Whether it’s a comforting stew, a one-pan dinner, or an elegant dish for hosting – a weeknight chicken recipe is always winner. And for that, the classic French cooking repertoire has it all figured out with delicious chicken recipes you can easily recreate at home.
From the classic Coq Au Vin, to the Chicken Marengo and French Roast Chicken, here is a roundup of my favorite French chicken recipes from the blog. These are sure to please your family and guests this season.
Let me know in the comments if you’ve made one (or several) of them, and which one is your favorite. Enjoy, and bon appétit !
Chicken Fricassée with Shallots and Bacon
A French Chicken Fricassée is the perfect combination of simplicity and comfort.This French classic featuring chicken seared in butter and then braised in white wine, likely knows as many variations as there are grandmothers in France – and for good reason. It is a simple single-pot recipe that uses humble ingredients, comes together easily and is very versatile. With shallots and bacon, this version of a Chicken Fricassée is deliciously sweet, salty, and full of comfort.
French Chicken And Mushroom Pie (Tourte)
Known as a “Tourte”, this homemade French Chicken and Mushroom Pie is a comfort food classic through and through. It features two flaky sheets of puff pastry (homemade or store bought), encasing a creamy filling of mushrooms, bacon and chicken breast pieces, flavored with thyme and Dijon mustard. This is a wonderfully hearty dish, perfect for autumn or winter.
French Chicken Marengo
Chicken Marengo is a classic French dish named after the Battle of Marengo, a victory for Napoleon’s French troops in 1800. This saucy one-pot dish is a tasty combination of chicken thighs braised in a white wine, tomato and mushroom sauce – livened up with orange zest. This is a wholesome meal to serve for your family or dinner guests, and is guaranteed to please.
Classic French Coq Au Vin Rouge
Quintessentially French, Coq Au Vin Rouge (literally “rooster in red wine”) is an iconic dish from the rustic cooking repertoire of France. Made from a whole chicken cut into 8 pieces, with bacon, mushrooms and carrots, it is traditionally cooked using Burgundy red wine, resulting in its signature purplish sauce.
Chicken Breasts in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Behold this quick and simple recipe: chicken breasts cooked in a creamy mushroom sauce! It is a simple dish that can be made in a single pan or skillet, filled with so much flavor and comfort for a warming dinner. Best of all, it can be on the table in about half an hour, making it the perfect square family meal for any day of the week.
French Roast Chicken
Known as Poulet Rôti, a French Roast Chicken is an unbeatable favorite in any household to wrap up the week. In true French fashion, mine is full of garlic, herbs and lots of butter – sneaked both under and over the skin before cooking and basted with plenty more during cooking. The result is succulent flavors, juicy meat all around and a crispy golden skin.
Coq Au Vin Blanc
Quintessentially French, Coq au Vin (literally “rooster in wine”) is a mastodon of our cooking repertoire. Made from a whole chicken cut in 8 pieces, with bacon, mushrooms and carrots, it is traditionally cooked using red wine resulting in a purple-ish sauce. But its “Blanc” version, using dry white wine, is lighter, with brighter flavors and is just a little bit more elegant, if you ask me.
Creamy French Tarragon Chicken
Chicken, fresh tarragon, cream and white wine are no strangers to a French kitchen – and they all come together wonderfully in this classic French-bistro fare. This creamy French Chicken Tarragon, known as “Poulet à l’Estragon”, is a simple one-pan recipe that’s both comforting and fresh tasting. Chicken thighs are first browned and braised in white wine for tenderness. Cream is then added for extra richness. But it’s really fresh tarragon, a staple herb in French cooking with assertive aniseed-like notes, that gives the distinctive flavor to this unique dish.
French Hunter’s Chicken Stew
A classic from the French repertoire, this Chicken Chasseur is a stew originally born from hunters returning home with their bounty of small game and wild mushrooms. In this classic version of the dish, bone-in chicken pieces and loads of mushrooms are braised in tomato sauce with white wine and fresh herbs, with a big dollop of butter to enrich the sauce at the end.
Poule Au Pot (Chicken in a pot)
Literally named “Chicken in a Pot”, Poule Au Pot is a traditional Sunday dinner in France. This rustic yet healthy dish consists of a whole chicken cooked with vegetables in a flavorful broth (no store-bought stock needed!). For such a simple recipe, the result is an incredibly flavorful dish, with fall-off-the-bone chicken guaranteed every time!
Bacon-Wrapped Chicken Breasts in Grape Sauce
Literally named “Chicken in a Pot”, Poule Au Pot is a traditional Sunday dinner in France. This rustic yet healthy dish consists of a whole chicken cooked with vegetables in a flavorful broth (no store-bought stock needed!). For such a simple recipe, the result is an incredibly flavorful dish, with fall-off-the-bone chicken guaranteed every time!
If you try any of these French Weeknight Chicken Recipes, let us know! Leave a comment, rate them, and don’t forget to tag a photo @pardonyourfrench on Instagram. Bon appétit !
