12 French Chicken Recipes to Make Right Now

Naomi Tomky
Naomi Tomky
Seattle-based writer Naomi Tomky uses her unrelenting enthusiasm for eating everything to propel herself around the world as an award-winning food and travel writer.
updated Apr 26, 2023
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Platter filled with chicken thighs in a creamy French mustard sauce cooking in a slow cooker
Credit: Joe Lingeman

The French have a way with chicken — a certain poultry-based je ne sais quoi, if you will — that allows them to turn that often-finicky, sometimes-bland bird into a riot of textures and flavors (crispy, creamy, garlicky, mustardy, and oh-so-often with plenty of wine).

The French versions of chicken dishes are usually fairly simple, not too much work, and always return the effort three-fold in flavor. These are a few of our favorites.

French Chicken Dishes

1 / 12
Braised French Onion Chicken with Gruyère
Caramelized onions braise with chicken and broth, all topped with a thick layer of melty Gruyère cheese.
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2 / 12
Slow Cooker Creamy French Mustard Chicken
Tender braised chicken bathed in a creamy French mustard wine sauce.
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3 / 12
The Easiest Chicken Cordon Bleu
A weeknight-friendly version of the retro dinner dish, in which crispy breaded chicken and a rosy slice of ham is wrapped around an oozy cheesy center.
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4 / 12
Chicken Cordon Bleu Casserole
This leftover-friendly recipe turns this classic chicken dish into a cheesy casserole.
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5 / 12
Weeknight Coq au Vin

Chicken thighs, dried porcini mushrooms, a red onion, pancetta, and red wine make up this classic French dish.

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6 / 12
Dorie Greenspan's Herb-Butter Chicken
Whole chicken roasted in a Dutch oven and flavored with herbed butter from Dorie Greenspan's "Everyday Dorie" cookbook.
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7 / 12
Chicken Jardinière

This braise pairs juicy dark-meat chicken with a full range of vegetables from the garden.

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8 / 12
Jacques Pépin's Garlic Chicken Breasts with Garlic and Parsley

This recipe promises everything your crispy-chicken-loving heart desired, with the help of a bit of Wondra flour and a nonstick skillet.

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9 / 12
Chicken Liver Pâté with Sage, Apple and Thyme

Cooked down with apple, shallots, fresh herbs and brandy, lowly liver transforms into an umami-rich spread that can be made up to one week ahead and will have even those hesitant about liver reaching for more.

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10 / 12
French Bistro Salad with Rotisserie Chicken
A 20-minute dinner salad inspired by the roasted chicken salad at Buvette, a French bistro in NYC’s West Village.
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11 / 12
Chicken Paillard
Chicken paillard is just as quick and easy to make as it is flavorful.
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12 / 12
Mayo Roast Chicken
During roasting, the mayonnaise plays a dual role by helping keep the meat tender and rendering the skin crisp.
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