Healthy French Chicken Recipes

To make traditional cordon bleu, you layer prosciutto (or other ham) and cheese in between thin slices of chicken or veal, then bread and sauté the whole stack. This quick, easy version keeps the flavors the same, but skips the fussy layering and breading steps. Serve with: Delicata squash and broccoli.

For the crispiest coating in this healthy baked chicken recipe, be sure to start with coarse dry breadcrumbs, or toast fresh breadcrumbs in the oven until they're dry before pressing onto the chicken. If you like, prepare this dish with 8 thighs and 8 drumsticks instead of the leg quarters--the cooking time stays the same.

A classic cassoulet recipe is made with a variety of fatty meats like duck confit and pork sausage and cooked over the course of multiple days. This healthy cassoulet recipe is streamlined and lightened up with the use of pork shoulder, turkey kielbasa sausage and boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Pork butt (or shoulder) is usually sold as a larger cut of meat, but if you ask at the butcher counter, it's easy to get a smaller piece for this recipe.

Fricassee is a classic French stew of chicken and vegetables, cooked in white wine and finished with a touch of cream. The light tarragon-infused sauce begs to be sopped up with crusty bread.

Steaming “en papillote” ensures that none of the nutrients are lost during the cooking process.

Here is one simple technique that guarantees juicy results every time. First, pound the chicken: making it thinner ensures quick and even cooking. Next, dredge the chicken lightly in seasoned flour, which helps it turn deep golden brown when sauteed. After the chicken is cooked, deglaze the skillet with broth, wine or a little water to make a pan sauce. The liquid loosens the flavor-boosting browned bits from the bottom of the pan, making a tastier sauce.

Combining smoke and heat, this dish is easy and quick to assemble. If you like fiery food, cut long slits in the peppers to release their juices. Four jalapeños, which are more readily available, may be substituted for the habaneros (also called Scotch bonnets), but the habaneros contribute a flavor all their own. Smoked chicken is available in specialty meat shops. Serve hot over rice.

When a whole bird is just too much--time and effort, as well as size--there is a quicker, simpler way: what's known in French cuisine as a roulade. Using a boneless turkey breast, butterflied and flattened, you can serve a beautiful spiral of juicy meat and herb-flecked stuffing that cooks in an hour and is a cinch to carve. Here, the turkey braises in thyme-infused apple cider, creating the basis for a savory sweet-tart gravy that gives the dish an elegant finish.

In this healthy recipe makeover, chicken breast replaces sliced beef and we skip cheese for a healthier, but still delicious dunkable French dip sandwich. Serve with a mixed green salad or a vinegary slaw.

The combination of citrus and thyme infuses both chicken and gravy with a fresh herb flavor.

The bird is spatchcocked and grilled in this five-ingredient chicken recipe, cutting cooking time in half. A glug of Banyuls, a fortified red wine from the Occitanie region of France, adds special flavor to an otherwise-simple marinade. Try NV Domaine La Tour Vieille Banyuls Reserva ($27).

Even if you're only feeding four, it is a good idea to roast two chickens at once. It takes the same amount of time and then you have leftovers to use for sandwiches, soup or salad.

Grown-up and sophisticated, this salad will make you happy you're not a finicky kid. For an even dressier spin, substitute boneless skinless duck breasts for the chicken.