25 Fantastic French Dinner Recipes

French dinner recipes can be as quick as a 15-minute plate of mussels or as slow as a three-day cassoulet, and the 25 below cover the range: poultry, meat, seafood, vegetarian dishes, and cozy autumn and winter classics. Every entry lists where the dish comes from, how long it takes, and how hard it is, so you can pick one for a weeknight or a dinner party.

I lived in France for 3 years, am married to a Frenchman, and have visited France at least once a year for the last 20 years, so I have cooked and eaten my fair share of French dinners. I am not the I-want-to-cook-all-day kind of cook, unless it is a crockpot, so I want my dinners to be easy to make, but no skipping on taste!

Whether it's for an elegant evening gathering or just a regular weeknight meal with family or friends, impress everyone with your newfound mastery of French flavor. You don’t need a passport to travel to Paris with these mouthwatering French dinner recipes! Once you taste them, you’ll fall in love fast. Whether you make the Herbes de Provence chicken, Pot-au-Feu, Sole Meunière, or something else, you’ll taste a bit of France! 

French Dinner Recipes at a Glance

Use this table to pick a dinner by region, time, and difficulty. Times and dietary notes come from the linked recipes, and levels are a judgment from each recipe’s steps, so check the recipe if you have an allergy or dietary need.

Dish	Region	Time	Level	Dietary notes (per linked recipe)
Poultry
Herbes de Provence Roast Chicken	Provence (herb blend)	3 hr (incl. rest)	Easy	Dairy (butter)
Chicken Provençal	Provence	1 hr 20 min	Easy	Contains gluten (flour dredge)
Coq Au Vin Blanc	Alsace	2 hr 35 min	Intermediate	Contains chicken and bacon
Chicken Potato Crepes	Bistro-inspired	1 hr 10 min	Moderate	Dairy, gluten, egg
Chicken Fricassee	Multi-regional; Classic home cooking	45 min	Moderate	Dairy, gluten
Meat
Pot-au-Feu	Multi-regional; Classic home cooking	3 hr 15 min	Easy (mostly simmering)	Gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo (per recipe)
Porc à la Normande	Normandy	25 min	Easy	Dairy (butter, cream)
Ham Asparagus Casserole	Multi-regional; French family cooking	40 min	Easy	Dairy, gluten
French Cassoulet	Languedoc	2 to 3 days	Advanced	Pork, duck, lamb; breadcrumbs (gluten)
Duck à l'Orange	Paris; French classic	45 min	Moderate	No dairy, gluten, or egg in the core recipe
Seafood
Wine Poached Cod	Multi-regional; French-style technique	Quick (total not stated)	Easy	Gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, paleo (per recipe)
Sole Meunière	Classic bistro dish	13 min	Easy	Dairy (butter), gluten (flour)
French Mussels (Moules Marinières)	French coast	15 min	Easy	Dairy (butter, cream); wine
Oysters Mornay	Île-de-France	26 min	Easy	Dairy, egg, gluten
Seared Tuna Niçoise Salad	Nice	40 min	Moderate	Egg, anchovy
Vegetarian
Classic Ratatouille	Provence and Nice	1 hr 30 min	Moderate	Vegan, gluten-free (per recipe)
Stuffed Eggplants	Monet's kitchen diaries	40 min	Easy	Vegetarian, gluten-free (per recipe); contains Parmesan
Potato Galette	French technique, Italian flavors	1 hr 30 min	Easy to moderate	Vegetarian; dairy, egg, gluten
Celeriac Gratin	Inspired by gratin dauphinois	1 hr 50 min	Easy to moderate	Vegetarian, keto-friendly (per recipe); dairy
Potato Boulangère	Multi-regional; Village baker's oven	1 hr 35 min	Easy	Vegetarian with vegetable stock; butter
Cozy Autumn and Winter Dinners
Beef Bourguignon	Burgundy	3 hr 15 min	Easy (needs patience)	Beef, bacon, butter, flour (gluten)
Poulet Basquaise	Basque Country	About 1 hr	Moderate	Chicken and cured ham; no dairy or egg
Tartiflette	Savoie	40 min	Moderate	Dairy, bacon; vegetarian option (mushrooms)
Pheasant Casserole	Anglo-French	About 7 hr	Moderate	Dairy (butter); flour; cider
Flammkuchen	Alsace	1 hr	Easy	Dairy (crème fraîche), gluten, bacon
Bonus French Dinners
Pan-Seared Salmon	Multi-regional	30 min	Easy
Braised Beef Short Ribs	Multi-regional	4 hr	Moderate

What a French Dinner Actually Looks Like

A traditional French dinner has a shape, even when the food is simple. Everyday dinners are usually simpler than the formal version, and accounts of French home cooking mention plain mains such as soup, an omelet or a quiche, often with a green salad. For a festive meal, the “gastronomic meal of the French”, recognized by UNESCO in 2010, begins with an apéritif, runs through at least four courses (a starter, a fish or meat course, cheese and dessert) and ends with a digestif, with wine paired to each dish.

What time do the French eat dinner? Dinner at home usually starts somewhere between about 7:30 and 9 pm. The evening peak falls just after 8 pm, and restaurants often start serving dinner around 7 pm.

Weekend meals tend to be longer and more special. The long-simmered dishes on this page, such as cassoulet, pot-au-feu and coq au vin blanc, suit those meals, while sole meunière, mussels and porc à la Normande are quick enough for a weeknight.

Quick weeknight picks (about 30 minutes or less): sole meunière (13 minutes), French mussels (15), porc à la Normande (25), and oysters Mornay (26).

Weekend projects: pot-au-feu (3 hr 15 min), coq au vin blanc (2 hr 35 min), beef bourguignon (3 hr 15 min), and cassoulet (2–3 days).

Poultry Dishes

Five chicken dinners, from a 45-minute fricassée to a slowly braised coq au vin blanc.

Do you like to put a French spin on your chicken dinner recipes? Then look no further! Fresh, delicious, and oh-so-flavorful, these French chicken recipes are now just a few clicks away. Whether you need an easy weeknight recipe or something more glamorous for special occasions, you’ll find inspiration in these classic dishes.

Craving something cold instead? Try my French chicken salad.

Herbes de Provence Roast Chicken with White Wine Pan Sauce

Herbes de Provence is a delicious whole roast chicken recipe with lemon and fresh herbs. Also, it’s served with baby potatoes and a buttery white wine pan sauce! The sauce combines meat drippings and wine for a mouthwatering addition. Herbes de Provence is a dried-herb blend from southern France, so this is an easy way to bring Provence to the table in one pan. The recipe is easy but unhurried, taking about 3 hours total, including a 20-minute rest.

From The Sage Apron | Herbs de Provence Roast Chicken with White Wine Pan Sauce

Region: Provence (the herb blend)   ·   Time: 3 hr (incl. 20 min rest)   ·   Level: Easy

Chicken Provençal

What type of chicken should you use for chicken Provençal? The author recommends using bone-in, skin-on thighs for best results. Poulet à la provençale comes from Provence in southeastern France. This one-pan dish includes capers and olives, and the author says it takes less than 20 minutes of hands-on work.

From Gypsy Plate | Chicken Provençal 

Region: Provence   ·   Time: 1 hr 20 min   ·   Level: Easy

Coq Au Vin Blanc

What is Coq au Vin Blanc? This braised chicken is immersed in white wine with mushrooms, bacon, and onions, sautéed until golden brown. Everyone will love the meat that falls off the bone, with amazing aromas. Coq au vin blanc is a lighter, white-wine version of the classic coq au vin, which is made with red wine. The recipe calls for a crisp dry white such as Sauvignon Blanc or an unoaked Chardonnay, and its author lived in France.

Region: White-wine version of the classic coq au vin   ·   Time: 2 hr 35 min   ·   Level: Intermediate

From Vanilla Bean Cuisine | Coq Au Vin Blanc

Chicken Potato Crepes

French dinner recipes like chicken potato crepes will have the whole family smiling. With ingredients like lemon zest, potatoes, caramelized onion, and Gruyère cheese, what’s not to love? These are savory crêpes in the style of a French bistro. The author uses simple all-purpose-flour crêpes rather than traditional buckwheat, so think French-inspired. The caramelized onions take the longest, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Region: French bistro-inspired   ·   Time: 1 hr 10 min   ·   Level: Moderate

From Erica's Recipes | Chicken potato Crepes

Want more French crêpe recipes? Here are 25 more.

Chicken Fricassee

This chicken fricassee recipe is packed with amazing flavor and textures. You will get a pan of saucy thighs and fantastic vegetables. Fricassee is like a mix of a sauté and a thick stew. This version uses milk and cream, thickened with flour, and takes about 45 minutes.

Region: Classic French home cooking   ·   Time: 45 min   ·   Level: Moderate

From Healthy Recipes 101 | Chicken Fricassee

French Dinner Recipes With Meat

Five hearty meat dinners, from a 25-minute pork dish to a cassoulet that takes days.

Craving something hearty and French? Nothing quite compares to the flavors of French cuisine, and cooking up any of these delicious French dinner recipes is an elegant way to treat yourself! These hearty recipes will make it feel like you're dining in Paris.

Gather your family around the table tonight and enjoy this collection of savory French dinners perfect for making any night special.

Pot-au-Feu

Pot-au-feu is a French boiled dinner: beef and vegetables simmered slowly in a rich broth, traditionally served in two courses, the broth first and then the meat and vegetables. The author recommends serving the broth in teacups to drink while you’re eating. How fancy! The recipe is easy but slow, and the author labels it gluten-free, dairy-free, and paleo.

Region: Classic French home cooking   ·   Time: 3 hr 15 min   ·   Level: Easy (mostly simmering)

From Go Healthy with Bea | Pot-au-Feu

Porc à la Normande

Porc à la Normande is a traditional French dish with pork loin, apples, brandy, and cream. It takes 25 minutes from start to finish and includes key ingredients like pork tenderloin, butter, apples, sugar, shallots, and more. “À la Normande” points to Normandy, a region known for its apple orchards, which is why apples and cream turn up together. It is one of the quickest dishes on this page.

Region: Normandy   ·   Time: 25 min   ·   Level: Easy

From What A Girl Eats | Porc à la Normande

Ham Asparagus Casserole

Ham Asparagus Casserole is the perfect homemade dinner idea. It’s a comforting, easy dish that you can serve up anytime. It’s ready in 40 minutes with fresh asparagus rolled in ham and smothered in béchamel sauce. The author says this is a common dinner in her French family, so it is a home-style dish rather than a restaurant classic.

Region: French family home cooking   ·   Time: 40 min   ·   Level: Easy

From Masala Herb | Ham Asparagus Casserole

French Cassoulet

The traditional French Cassoulet is a classic French dinner recipe. It originates from the Languedoc Region as a white bean casserole with meat. The recipe explains the three traditional versions (Castelnaudary, Toulouse and Carcassonne) and uses duck confit, Toulouse sausages, 600 g of bone-in pork shoulder and pork belly, plus lamb as the author’s own addition. Plan ahead: the beans soak overnight, and the whole dish takes two to three days, so save it for a weekend.

Region: Languedoc (Castelnaudary, Toulouse, Carcassonne)   ·   Time: 2 to 3 days (includes soaking)   ·   Level: Advanced

From Your Guardian Chef | French Cassoulet

Duck à l’Orange

If you love a good duck recipe, then this à l'orange dish is for you. It’s simple, with minimal steps involved for both the meat and the orange sauce. The author calls it one of the easiest fancy dishes, but you will score the skin, render the fat, and watch the temperature, so plan on about 45 minutes and treat it as moderate. Speaking of the sauce, it’s sweet, tart, and rich! Duck à l’orange is a French classic, although the Italians claim it migrated from Italy to France. This version uses honey, rosemary, garlic, and oranges.

Region: French classic (Italian roots are claimed)   ·   Time: 45 min   ·   Level: Moderate

From Always Use Butter | Duck à l’Orange

Seafood Dinner Ideas From France

Five seafood dinners, from a 13-minute sole meunière to a 40-minute seared tuna niçoise.

If you love the classic flavors of French cuisine but want to try something a bit unexpected, these French seafood dinner recipes are just what you need. If you haven't tried adding seafood to your favorite French meals yet, now is the perfect time!

Some of these French dinner recipes require little effort and can be ready in under an hour, making them ideal for busy weeknight dinners or last-minute entertaining.

Wine Poached Cod

Try this French-style dinner recipe for wine-poached cod with sweet onion drizzle! It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, nut-free, paleo, and perfect for a romantic evening. Key ingredients include Alaskan cod filets, burgundy cooking wine, and dried crushed rosemary. Poaching fish in wine is a classic French technique, and this quick version needs only about 8 minutes. The recipe doesn’t claim a French origin; it's the cooking method.

Region: French-style technique   ·   Time: Quick (total not stated)   ·   Level: Easy

From Strength & Sunshine | Wine-Poached Cod

Sole Meunière

Sole Meunière is an easy, delectable fish dinner sure to please. The sole fillets are flaky and lightly browned. You will be amazed at how tasty the simple brown butter lemon sauce is too. Meunière means “miller’s wife”, a nod to dredging the fish in flour before pan-frying it in butter. It is a bistro classic, and the dish that famously sparked Julia Child’s love of French cooking.

Region: Classic French bistro dish   ·   Time: 13 min   ·   Level: Easy

From Vanilla Bean Cuisine | Sole Meunière

French Mussels

Moules Marinières (or French Mussels) simmer in a white wine sauce and get their name from the sailor-style (marinière) way of cooking them. They are extremely popular in France too! This dish is sure to put a smile on the face of hungry eaters. The linked recipe uses butter and cream, and it is ready in about 15 minutes. Mr. Misadventures and I love this dish; our favorite version is with Roquefort cheese melted into white wine and butter.

Region: French coast (sailor-style)   ·   Time: 15 min   ·   Level: Easy.

From Cooking Gorgeous | Moules Marinières

Oysters Mornay

You can make oysters mornay with either shucked or half-shell shellfish. Either way works great; just thaw them overnight in the refrigerator. They’re fantastic for a fancy party appetizer. Mornay is a béchamel sauce flavored with cheese (Swiss, in this recipe) and enriched with egg yolk. The author treats these as an appetizer, so serve them as a first course or with a salad for a light dinner.

Region: Classic French Mornay sauce   ·   Time: 26 min   ·   Level: Easy

From Sabrina Currie | Oysters Mornay

Seared Tuna Niçoise Salad

When you’re making this French dinner recipe for Niçoise salad, use fresh tuna steaks. Choose between ahi or albacore, fresh or frozen, for the best quality. Unless, of course, you’re lucky enough to live near a fresh fish market by the ocean! 

Salade niçoise comes from Nice, and the recipe notes that the original didn’t contain potatoes. This seared-tuna version adds asparagus and arugula. Want a low-carb version? Try my low-carb Salade Niçoise.

Region: Nice   ·   Time: 40 min   ·   Level: Moderate

From Sabrina Currie | Niçoise salad

Also, try my own low-carb version of Salade Niçoise.

Vegetarian Recipes

Five meat-free dishes. The ratatouille, stuffed eggplants, and potato galette can carry a dinner; the celeriac gratin and potatoes boulangère are best as sides.

Classic Ratatouille

Traditional ratatouille looks super fancy, but it’s so simple and rustic. It’s delicious, comforting, and packed with fresh vegetables. You will love the onions, eggplants, and zucchini! Ratatouille is a vegetable dish from southern France. The author labels this version vegan and gluten-free, and it takes about an hour and a half.

Region: Provence and Nice   ·   Time: 1 hr 30 min   ·   Level: Moderate

From Happy Kitchen Rocks | Ratatouille

Stuffed Eggplants

French stuffed eggplants are healthy, gluten-free, and perfect for lunch or dinner. You will need eggplants, olive oil, salt, pepper, onion, garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes, basil, parsley, and Parmesan. The author adapted the recipe from Les Carnets de Cuisine de Monet, the kitchen diaries of the painter Claude Monet, so it is home cooking from Giverny rather than a regional classic. It is vegetarian and takes about 40 minutes; the Parmesan means it is not vegan.

Region: From Monet’s kitchen diaries (Giverny)   ·   Time: 40 min   ·   Level: Easy

From Happy Kitchen Rocks | stuffed eggplants

Potato Galette

This potato galette is a homemade French dish you can serve at a party. You will need AP flour, Salt, cold butter, eggs, water, potatoes, basil pesto, Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. A galette is a flat, round French pastry. This savory one applies that technique to Italian flavors (basil pesto and Parmesan), so think French-inspired rather than traditional. Allow about an hour and a half, including 30 minutes of chilling.

Region: French technique, Italian flavors   ·   Time: 1 hr 30 min (incl. chilling)   ·   Level: Easy to moderate

From In the Kitch | Potato Galette

Celeriac Gratin

If you enjoy fresh, earthy, rustic notes, then this celeriac gratin is right up your alley. This French dinner recipe idea uses spices like cayenne, smoked paprika, and thyme! It is a low-carb take on the classic potato gratin (gratin dauphinois) and works as a side dish, though the author says it can stand on its own as a main. The recipe is vegetarian and keto-friendly, uses cream, milk, and cheddar, and takes about 1 hour 50 minutes.

Region: Inspired by gratin dauphinois   ·   Time: 1 hr 50 min   ·   Level: Easy to moderate

From Greedy Gourmet | Celeriac Gratin

Potato Boulangère

Potato Boulangère is French for “potatoes from the bakers.” Bakers originally cooked this recipe for rural townspeople who didn’t have ovens. It’s lovely for holidays and special occasions. It is a side dish that goes with almost any roast. It has no cream, so it is lighter than a dauphinoise, and the recipe offers chicken or vegetable stock (use vegetable stock to keep it vegetarian).

Region: French village tradition (the baker’s oven)   ·   Time: 1 hr 35 min   ·   Level: Easy

From Cooking Gorgeous | Potato Boulangère

Cozy French Dinners for Autumn and Winter

Hearty, warming dinners for cooler evenings, from a slow beef braise to a cheesy potato bake.

Beef Bourguignon

Beef bourguignon is the classic beef braise of Burgundy: beef slow-cooked in red wine with bacon. This version comes from Géraldine Leverd, a French food blogger, who says it is not a difficult dish, just one that needs patience. She suggests a Pinot Noir, Syrah, or Merlot.

Region: Burgundy   ·   Time: 3 hr 15 min   ·   Level: Easy (needs patience)

From La Cuisine de Geraldine | Beef bourguignon

Poulet Basquaise

Poulet basquaise is chicken braised with peppers and tomatoes, a traditional recipe from the Basque Country in southwest France. This version is from Paris-based writer Meg Bortin and also uses cured ham. Allow about an hour, including a fair amount of prep.

Region: Basque Country   ·   Time: About 1 hr   ·   Level: Moderate

From Every Day French Chef | Poulet basquaise

Tartiflette

Tartiflette is a baked dish from Savoie in the French Alps: potatoes, smoked lardons, and Reblochon cheese, a staple of ski-chalet suppers. The linked recipe takes about 40 minutes and suggests mushrooms instead of lardons for a vegetarian version.

Region: Savoie   ·   Time: 40 min   ·   Level: Moderate

From The Good Life France | Tartiflette

Pheasant Casserole

How do you buy a proper pheasant? The author recommends choosing a whole one with feet and a head. Even better if it’s been hung for 2-3 days for maximum flavor. The recipe comes from a UK food blogger who calls it Anglo-French, with bacon and cider in the style of northwest France, so think French-inspired. Pheasant is in season from October to February, and the recipe lists a long, slow cook of about seven hours.

Region: Anglo-French, northwest France influence   ·   Time: About 7 hr (6 hr 40 min cook)   ·   Level: Moderate

From Krumpli | Pheasant Casserole

Flammkuchen

This delicious Flammkuchen is a timeless French dinner recipe that’s also known as Tarte Flambée. It has something for everyone, as a flatbread from Alsace, in northeastern France on the German border. In Alsace, it's called Flammekueche; in the rest of France, tarte flambée; and in Germany, Flammkuchen.

Region: Alsace   ·   Time: 1 hr (incl. 30 min rest)   ·   Level: Easy.

From Recipes from Europe | Flammkuchen

Now you’re ready to visit France in the comfort of your own home with these classic French dinner recipes. You will love all these ideas, from stew and duck to mussels and more! 

French Dinner Recipes FAQ

Bonus: Pan-Seared Salmon

The French eat a lot of salmon, usually pan-seared with some sort of sauce. It is simple and elegant, especially when having guests. This pan-seared salmon requires only 5-simple ingredients. That’s right, all you need is salmon filets, lemon, butter, basil, and chives. Pro tip: pat the fish dry with clean paper towels before serving. 

From Craving California | Pan-seared Salmon

Bonus: Braised Beef Short Ribs

In French cuisine, searing short ribs over high heat is an essential first step to build a deep Maillard crust before slow-braising them in wine, stock, and aromatics. Many French short rib recipes exist, including Short Ribs à la Bourguignonne or Ribs au Poivre. When you make this braised beef short ribs recipe, sear all sides. This way, you'll get the best flavor and texture. It also adds more flavor to the pan sauce!

From Sugar & Soul |  Braised beef short ribs

How about you? Do you have a favorite French dinner recipe that is missing? Do share! Are you itching to try one of these? Do tell!

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