19 Thomas Keller Recipes to Make at Home From lemon-brined fried chicken and mushroom quiche to salt-baked branzino and braised lamb, these recipes bring Keller’s cooking into your home kitchen. By Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann Jodie Kautzmann is an editor, baker, and confectioner with more than 15 years of experience in content creation, recipe development, and pastry production. She's obsessed with the fine details and ingredients that take dishes from tasty to outright otherworldly. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Mrigaa Sethi Mrigaa Sethi Mrigaa Sethi is a writer, editor, and home cook with over 13 years of experience in food, travel, and lifestyle magazines, ranging from alt-weeklies in Bangkok to monthly airline glossies in Singapore and New York City. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 3, 2026 Add Us On SAVE ALL RECIPES NEW! Save as a collection on MyRecipes Close Credit: Food & Wine / Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling Julian Hensarling Food & Wine began naming Best New Chefs in 1988, and Thomas Keller was among the first group to receive the honor. At that time, he was cooking at his first restaurant, Rakel, in New York City; Andrew Zimmern was a line cook there, and Tom Colicchio was a sous chef. Keller left Rakel for California in 1990 when his business partner decided to take the restaurant in a different direction amid an economic downturn. It wasn’t long before Keller learned about a certain restaurant space for sale in Napa Valley; in July 1994, The French Laundry opened its doors. The James Beard Foundation named Keller the Best California Chef in 1996 and the Best Chef in America in 1997. By 2003, The French Laundry ranked number one among the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Keller went on to open several more restaurants, including Bouchon, Per Se, and Ad Hoc; both The French Laundry and Per Se hold three Michelin stars. Thomas Keller is known for applying American flavors to French classics. The recipes he’s contributed to Food & Wine span the styles found at his various outposts: We have comfort food recipes in the vein of Ad Hoc; inventive, elevated dishes like the ones found at The French Laundry; and even a Bouchon-inspired quiche. Cook your way through this collection of dishes for a taste of celebrated chef Thomas Keller at home. Love these recipes? Join MyRecipes — your personal home for recipes — to easily save and organize your favorites, plus thousands more, in one convenient place. 01 of 19 Panko-Coated Chicken Schnitzel Morgan Hunt Glaze / Prop Styling by Julia Bayless / Food Styling by Emily Nabors Hall Thomas Keller uses panko breadcrumbs to give his schnitzel a crunchy crust, then serves it with a simple brown butter, lemon, and caper sauce to offset the richness. “Pounding chicken breasts to a uniform thickness cuts down on cooking time,” he says, recommending a quarter-inch thickness all around. Get the Recipe Save 02 of 19 Whipped Yukon Gold Potatoes Food & Wine / Photo by Jake Sternquist / Food Styling by Annie Probst / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco Generous amounts of butter and heavy cream give Thomas Keller’s take on mashed potatoes their signature richness, balanced by the fluffiness from their journey through a food mill. They’re simple but a definite show-stealer. Get the Recipe Save 03 of 19 Over-the-Top Mushroom Quiche Food & Wine / Photo by Greg DuPree / Prop Styling by Christina Daley / Food Styling Julian Hensarling “I love quiche, but it has to be several inches high and made right,” says Thomas Keller. This extra-tall version — which is adapted from a recipe in his Bouchon cookbook and uses a full two pounds of mushrooms — just might be the perfect one. Mix the pastry dough ahead of time to lighten the workload. Get the Recipe Save 04 of 19 Crème Caramel Food & Wine / Photo by Brie Goldman / Food Styling by Charlie Worthington / Prop Styling by Natalie Ghazali Thomas Keller calls crème caramel the pinnacle of all bistro desserts. In this recipe from his Bouchon cookbook, he serves up an outstanding, silky vanilla custard in a pool of amber caramel. The ingredient list for each is relatively short; it’s all about technique and patience. Get the Recipe Save 05 of 19 Quick-Pickled Pearl Onions Matt Taylor-Gross / Food Styling by Barrett Washburne When Thomas Keller quick-pickles pearl onions, you know they’ll be something special. His recipe uses peppercorns, coriander, and plenty of mustard seeds to cut through rich roast meats and juicy grilled chicken. You can even use them to elevate a Gibson Martini. Get the Recipe Save 06 of 19 Lemon-Brined Fried Chicken Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Chelsea Zimmer / Prop Styling by Christine Keely A regular part of the monthly rotation at Ad Hoc, this crowd-favorite fried chicken starts with an overnight soak in a lemony brine with garlic, honey, and herbs. From there, the pieces are dipped in buttermilk, dredged in seasoned flour, and shallow-fried to crispy perfection. Get the Recipe Save 07 of 19 Summer Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette © David Malosh Inspired by Keller’s time at the former La Rive Restaurant in Catskill, New York, this summer salad is a French Laundry staple that adapts to whatever is fresh from the market. Use the recipe as a flexible guide for your best seasonal produce, then dress it in the silky, emulsified vinaigrette — whipped with garlic, shallots, plenty of Dijon, and a large egg yolk. Get the Recipe Save 08 of 19 Chanterelle Omelets with Fines Herbes Sauce © Andrew Purcell This may seem like a lot of work for a one-egg omelet. But when you have pristine chanterelles and a punchy sauce made with parsley, chives, chervil, and tarragon, you want only the most delicate sheet of egg enrobing it all. Get the Recipe Save 09 of 19 Olive Oil–Poached Cod with Mussels, Orange, and Chorizo © John Kernick Though The French Laundry version of this dish includes an orange gelée flavored with Espelette pepper, the home-cook-friendly variation matches the fish with an orange sauce vierge. Chopped chorizo and mussels add a smoky, briny complexity to the citrus. Get the Recipe Save 10 of 19 Beurre Monté Food & Wine / Photo by Jake Sternquist / Food Styling by Holly Dreesman / Prop Styling by Gabriel Greco Thomas Keller didn’t invent beurre monté, but it is a pillar of The French Laundry kitchen. Melting butter into a bit of hot water creates a liquid emulsion, and a workhorse sauce he can’t imagine cooking without: “We cook in it, rest meats in it, make sauces with it. It’s an extraordinary vehicle for both heat and flavor,” he says. Get the Recipe Save 11 of 19 Smoked Salmon Crisps © Quentin Bacon The lux, whimsical meals at The French Laundry have often kicked off with Keller’s salmon cornets. Here, the tuiles are left flat, saving you the tricky work of shaping cones. Simply whisk together a handful of pantry staples, spread the batter thin, and bake until golden. Get the Recipe Save 12 of 19 Slow-Cooked Lamb with Cipolini, Dates, Kale, and Almonds © Chris Court This is one of the more restaurant-driven recipes in the collection, featuring an array of supporting ingredients. But don’t let that distract you from the main event: tender, deeply savory lamb. Keller achieves perfection in three distinct steps: an overnight rub with garlic, piment d’Espelette, and thyme; a high-heat 30-minute oven sear; and a low-and-slow, three-hour braise. Get the Recipe Save 13 of 19 BLT Fried Egg and Cheese Sandwich © Kana Okada How does one of the world’s most famous chefs approach a late-night snack? By taking basic ingredients like thick-cut bacon, mayonnaise, and Monterey Jack to build an indulgent, three-in-one mash-up of a BLT, a grilled cheese, and a fried-egg sandwich. Get the Recipe Save 14 of 19 Whole Grilled Chicken with Wilted Arugula © Quentin Bacon “I don’t care if you’re sophisticated, with a boatload of money,” says Thomas Keller. “Roasted chicken makes you feel wonderful.” His easy method for grill-roasting a whole chicken involves covering the grill and leaving it alone for nearly an hour. Tossing rosemary sprigs on the hot coals imbues the bird with an incredible aroma. Get the Recipe Save 15 of 19 Iceberg Wedges with Bacon and Buttermilk Dressing © Max Kim-Bee The iceberg wedge salad is an American steakhouse icon, but at Keller’s family-style restaurant Ad Hoc in Yountville, California, it gets some important and delicious tweaks: The raw tomato is replaced with oven-roasted ones, the bacon is cut extra thick, and the buttermilk dressing is studded with chives, mint, and parsley. Get the Recipe Save 16 of 19 Salt-Baked Branzino © Chris Court This labor of love has three delicious elements: a refreshing, lemony salad of blanched and peeled cherry tomatoes; whole branzino baked in a salt-fennel crust; and a unique variation of pistou Provençal, made with lightly cooked zucchini, basil leaves, and garlic. Get the Recipe Save 17 of 19 Braised Vegetable Hash © Claire Thomas Keller’s take on vegetable hash is a light, colorful dish made with finely diced Yukon Gold potatoes, fennel, onion, and red bell pepper. Fresh thyme is the herb of choice, and a couple tablespoons of red wine vinegar keep things zippy. Try it with a fried egg on top. Get the Recipe Save 18 of 19 Sautéed Brussels Sprouts and Squash with Fried Sage © Max Kim-Bee This flavor-packed side dish combines some of our favorite fall flavors: sweet butternut squash, savory brussels sprouts, and crunchy, aromatic fried sage. Separating the brussels sprout leaves takes a bit of time, but it drastically speeds up their cook time. Get the Recipe Save 19 of 19 Fennel Mustard © Burcu Avsar From Keller’s cookbook Ad Hoc at Home, this terrific condiment combines chopped fennel cooked down until soft with white wine vinegar, mustard powder, and whole-grain mustard — it’s an excellent, punchy pairing for roast pork. Get the Recipe Save Explore more: Restaurants Chefs Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit