Snails are cooked in a butter and parsley sauce and served with a toasted baguette for a delectable and rich appetizer recipe. This Escargot recipe is so easy and a great way to experience French cuisine.

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Recipe Origins
Prehistoric History
The history of snails in modern day cuisine dates back further than anyone can remember. Snails were around in the age of the dinosaurs and were a source of food for prehistoric humans.
We have even found evidence that snails were collected and bred for easier consumption as well as eaten cooked, not raw.
For some time, when Catholicism was largely present in France, snails were removed from the French diet, as they were regarded by Catholicism as dirty because they crawled. After the Roman Empire was ousted from France, snails returned to the menu, but typically as a meal for the poorer individuals in the country.
We’ve even discovered that sailors took snails on their trips to act as an assured source of meat on board! Since they couldn’t get the vegetables they needed, they at least got a good source of protein.
Modern Day Recipe for Escargot
The modern-day recipe for Escargot was invented around 1814, when Napoleon’s steward, Tallyrand, wanted to have lunch with Tsar Alexander I. They arrived at the restaurant so late that snails were the only thing that the cook had left to serve.
He added garlic and parsley to the snails in order to improve the taste and presentation of the meat. The men loved it, and Escargot has been popular around the world (but especially in France) ever since.
France is now considered one of the largest snail-eating countries in Europe. They eat over 16,000 tons of snails per year!
They are particularly popular around Christmastime, but are enjoyed as an appetizer year round.
Above according to World in Paris.
Why Make this Recipe
- A Unique Appetizer: Escargot is an extremely popular appetizer in France, but in other countries it’s less common. This appetizer will get you out of your comfort zone and show you that eating unique dishes can be so rewarding! You’re going to love it!
- Simple: This dish is as easy to make as blending garlic butter, layering butter and snails, and baking. It takes only a few minutes of active work but feels so fancy that it will seem like you took hours to prepare it.
- “Travel” to France: If you’ve ever wanted a taste of France, this Escargot Recipe is the way to try it. You won’t get much for French than a delicious snail covered in garlic and parsley butter. And you’ll be hooked on French food forever more!
What Do I Need to Make this Recipe?
Ingredients
- Snails: I used canned snails without a shell on them. They come already cooked in the can, so you’re really just adding some flavor to the dish by preparing them in this way. If you want cooked Escargot in the Shell, this is a great recipe.
- Butter: I use unsalted
- Breadcrumbs: I used premade, finely ground breadcrumbs, unflavored.
- White Wine: Any dry wine will do. Chardonnay is the recommended wine to drink with escargot, so you could also prepare the recipe with it if desired.
- Produce: Shallot, parsley, garlic
Tools
- Escargot Pan: An escargot pan is the traditional way to prepare this dish, but if you don’t have one, you could also use a mini muffin tin.
- Small Pan
- Food Processor or Blender
- Pastry Brush
- Baking Sheet
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How to Make this Recipe
Step 1: Prepare the Snails
Melt 1 tbsp butter in a pan, then add shallot and saute until they soften. Lastly add snails for about 2 minutes.
Step 2: Make the Garlic Butter
In a food processor or blender, add 5 tbsp butter, garlic, parsley, and white wine. Pulse under it all comes together to make a garlic butter.
Step 3: Cook the Snails
Place one snail in each escargot compartment and cover with about ½ tsp or so of the garlic butter mixture. Then, sprinkle each snail with a little bit of breadcrumbs.
Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes until they brown.
Step 3: Prepare the Baguette
Cut a baguette into slices about ¼ inch thick (make as many slices as you have snails). Lay the pieces of bread on a cookie sheet.
Melt 4 tbsp of butter in the microwave. Use a pastry brush to brush the top of the bread with butter.
When the snails come out of the oven, set them aside. Turn the oven to a broil. Place your cookie sheet with the bread in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Broil the bread until it toasts. Watch it closely as it is easy to burn while broiling.
When the bread is toasted, serve the snails with the toast. Enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Most restaurants in the United States use canned snails for their escargot recipe and they are delicious. Typically, if you see a restaurant serving escargot in the shell, they are normally canned snails stuffed into empty shells for a better presentation, so I would suggest sticking with canned snails for a still-high-quality, easier to make appetizer.
- Occasionally (not often but it is possible) for the escargot to spit hot butter once it’s removed from the oven. Make sure to wear an apron and oven mitts when working with the escargot for the first few minutes after being baked!
- If you want to spread the baguette with garlic butter, you can do this as well, but I found that normal butter was just as delicious.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, canned escargot are already cooked. They are then canned in their cooking juices.
Did you enjoy this Escargot Recipe? If so, make sure to check out these other recipes on my site that I picked out just for you:
- Frog Legs from Domenica
- Instant Pot Beef Bourguignon
- Easy Crème Brûlée Recipe
- French Onion Chicken in the Instant Pot
- What to Serve with Ratatouille
- What to Serve with Croque Monsieur
Escargot Recipe
Equipment
- Escargot Pan or Mini Muffin Pan
- Small Pan
- Food Processor or Small Blender
- Pastry Brush
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
- 1 7 oz Can of snails
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 10 tbsp Butter, softened
- 3 tsp Garlic , minced
- ¼ cup Parsley, chopped
- 1 tbsp white wine
- 2 tbsp Breadcrumbs
- 1 french baguette
Instructions
- Melt 1 tbsp butter in a pan, then add shallot and saute until they soften. Lastly add snails for about 2 minutes.
- In a food processor or blender, add 5 tbsp softened butter, garlic, parsley, and white wine. Pulse until it all comes together to make a garlic butter.
- Place one snail in each escargot compartment and cover with about ½ tsp or so of the garlic butter mixture. Then, sprinkle each snail with a little bit of breadcrumbs.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes until they brown.
- Cut a baguette into slices about ¼ inch thick (make as many slices as you have snails). Lay the pieces of bread on a cookie sheet.
- Melt 4 tbsp of butter in the microwave. Use a pastry brush to brush the top of the bread with butter.
- When the snails come out of the oven, set them aside. Turn the oven to a broil. Place your cookie sheet with the bread in the oven with the door slightly ajar. Broil the bread until it toasts. Watch it closely as it is easy to burn while broiling.
- When the bread is toasted, serve the snails with the toast. Enjoy!
Notes
- Snails: I used canned snails without a shell on them. They come already cooked in the can, so you’re really just adding some flavor to the dish by preparing them in this way. If you want cooked Escargot in the Shell, this is a great recipe.
- Butter: I use unsalted
- Breadcrumbs: I used premade, finely ground breadcrumbs, unflavored.
- White Wine: Any dry wine will do. Chardonnay is the recommended wine to drink with escargot, so you could also prepare the recipe with it if desired.
- Produce: Shallot, parsley, garlic
- Most restaurants in the United States use canned snails for their escargot recipe and they are delicious. Typically, if you see a restaurant serving escargot in the shell, they are normally canned snails stuffed into empty shells for a better presentation, so I would suggest sticking with canned snails for a still-high-quality, easier to make appetizer.
- Occasionally (not often but it is possible) for the escargot to spit hot butter once it’s removed from the oven. Make sure to wear an apron and oven mitts when working with the escargot for the first few minutes after being baked!
- If you want to spread the baguette with garlic butter, you can do this as well, but I found that normal butter was just as delicious.
Cecilia says
I followed the directions exactly and these were much better than some we recently had in France! My family could not belive how delicious they were and that we could make them at home. Just printed recipe out because I can never go back online and find the perfect recipe when I find one. Will have to look at your other recipes too!
The Foreign Fork says
Thank you so much Cecilia! I am so glad that you like the recipe, your comment made my day 🙂 Enjoy your escargot!
Cherie says
Made this today as a New Year’s Eve starter and it won’t be the last. Hubby and I both loved it. Tasted just like the French restaurants we’ve been to. Thanks.
The Foreign Fork says
Thank you so much for letting me know Cherie. I am SO glad that the escargot was delicious. This is one of my favorite recipes on my site, so it always makes me so happy when others enjoy it too 🙂 Happy New Year!
Joseph M McKenna says
I just made this and it came out great. I had a huge can of Snails (98 count) froze the uncooked 75 into 3 groups of 25 for later batches. I used Panko crumbs and these were just as good of restaurant Escargot. Too bad I cannot post a picture.
Andrea Gaus says
HI,
When you buy them in the can, like the brand you have pictured are they in the shell? Do you rinse the snails whether in the shell or not?
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Andrea,
That specific brand pictured does not package them in the can. I did not rinse them, but you can if you’d like!
Jan says
Thank you for the recipe!
Question, how do you remove the escargot from the mini-muffin tins without messing them up?
The Foreign Fork says
I scoop them out with a small spoon!
Luann says
Hello, thanks for the recipe!
Can I make the garlic sauce the day before & microwave it to heat?
Thanks
The Foreign Fork says
Hi Luann, you definitely can make the garlic butter the day before. The butter is put on the snails at room temperature. Because it is going in to oven right away anyways, you can even put the butter on top of the snails cold and it will melt soon enough. I would not recommend heating it up in the microwave.
Mark says
Did you bottled minced garlic or fresh?
Melissa Torres says
I prefer to cook with fresh garlic. But you can use either! Some health food stores have frozen minced garlic too, just pop it out and add it to your recipe.
Jenny Komorowski says
Great recipe, this is the way I usually get it in a restaurant, will certainly make it again
The Foreign Fork says
Thank you so much for the comment Jenny! Glad you liked the recipe 🙂
Lisa Meyer says
I can’t wait to try this! My ex-husband and I went on our honeymoon in 1989 in California. Snails must have been popular at the time because we were on a quest to try any escargot we could find. One restaurant served escargot stuffed mushrooms, another escargot stuffed baby new potatoes! I loved them any way, but haven’t had them in years. It seems like it’s time to make my own! Thanks for the recipe!
The Foreign Fork says
Wow those sound like AMAZING escargot recipes. Maybe I’ll need to try making some of them myself 😉 Until then, enjoy the regular escargot!
Kathy says
The flavors were spot on! The herbs, garlic butter and the crispiness of the breadcrumbs made this dish stand out. Delicious.
The Foreign Fork says
So glad you liked it Kathy! Thank you for leaving a comment 🙂