Do you want to create the sensation of a cozy French Bistro within your own home? Here are over 30 French dinner recipes that I have written over the years on this blog that you can succeed at home with little to no culinary experience.
Choose just one for a delicious meal, or else you can make an entire French menu with these favorite French recipes for your next dinner party.
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I strongly believe that French cuisine does not need to be complicated or intimidating. Each of these recipes will help you gain confidence and increase your enjoyment in the kitchen. My goal has always been to take a classic French Recipe and make it easy and straightforward so that busy people with no culinary training, like myself, can enjoy French cooking.
My mom, a French teacher, first introduced me to the cuisine of Julia Child when I was in middle school. We invited my French Immersion friends over and cooked Boeuf Bourguignon and Vichyssoise Soup from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" together. Then, when I met my French Chef husband in France and we started cooking together, my love of French food continued to grow. Today, I have written over 150 recipes on lechefswife.com that make French cooking easy and fun. I hope that you will have as much fun making these recipes as I do writing and photographing them for you.
French Dinner Menu
The French tend to eat in courses. Entrée, Plat, Dessert, preferring to serve the courses one after another instead of bringing the main dish and multiple sides to the table.
Entrée, in French means entrance, or starter. Why we call the main dish Entrée in the United States is just prime for confusion!
Plat (Dish, in English), means main course.
Dessert is the same word.
If I am hosting friends I like to add two more courses: Apéritif ( a welcome drink and little nibble to start) and Fromage, the Cheese course, which is of course my favorite!
Apéritif (Cocktail)
Traditional apéritif drinks include Pastis, Apérol or Campari. For a special occasion I like to serve a Kir Royale Cocktail made with Champagne and Crème de Cassis or a Piscine Pêche - A Champagne and peach liqueur cocktail made famous by the town of Saint-Tropez.
Our olive tapenade recipe is so easy to make and a favorite amongst our friends. You will love it!
You can read more about the art of the Apéro in this blog post. The French more often will invite over for an Apéro instead of a full dinner. It is easy and fun!
Homemade Baguette - Nothing will impress your guests more than a hot, French Baguette. Here is a simple recipe for a quick, 2 hour, French Baguette that is crusty on the outside and light and fluffy inside. No special equipment needed!
Entrée (Starter)
French Onion Soup - A French classic loved in the US! The way the gruyère cheese melts on this dish is a thing of beauty!
La Salade Niçoise - a classic of Southern France and one of my favorite salad. (Of course we served it at our wedding in Nice!)
Potage aux Légumes - French Vegetable Soup is a wonderful way to start a meal. The French often start a meal with a soup, or potage.
Plat (Main Course)
Coq au Vin. The classic is made with red wine and is absolutely delicious. I also recently published our recipe for Coq au Vin Blanc (pictured above), made with white wine, and I think I have a new favorite! The pearl onions, the fragrant white wine sauce and the melt in your mouth chicken is just irresistible. This is one of my favorite traditional French recipes that has become on of our signature dishes.
Beef Bourguignon - a classic French dish from Burgundy and my introduction to French cooking.
La Daube Provençale or Niçoise is a beef stew similar to a Boeuf Bourguignon but adds olives and orange zest to the classic dish. It is also traditionally served over fresh pasta. Yum!
Super Simple Roast Chicken (Poulet Rôti) is an easy French recipe that always impresses (and tastes amazing!). I also share a recipe for Lemon Thyme Roast Chicken that my family loves.
Branzino with Vierge Sauce - A super easy fish dish served with the most delectable olive oil vinaigrette from the South of France. You can also serve La Sauce Vierge over chicken breasts.
La Poule au Pot - a rustic dish that is literally a chicken in a pot (or dutch oven) but that results with the most tender chicken and vegetables in a savory broth. Originally this was considered a dish for French peasants but now you can find it in the chicest brasseries in Paris. Some of the best French recipes are made with basic ingredients, super simply, letting the quality of the ingredients shine.
Steak Frites - A Ribeye Steak served with french fries is a staple in French bistros.
Magret de Canard with Fresh Figs (pictured above) or Magret de Canard with Apples and Squash.
French Side Dishes
Simple Confit Bayaldi Recipe or Ratatouille
You can find more side dish inspiration in my post French Side Dishes
Fromage (Cheese Course)
Fresh Fig and Goat Cheese Salad
Dessert
I hope you enjoyed this collection of French dishes. I also wrote a post on Make Ahead French Meals that will make your dinner party prep a breeze. Let me know if you make any of them, I love to hear from you!
Bon Appétit,
Le Chef's Wife
ABOUT LE CHEF'S WIFE
Bonjour! I am Anina Belle. I translate the fancy cooking of my Michelin-star trained French Chef Husband, Le Chef, into easy to make dishes that busy people with no culinary training (like me!) can make at home. We have two young kids (8 and 5) and I run a marketing company and a non-profit in addition to this blog. I strongly believe that even busy people deserve to eat well at home.
Look inside our Kitchen with this Washington Post Article. We were featured on the TODAY SHOW for our recipes of French Onion Soup Gratinée and Moelleux au Chocolat. You can watch our full segment below.
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