The Best French Appetizer Recipes

12 Fabulous French Appetizer Recipes That Bring the Bistro Home

Updated on August 26, 2022

Mixed Olive Tapenade

A pleasingly pungent Provençal spread of olives, anchovies, capers, and garlic pairs well with sliced baguette or crudités.

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Grilled-Shrimp Grand Aioli

This grand spread will transport your friends to the South of France. There's a platter of shrimp and vegetables with two delectable sauces for dipping: an avocado aioli and a sprightly mint-mustard vinaigrette. Most of elements are served chilled or room temperature, so it's largely make-ahead.

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Provençal Onion Tart

Our puff-pastry take on the pizza-like pissaladiere has slivered olives, anchovies, and plenty of onions. Using frozen puff pastry means it's perfect for last-minute get-togethers or casual cocktails.

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Steak Tartare

The ultimate bistro appetizer can be made at home. The secret to serving a restaurant-quality iteration? Be sure to use the best quality beef tenderloin you can find.

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Baked Brie with Boozy Fruit

C'est formidable! This pastry-encrusted baked brie is a crowd pleasing way to start a meal. Plus it's easy, since it calls for frozen puff pastry. Serve yours with a port-spiked fruit compote (the boozy fruit!), apple slices, and baguette.

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Asparagus-Gruyère Tart

Store-bought puff pastry gives you a jump-start when making this beautiful, savory tart. Top it with shredded Gruyère cheese and asparagus spears, bake until golden-brown, and cut into dainty squares for a totally irresistible hors d'oeuvre.

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Chicken-Liver Mousse with Raspberry Jelly

chicken liver mousse crostini recipe — Christopher Testani

Exquisite and easy, the rich combination of chicken liver and butter is beautifully complemented by sweet-tart raspberry jelly.

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Roasted Beets with Tarragon

Golden beets with red endive recipe — YASU+JUNKO

The rich sweetness of roasted beets, the fresh anise scent of tarragon, and the crisp bitterness of endive leaves come together in one perfect bite.

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Herb-Cheese Palmiers

A classic French pastry gets a savory makeover with Parmesan, cheddar, and your choice of fresh herbs folded up in a sheet of puff pastry.

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Plateau de Fruits de Mer with Two Sauces

"Fruits de mer" is the French term for seafood—it literally means "fruits of the sea." Present a bounteous harvest of shrimp, oysters, and lobster tails with simple homemade sauces on a bed of crushed ice for a spectacular start to the meal.

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Mushroom-and-Goat-Cheese Purses

Buttery bundles of crisp phyllo pastry hold a treasure of sautéed mushrooms, shallots, thyme, and creamy tidbits of goat cheese.

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Oysters with Champagne-Tarragon Mignonette

oysters with champagne viniagrette recipe

Oysters on the half-shell, Champagne (vinegar), and fresh tarragon: What could possibly be more French than this trio?

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Lemon-Parsley Gougères

lemon parsley gougere puffs — Quentin Bacon

Egg-rich choux pastry gets a savory punch from cayenne pepper, lemon zest, scallions, and parsley. Once the dough is piped into rounds, it can be frozen for up to one month before baking.

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