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Fish, South and mountains

Frog legs with garlic and parsley butter and rice

Frog legs with garlic and parsley butter and rice are a dish from southern France, serving 4, ready in 30 minutes, at an easy difficulty level, for €7.00 per person. The key is cooking the garlic and parsley very briefly at the end, so they stay fragrant without turning bitter.

Tonight, frog legs from the Dombes sautéed with garlic and parsley, served with rice for the buttery sauce.

Frog legs with garlic and parsley butter and rice
Total time
30 min
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€7.00
Calories per person
570 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer

Frog legs have white, delicate meat, a bit like chicken but finer, which soaks up the melted butter and garlic quickly. Dusted in flour then browned in the pan, they stay crisp outside and tender inside. Fresh chopped parsley adds a green note that balances the butter, and a squeeze of lemon at the end brightens everything without overpowering it.

This is a dish to make in spring or summer, when you want a slightly different dinner without spending the whole evening on it. You eat it with your fingers, simply, which makes it a good dish to share among adults on a weeknight or to serve to friends curious to try this classic from southern France and the mountains.

The ingredients

4 people

Frozen foods

  • Frog legs 24

Dairy

  • Butter 60 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 4 cloves
  • Parsley 1 sprigs
  • Lemon 1

Pantry

  • Flouroften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Thaw the frog legs in the refrigerator if frozen, then dry them thoroughly.

    Dry them with paper towels, the flour sticks better.

  2. Cook the rice in salted water, then drain it. 11 min

    Keep it warm under a lid.

  3. Lightly flour the frog legs and brown them in half the butter over medium heat. 10 min

    Don't crowd the pan, cook in two batches.

  4. Chop the garlic and parsley, add them to the pan with the remaining butter and let them release their fragrance. 2 min

    Watch closely, garlic burns very fast.

  5. Serve the frog legs with the rice, a squeeze of lemon, and the butter from the pan.

    Eat them with your fingers, that's the whole pleasure of this dish.

Our tips to get it right

  • Make sure the frog legs are fully thawed and completely dry before flouring them, otherwise the flour won't stick and the coating turns gummy as it cooks.
  • Brown the legs in two batches instead of one, the pan needs to stay hot enough to color them well without steaming them in their own juices.
  • Chop the garlic and parsley at the last moment, right before adding them to the pan, so their flavor stays fresh instead of turning bitter.

The variations

  • Swap the butter for olive oil if you want a lighter garlic and parsley topping without lactose.
  • Serve the frog legs with steamed potatoes instead of rice for a more rustic pairing.
  • To save time, cook the rice the day before and simply reheat it with steam while you cook the frog legs.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with a sharp dressing
  • A glass of dry white wine
  • Steamed potatoes alongside the rice

Storage

Frog legs keep for 2 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container, but they lose their crispness quickly. Reheat them gently in a pan over low heat rather than in the microwave. Freezing isn't recommended, it would harm the texture of the meat.

Questions about this dish

Can you use fresh frog legs instead of frozen?

Yes, if you can find fresh ones, the recipe stays the same. Just dry them thoroughly before flouring, that's the key step for good browning.

How do you keep the garlic from turning bitter?

Add the chopped garlic only at the very end of cooking, two minutes is enough to flavor the butter. If it browns too much, it turns bitter and loses its flavor.

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

The rice can be cooked ahead and reheated with steam. The frog legs, though, taste much better cooked right before serving.

How many frog legs should you plan per person?

Count on 6 legs per person for a meal, so 24 legs for 4 people as in this recipe. That amount lets everyone taste the dish without it feeling too heavy.

How long does it take to make frog legs with garlic and parsley butter and rice?

Count 30 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in frog legs with garlic and parsley butter and rice?

About 570 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does frog legs with garlic and parsley butter and rice cost?

About €7.00 per serving, or €28.00 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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