If you can’t spend Christmas in Paris, you can still bring France into your home this holiday season with a traditional French Christmas dinner! Use our tips to plan the perfect French Christmas meal. Often the larger meal for the holidays is actually on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day in France, so often this meal would be a French Christmas Eve dinner. Whether you are planning to serve a special French meal on Christmas Eve or on Christmas Day, you will love these Traditional French Christmas food suggestions.
As with all special dinners here in France, Christmas dinner is typically served in several courses starting with apéritif, one or two entrees, a main course and a cheese and salad course, followed by one (or more) desserts and Champagne and ending with a digestif.
Choose from our French Christmas food list to prepare the perfect French Christmas dinner at home.
French Christmas Dinner Menu
French Cocktail (or Apéritif)
Apéro is one of our favorite French Christmas customs. Start the meal with Champagne or a fresh and fruity cocktail like a Hugo Spritz. This cocktail is made with a simple mixture of Prosecco, Saint Germain liquor (or Elderflower syrup), lemon and fresh mint.
Hugo Spritz Cocktail
Kir Breton
One of our favorite French cocktail from the Brittany region! You will need cider and blackcurrant liquor (crème de cassis).
French Entrees
You could also choose one of these appetizers in France to start your meal off the right way. With all of this beautiful seafood, you will feel like you are eating in Boulogne sur Mer in no time.
French Chestnut Soup
Chestnut soup has to be one of the tastiest soups. It’s rich and velvety and filled with flavor. It’s the perfect starter for your Christmas dinner.
French Garlic Shrimp
It is a tradition to eat seafood on Christmas in France. We will typically enjoy a selection of oysters, shrimp and whelks with a cold glass of white wine before the main course. If you are a seafood lover as well, you will love our garlic shrimp recipe. It is a quick recipe to prepare and you can enjoy the shrimp right away – slightly warm – or prepare a bit in advance and enjoy cold.
Main Course
Salmon Meuniere
We developed this salmon recipe earlier this year as a spin off of a traditional French fish dish, sole meunière. A meunière preparation involves butter and flour…
Magret de Canard
Classic magret de canard was initially prepared in South Western France. It is quick and simple to prepare if you follow the steps in our recipe. In my opinion, there are few meals more delicious than a properly cooked magret de canard. You and your guests are sure to love it!
French Christmas Desserts
Chestnut and Pear Bûche de Noel
One of the best bûche combinations in chestnut and pear. We’ll be sharing out chestnut and pear Christmas bûche soon.
Get the recipe here (recipe coming soon!)
If you want to serve some smaller French desserts with Champagne at the end of the meal, you could serve some homemade brown butter financiers, chocolate dipped madeleines or these French cookies.
Traditional French Christmas Dinner
I hope our tips and recipes help you plan your very own traditional Christmas dinner at home!
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