz says
I'm all for using leftovers and this is such a unique idea! The pizza looks gorgeous! I think I can smell the aromas through the computer screen!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thank you! Hope you get a chance to try it.
Celeste @The Whole Serving says
Pizza is a staple in our home because it's so easy to make and it's so delicious. Your pizza has my mouth watering, I just may have to have pizza for dinner tonight. By the way, I love the name of your site. Burrata is one of my favorites.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thank you! Isn’t burrata the best? ?
Kacie Morgan says
I'd love a slice of the action. I hope you saved a pizz-a for me!;) What an inventive topping!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Most definitely! ?
Gloria says
OMG what a FUN and delicious pizza. This is taking it to a whole new level of GOURMET for sure. I would not want to share this one.
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thank you! I can definitely feel you on that one.
Stine Mari says
It is usually by having leftovers I get my very best ideas! And this looks so darn delicious! Definitely a pat on the back for this one, I'm drooling here!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Haha, thank you! ?
Maman de sara says
Great recipe, very well explained. The pictures of this pizza are wonderful and certainly the taste too
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thanks so much! Glad it's helpful.
Danielle Wolter says
what an awesome idea! I have been known to save containers of sauce and sometimes we just have bread dipped in leftover sauces for a meal...I also hate food waste. But i am loving this idea for pizza!
Amanda McGrory-Dixon says
Thank you! Those leftover sauces are just too good to waste.