19+ Best Traditional French Recipes

French cooking has a reputation for being fussy, but most of its most beloved dishes come from simple farmhouse kitchens, not fancy restaurants. A pot of onions caramelizing slowly, a chicken braising in wine, a custard setting in the oven: these are recipes built on patience and a handful of good ingredients, not rare techniques.

This collection pulls together 19 traditional French recipes you can actually make at home, from Boeuf Bourguignon and Coq au Vin to simple Crêpes and a classic Crème Brûlée. Each one includes exact measurements, times, and steps so you can start cooking tonight.

Quick picks:

• Best for a cozy weekend project: Boeuf Bourguignon
• Best for beginners: Croque Monsieur
• Best make-ahead dinner party dish: Coq au Vin
• Best simple dessert: Crêpes

1. Boeuf Bourguignon

This Burgundy beef stew simmers in red wine until the meat turns fork-tender and the sauce deepens into something rich and silky. It’s the dish to make on a Sunday when you want your kitchen smelling incredible for hours.

Serves: 6 | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 2.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs beef chuck, cubed
• 6 oz bacon, diced
• 1 bottle (750ml) red Burgundy wine
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1 lb pearl onions
• 1 lb mushrooms, quartered
• 3 carrots, sliced
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 bouquet garni

Steps:

1. Brown bacon, remove, then sear beef in the fat.
2. Sauté carrots and garlic, stir in flour and tomato paste.
3. Add wine and stock, return beef and bacon.
4. Simmer covered 2 hours at low heat (325°F if oven-braising).
5. Add onions and mushrooms, cook 30 more minutes.

2. Coq au Vin

Coq au Vin braises chicken pieces in red wine with mushrooms and bacon until the meat practically falls off the bone. It tastes even better the next day, which makes it a smart make-ahead choice for guests.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken (3.5 lbs), cut into pieces
• 4 oz bacon lardons
• 3 cups red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 lb mushrooms
• 12 pearl onions
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 garlic cloves
• Thyme and bay leaf

Steps:

1. Brown bacon, then chicken pieces in the same pot.
2. Add onions, garlic, and mushrooms, cook briefly.
3. Pour in wine and stock, add herbs.
4. Simmer covered 1 hour at low heat.
5. Thicken sauce with butter-flour paste before serving.

3. French Onion Soup

French Onion Soup turns humble onions into a deeply savory broth topped with melted Gruyère and toasted bread. The slow caramelization is what builds the real flavor here, so don’t rush that step.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 1 hour

Ingredients:

• 4 large yellow onions, sliced
• 4 tbsp butter
• 6 cups beef stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 baguette, sliced
• 2 cups Gruyère cheese, grated
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Melt butter, cook onions low and slow for 40 minutes until deep golden.
2. Add wine, scrape pan, then pour in stock and bay leaf.
3. Simmer 20 minutes.
4. Ladle into bowls, top with baguette slices and cheese.
5. Broil until cheese bubbles.

For other cozy, broth-based options, check out our best soup recipes.

4. Ratatouille

Ratatouille layers eggplant, zucchini, peppers, and tomatoes into a vegetable stew that tastes like summer in Provence. It works as a side dish or a light main with crusty bread.

Serves: 6 | Prep: 25 min | Cook: 45 min

Ingredients:

• 1 eggplant, diced
• 2 zucchini, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 4 tomatoes, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Fresh basil and thyme

Steps:

1. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil.
2. Add eggplant, cook 5 minutes.
3. Stir in zucchini, pepper, and tomatoes.
4. Simmer uncovered 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Finish with fresh basil.

Pair it with ideas from our 25 vegetable recipes for a full vegetable-forward spread.

5. Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine is a buttery tart shell filled with custard, bacon, and cheese, baked until just set in the middle. It’s equally good warm from the oven or sliced cold the next morning.

Serves: 6 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 45 min

Ingredients:

• 1 pie crust (9-inch)
• 6 oz bacon, diced
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup Gruyère, shredded
• Nutmeg, salt, pepper

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Blind bake crust 10 minutes.
3. Cook bacon, scatter over crust with cheese.
4. Whisk eggs, cream, milk, and seasonings, pour over.
5. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until set.

For more morning-friendly French dishes, browse our best French breakfast foods.

6. Cassoulet

Cassoulet is a hearty white bean casserole loaded with sausage, duck, and pork, baked until the top turns golden and crisp. It’s a true cold-weather dish built for slow weekends.

Serves: 6 | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 2 hours

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dried white beans, soaked
• 4 duck legs confit
• 1 lb pork sausage
• 8 oz pancetta
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup breadcrumbs

Steps:

1. Cook beans in stock with onion and garlic until tender.
2. Brown sausage and pancetta.
3. Layer beans, meats, and duck confit in a baking dish.
4. Top with breadcrumbs.
5. Bake at 325°F for 1.5 hours until crust forms.

7. Crêpes

Crêpes are thin, delicate pancakes that work just as well folded around ham and cheese as they do with lemon and sugar. The batter comes together in minutes and rests while you prep fillings.

Serves: 4 (makes 8 crêpes) | Prep: 10 min + 30 min rest | Cook: 15 min

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 2 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• Pinch of salt

Steps:

1. Whisk all ingredients until smooth.
2. Rest batter 30 minutes.
3. Heat a nonstick pan, pour in a thin layer of batter.
4. Cook 1 minute per side.
5. Fill or top as you like.

8. Tarte Tatin

Tarte Tatin is an upside-down caramelized apple tart with a buttery crust that turns deep amber as it bakes. Flipping it out of the pan is the fun, dramatic part.

Serves: 8 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 45 min

Ingredients:

• 6 apples, peeled and halved
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 tbsp butter
• 1 sheet puff pastry

Steps:

1. Melt sugar and butter in an oven-safe skillet until caramel forms.
2. Arrange apples cut-side up in the caramel.
3. Cook 10 minutes on stovetop.
4. Top with puff pastry, tuck edges in.
5. Bake at 375°F for 35 minutes, then invert onto a plate.

Explore more flaky, buttery options in our best puff pastry desserts.

9. Sole Meunière

Sole Meunière is a simple pan-fried fish dish finished with a nutty brown butter and lemon sauce. The dish dates back to 19th-century Normandy and still proves that simple can be special.

Serves: 2 | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 10 min

Ingredients:

• 2 sole fillets
• 1/2 cup flour
• 4 tbsp butter
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• Salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Season sole, dredge lightly in flour.
2. Pan-fry in 2 tbsp butter, 2 minutes per side.
3. Remove fish, wipe pan.
4. Melt remaining butter until golden brown, add lemon juice.
5. Pour over fish, garnish with parsley.

10. Cheese Soufflé

Cheese Soufflé is a baked egg dish that puffs dramatically in the oven thanks to whipped egg whites folded into a cheese sauce. Serve it the moment it comes out, since it settles fast.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 30 min

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs, separated
• 3 tbsp butter
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup Gruyère, shredded
• Pinch of cream of tartar

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F, butter ramekins.
2. Make a roux with butter and flour, whisk in milk until thick.
3. Stir in cheese and egg yolks.
4. Whip egg whites to soft peaks, fold into base.
5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until puffed and golden.

11. French Baguette

A French Baguette has a crackling crust and an airy, chewy crumb, made from just flour, water, yeast, and salt. Getting that crust right depends on steam in the oven during baking.

Yield: 2 baguettes | Prep: 20 min + 2 hours rise | Cook: 25 min

Ingredients:

• 3 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 1/4 cups warm water
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt

Steps:

1. Mix flour, yeast, and water, rest 10 minutes, then add salt.
2. Knead 8 minutes, let rise 1 hour.
3. Shape into two long loaves, proof 45 minutes.
4. Score tops, bake at 475°F with a pan of water for steam.
5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until deep golden.

12. Steak Frites

Steak Frites pairs a seared steak with crisp, golden fries, a bistro staple that proves simple food done well needs no fuss. A hot pan and a hands-off rest are the real keys.

Serves: 2 | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 20 min

Ingredients:

• 2 ribeye or sirloin steaks
• 2 large russet potatoes, cut into fries
• 2 cups vegetable oil for frying
• 2 tbsp butter
• Salt and pepper

Steps:

1. Soak cut potatoes in water 20 minutes, dry well.
2. Fry at 325°F for 5 minutes, remove, then fry again at 375°F until golden.
3. Season steaks, sear in hot pan 3 to 4 minutes per side.
4. Baste with butter, rest 5 minutes.
5. Serve steak alongside fries.

If you love wine-finished beef, try the savory chuck steak with red wine reduction for a weeknight spin.

13. Bouillabaisse

Bouillabaisse is a Provençal fish stew built on saffron-scented broth, packed with shellfish and firm white fish. It’s a coastal classic worth the extra ingredient list.

Serves: 6 | Prep: 30 min | Cook: 45 min

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs mixed white fish, cut into chunks
• 1 lb mussels
• 1/2 lb shrimp
• 1 fennel bulb, sliced
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tomatoes, chopped
• 4 cups fish stock
• Pinch of saffron
• 3 garlic cloves
• Orange zest

Steps:

1. Sauté onion, fennel, and garlic.
2. Add tomatoes, stock, saffron, and orange zest.
3. Simmer broth 20 minutes.
4. Add fish and shellfish, cook 10 minutes until cooked through.
5. Serve with crusty bread.

14. Blanquette de Veau

Blanquette de Veau is a pale, creamy veal stew with a velvety sauce built from egg yolks and cream, no browning involved. It’s comfort food that feels elegant without looking heavy.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 20 min | Cook: 1.5 hours

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs veal shoulder, cubed
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 1 onion, studded with cloves
• 8 oz mushrooms
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tbsp butter and flour (for roux)

Steps:

1. Simmer veal in stock with onion and carrots 1 hour.
2. Remove meat, strain broth, make roux, whisk in broth.
3. Add mushrooms, simmer 10 minutes.
4. Temper egg yolks and cream into sauce.
5. Return veal, warm through without boiling.

15. Salade Niçoise

Salade Niçoise is a composed salad of tuna, hard-boiled eggs, green beans, olives, and tomatoes over crisp lettuce. The briny olives and anchovies give it real backbone.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 25 min | Cook: 10 min

Ingredients:

• 2 cans tuna in olive oil
• 4 eggs, hard-boiled
• 1/2 lb green beans, blanched
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cup Niçoise olives
• 4 anchovy fillets
• Mixed greens
• Red wine vinaigrette

Steps:

1. Arrange greens on a platter.
2. Top with tuna, egg halves, beans, tomatoes, and olives.
3. Lay anchovies over the top.
4. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
5. Serve immediately at room temperature.

16. Croque Monsieur

Croque Monsieur is a grilled ham and cheese sandwich finished with a creamy béchamel topping and melted cheese on top. It’s the sandwich that turns a basic lunch into something worth remembering.

Serves: 2 | Prep: 10 min | Cook: 15 min

Ingredients:

• 4 slices sandwich bread
• 4 slices ham
• 1 cup Gruyère, shredded
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk
• Dijon mustard

Steps:

1. Make béchamel with butter, flour, and milk.
2. Spread mustard on bread, layer ham and cheese.
3. Top sandwiches with béchamel and more cheese.
4. Bake at 400°F for 10 minutes.
5. Broil 2 minutes until golden.

17. Confit de Canard

Confit de Canard is duck leg slow-cooked in its own fat until the meat turns meltingly tender, then crisped before serving. It’s a technique that rewards patience more than skill.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 15 min + overnight salt | Cook: 3 hours

Ingredients:

• 4 duck legs
• 2 tbsp coarse salt
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 4 cups duck fat
• Fresh thyme

Steps:

1. Salt duck legs with garlic and thyme, refrigerate overnight.
2. Rinse and pat dry.
3. Submerge in melted duck fat, cook at 225°F for 2.5 to 3 hours.
4. Cool in fat, then crisp skin-side down in a hot pan before serving.

18. Mousse au Chocolat

Mousse au Chocolat is a light, airy chocolate dessert made from just eggs, chocolate, and a touch of sugar. The texture comes entirely from whipped egg whites folded in gently.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 20 min + 2 hours chill | Cook: 5 min

Ingredients:

• 6 oz dark chocolate, melted
• 4 eggs, separated
• 2 tbsp sugar
• Pinch of salt

Steps:

1. Melt chocolate, let cool slightly.
2. Whisk egg yolks into chocolate.
3. Whip egg whites with sugar to stiff peaks.
4. Fold whites into chocolate in three additions.
5. Chill 2 hours before serving.

19. Crème Brûlée

Crème Brûlée is a rich vanilla custard topped with a thin layer of caramelized sugar that cracks with a spoon tap. The contrast between cool custard and warm crackly top is the whole point.

Serves: 4 | Prep: 15 min | Cook: 40 min + 2 hours chill

Ingredients:

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp extract)
• 5 egg yolks
• 1/3 cup sugar, plus extra for topping

Steps:

1. Heat cream with vanilla until steaming, not boiling.
2. Whisk egg yolks and sugar, temper in warm cream.
3. Pour into ramekins, set in a water bath.
4. Bake at 325°F for 35 to 40 minutes until just set.
5. Chill, then sprinkle sugar on top and torch until caramelized.

How to Choose a French Recipe to Make First

Pick a dish based on how much hands-on time you actually have this week, not how impressive it sounds. A braise like Boeuf Bourguignon mostly cooks itself once it’s in the pot, while something like Soufflé demands your full attention in the final minutes.

If it’s your first time cooking French food, start with Croque Monsieur or Crêpes. Both use ingredients you likely already have and come together in under 30 minutes.

Recipe	Skill Level	Total Time	Best For
Boeuf Bourguignon	Moderate	3 hours	Weekend braise
Coq au Vin	Moderate	2 hours	Dinner parties
French Onion Soup	Easy	1.25 hours	Cold nights
Ratatouille	Easy	1 hour	Vegetable side
Quiche Lorraine	Easy	1.5 hours	Brunch
Cassoulet	Moderate	2.5 hours	Winter feasts
Crêpes	Easy	45 min	Breakfast or dessert
Tarte Tatin	Moderate	1 hour	Showstopper dessert
Sole Meunière	Easy	20 min	Quick weeknight fish
Cheese Soufflé	Hard	50 min	Impressing guests
French Baguette	Moderate	3 hours	Bread baking project
Steak Frites	Easy	35 min	Bistro night in
Bouillabaisse	Moderate	1.25 hours	Seafood lovers
Blanquette de Veau	Moderate	1.75 hours	Gentle comfort food
Salade Niçoise	Easy	35 min	Light lunch
Croque Monsieur	Easy	25 min	Fast sandwich fix
Confit de Canard	Moderate	Overnight + 3 hrs	Special occasions
Mousse au Chocolat	Easy	2.25 hours (mostly chill)	Make-ahead dessert
Crème Brûlée	Moderate	2.75 hours (mostly chill)	Date night dessert

Think about what you’re serving alongside the main dish, too. A rich braise pairs well with something bright, like a simple green salad, while a lighter dish such as Sole Meunière can handle a creamier side. For more ideas on rounding out a French-inspired meal, our best traditional French recipes collection and 30 traditional French recipes guide both offer additional dishes to mix into your menu.