10 Best Julia Child Recipes (2024)

With these Julia Child recipes, you’ll almost feel like you’ve been to culinary school!

I’ve recognized Julia Child as a household name ever since I was young, but it wasn’t until I saw the film, Julie and Julia, that I truly gained an appreciation for just how much of an icon she was.

10 Best Julia Child Recipes (1)

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If you aren’t familiar with her story, Julia Child was an American woman who developed a passion for food and wound up graduating from the Cordon Bleu cooking school in Paris.

She then studied with master chefs, and through her book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, she brought the techniques of French cooking into the kitchens of millions of Americans.

She also went on to star in a cooking show, The French Chef, in which she connected with many American housewives for being real and authentic.

Julia’s tried-and-true recipes have been celebrated for decades, and they’re still being made in plenty of homes today.

I’ve rounded up some of my all-time favorite Julia Child recipes, so get ready to venture into the world of French cooking with the master herself!

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1. Julia Child’s French Onion Soup

This is perhaps one of Julia’s most highly sought-after recipes.

The hearty beef and onion broth is topped with toasted bread and melted cheese for a soup that’s so delicious, it’ll almost make you weep.

Serve this one with extra French bread on the side for dipping so you can soak up all the onion goodness.

2. Quiche Lorraine

I’m sure you’ve heard of quiche Lorraine before, right? That’s all thanks to Julia Child, as her recipe is the one that made it so popular.

Made with bacon, onion, eggs, cream, three types of cheese, and spices, this classic is perfect for breakfast, brunch, or even dinner.

To save yourself a bit of time, use a store-bought pie crust. The filling is so decadent, nobody will notice if you don’t make it from scratch.

3. Beef Bourguignon

It really doesn’t get much more decadent than beef bourguignon. It’s basically beef that’s slow-simmered in a rich, red wine gravy, and it’s to die for.

While you can cut corners and make this in a slower cooker or Instant Pot, if you want to do it the Julia Child way, it’s a long, slow process on the stovetop that will take you all day.

However, the effort is more than worth it for how amazing the resulting stew is. Prepare to be incredibly impressed with yourself after making this recipe.

4. French Crepes

Treat yourself this weekend and turn your kitchen into a Parisian cafe with this recipe for French crepes.

Learning to perfect crepes can take a bit of patience, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll whip these up all the time.

You can fill them with whatever you like, whether it be chocolate, fruit, or different kinds of cheese.

Crepes are so versatile, plus, they’re light and wonderful.

5. Julia Child’s Coq au Vin

This recipe may look intimidating, but it’s actually one of Julia’s easier ones!

Coq au vin is basically just what it sounds like — chicken and wine. Well, it’s slow-cooked chicken and vegetables in a wine sauce, that is.

Using the slow cooker for this dish won’t take away from the experience, so I highly suggest it. Plus, your house will smell amazing as it cooks all day.

6. Potato Leek Soup

This rich, velvety soup is a great vegetarian option, though it does call for chicken stock and a touch of cream.

If you want to make it vegan, use vegetable stock instead and omit the cream or use a plant-based cream product.

If you want to get the best texture for this soup, you’ll need a food mill, as it results in a better consistency than a blender or food processor.

7. Julia Child’s Roast Chicken

This is the recipe to bring out when you’re having guests and truly want to impress them.

Roast chicken may be a simple dish, but it’s a classic that no one can resist.

It really isn’t all that difficult, though you’ll want to follow Julia’s recipe exactly, including basting the bird and rotating it so that the skin turns out nice and golden.

Served with a baguette, roasted vegetables, and a side salad, this is a winning meal that you can’t go wrong with.

8. Dauphinoise Potatoes

Stop reading this post right now and bookmark the recipe for these potatoes. They’re seriously the side dish of all side dishes.

They’re similar to scalloped potatoes but so much creamier.

They have layers of thinly-sliced potatoes, cream, butter, cheese, and then there’s thyme for seasoning. I swear, each bite of these babies is better than the last.

When these come out of the oven bubbling, you’ll barely get them to the table before people are asking for seconds.

9. Julia Child’s Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce

Oh my goodness. I served this to some friends recently when they came over for dinner, and everyone at the table was ooh-ing and ahh-ing over how incredible this dish is!

The mushrooms, chicken, and cream come together and create the most irresistible sauce.

I picked up a crusty French bread to go along with this meal, and we were all sopping up the sauce to clean our plates when dinner was over.

And not surprisingly, everyone at the party asked me for the recipe, and they were over-the-top delighted to hear it was from Julia Child!

10. Julia Child’s Madeleines

No Julia Child meal is complete without her French Madeleines.

These light cookies are flavored with lemon zest and vanilla extract, so they’re a delicious ending to whatever you’re serving.

Biting into one of these cookies is reminiscent of being in a French bakery, especially with their cute shell shape.

You’ll want to buy molds for these if you want them to come out truly authentic, but it’s worth the small expense. These silicone Madeleine molds are just $8.99 on Amazon.

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10 Best Julia Child Recipe Collection

With these Julia Child recipes, you’ll almost feel like you’ve been to culinary school! From French onion soup to coq au vin, master the art of French cooking with the legend herself.

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10 Best Julia Child Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What is Julia Child's favorite dish? ›

Vichyssoise. Well-known as one of Julia Child's favorite dishes, this chilled leek and potato soup is startling in its simplicity. Aside from the leek, potato, and water, Child's version of the soup calls for barely any additional ingredients.

What is Julia Child's best dessert? ›

Julia Child's timeless desserts - Charlotte Malakoff, Crêpes Suzette, and Chocolate Mousse - are a testament to the elegance and sophistication of French cuisine. Each dessert offers a unique and delightful experience, combining classic techniques with high-quality ingredients to create memorable flavors.

What was the meal that changed Julia Child's life? ›

For their first meal in France, Paul ordered oysters, sole meunière and a green salad. Child devoured the meal, calling it “perfection.” Alex Prud'homme, Child's grandnephew and cowriter of her memoir, “My Life in France,” opened the book with this now famous scene.

What did Julia Child eat for breakfast? ›

Child -- put me and them at ease with her genuine friendliness and zest for living. She ordered a hearty breakfast -- grapefruit half, plain yogurt, fried egg, 2 strips bacon, toast with butter and preserves, orange juice, and coffee with milk -- and ate most of it despite constant interruptions.

What was Julia Child's favorite soup? ›

Let's test her vichyssoise recipe to find out! Soup was one of Julia Child's favorite things to eat, and reportedly, her absolute favorite was vichyssoise.

What was Julia Child's favorite cake? ›

A Reine de Saba cake is a French, rich, sophisticated, chocolate cake made with ground almonds, rum, meringue and of course chocolate. It's topped with a chocolate ganache and can be decorated with almond slices. It's said to be one of the first French cakes that Julia Child ever ate and fell in love with!

What size was Julia's Child? ›

Growing to a height of six feet, two inches, Child was the natural choice to be captain of the school's basketball team. She was also president of the Vagabonds, a hiking club. Child's parents always intended for her to go on to college after high school.

What is Julia Child's most famous? ›

She is recognized for bringing French cuisine to the American public with her debut cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and her subsequent television programs, the most notable of which was The French Chef, which premiered in 1963. Pasadena, California, U.S.

What did Julia Child have for her last meal? ›

Child's last meal of French onion soup was actually prepared by someone else; though, The Los Angeles Times reported when the news of her death broke. Though Child was in her own home when it happened, her assistant Stephanie Hersh was the one who had cooked the French onion soup.

What dessert made Julia Child cry? ›

On her favorite Julia Child moment:

They made brioche and at the end of it, Nancy looked at Julia to ask her how it was. Julia was not responsive. She was almost in tears. All of us, as foodies and as bakers, make stuff hoping that people will eat it and go speechless — that is saying more than anything else.

What brand of oven did Julia Child use? ›

Thermador Thermal Convection Oven used by Julia Child.

What was Julia Child's favorite store? ›

Where did Julia Child shop? Aside from the many French restaurants Julia would frequent, her favourite place to go was E. Dehillerin — a French cookware store in Paris. Established in 1820, this historic landmark was Julia's treasure trove of copper pots during her time living in Paris in the 50s'.

What was Julia Child's favorite meal? ›

Julia Child's Favorite Roast Chicken

Child seasoned this roast chicken inside and out by packing sautéed vegetables, lemon slices, and fresh herbs into the cavity, then rubbing the skin with butter. In typical French fashion, she trussed the bird to promote even cooking.

Did Julia Child have a stroke? ›

Ten years later, in 2004, Julia Child died two days short of her 92nd birthday. In the last year of her life she suffered knee surgeries, kidney failure, and a stroke.

What is Julia Child's accent? ›

The Trans-Atlantic Accent (or the Mid-Atlantic Accent) was a style of speech taught in affluent schools along the East Coast and in Hollywood Film Studios from the late nineteen tens until the mid-forties. Although most of its speakers – including Julia Child, Franklin D.

What is the best Julia Child dessert? ›

This Queen of Sheba Chocolate Cake is one of Julia Child's most famous recipes, and for all the right reasons. It's a simple cake recipe that yields a rich chocolatey taste with hints of almonds and a thin layer of chocolate buttercream to wow your guests.

Did Julia Child make an omelette? ›

Julia Child's 20-Second Omelet

Whisk eggs, salt, pepper, and water until the yolks and whites are just combined; do not over-beat. Heat a nonstick pan over high heat. Add the butter, which should sizzle immediately, and move the pan around to coat.

What did Julia Child cook on her first show? ›

"Bon appétit!"

It was on a 1961 promotional tour for Mastering the Art of French Cooking that Julia made her first contact with public television, as a guest on a GBH book review show called I've Been Reading. She arrived with a hot plate, giant whisk, and eggs and made an omelette on the set.

How did Julia Child fall in love with food? ›

Chinese cuisine helped Julia Child fall in love with cooking, and her husband. During World War II, Child enlisted to become one of the thousands of women working for the Office of Strategic Services, which would evolve into the Central Intelligence Agency.

What food did Julia bring? ›

In George Orwell's novel 1984, Julia surprises Winston by bringing special foods such as real chocolate, bread, jam, and coffee - all of which are luxuries in their society. These items beautifully echo their growing intimacy and the pleasure they take in challenging societal norms.

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