Creamy Tarragon chicken is packed with delicious flavor. It's the ultimate comfort food, perfect for any weeknight dinner!
If you love creamy sauce and are a big fan of one-pan chicken recipes, try this French Tarragon chicken!
French Tarragon Chicken
This Tarragon chicken recipe uses minimal ingredients and is so easy to make. It is delicious and aromatic! It will become your family's favorite chicken recipe!
Crispy and juicy pan-fried chicken in a rich and creamy tarragon sauce. It's absolutely the best recipe for tarragon chicken!
Homemade Tarragon Sauce
Poultry tastes great with pretty much any herb but pairing chicken with tarragon in a recipe is phenomenal!
Tarragon has a pungent, licorice-like taste. It adds a distinctive flavor to sauces.
This homemade tarragon sauce with dijon mustard is inspired by the classic France pan sauce. It's so versatile, the best sauce you can use for any type of food; fish, eggs, chicken, and vegetables.
Tarragon Chicken Ingredients:
To make this tarragon chicken, you will need the following main ingredients:
- Chicken. You can use any type of chicken that you'd like. This tarragon chicken recipe works well with chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
- Fresh tarragon
- Shallots
- Garlic
- Dijon mustard
- Dry white wine. You can use either Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, and unoaked Chardonnay.
- Chicken broth, lower sodium
- Heavy cream. You may substitute an equal amount of heavy cream for half-and-half or whole milk with extra butter. Heavy creams contain more fat than half-and-half-creams and are also more resistant to curdling, so they are a better choice in soups and sauces.
How to Make Tarragon Chicken:
Step 1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season both sides of the chicken with a generous pinch of kosher salt and black pepper.
Step 2. Heat oil in a large skillet pan (about 12-inch) over medium heat and pan-fry the chicken thighs for about 15 minutes on each side or longer until they are fully cooked.
Another option is to sear the chicken for 15 minutes in a skillet then transfer it to the oven at 425°F for 15 minutes or longer or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
If you are using chicken breasts, the amount of time needed to cook chicken breast varies based upon the thickness of the breast, between 3-5 minutes on each side. Do not overcook it!
Step 3. Remove the chicken from the pan and add shallots. Cook for about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, stir for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Add dijon mustard and stir for 1 minute.
Step 4. Deglaze the pan with dry white wine. As the liquid simmers, scrape up any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula. Also, you want to reduce the alcohol/liquid by more than half.
Step 5. Add chicken broth and bring it to a boil for about 2 minutes.
Step 6. Lower the heat, and add heavy cream and tarragon sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally until the sauce is heated through for about 3 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Season with salt and black pepper if necessary.
How to Thicken the Tarragon Sauce:
If the sauce is too watery to your liking. You can mix 1 tablespoon of softened butter with 1 tablespoon of flour to make a thickening paste.
Stir the thickening agent into the sauce and continue cooking for 1 minute or until thickened.
If you are on a low-carb diet, you can thicken the sauce with freshly grated parmesan cheese. Do not use Kraft's parmesan to avoid gritty sauce.
Also, remember that the sauce will get thickened as it sits.
Step 7. Return the chicken, skin side up, and any accumulated juices to the skillet and simmer for about 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, serve and enjoy!
How to Store Leftover Creamy Chicken:
- First, you need to cool them completely.
- After that, store the chicken separately from the sauce. You can use an airtight container or Ziploc bag. If properly stored, the cooked chicken will last in the fridge for up to 4 days.
How to Reheat a Cream-Based Chicken Dish:
- Remove the leftovers from the fridge and put the chicken and tarragon sauce in a pan.
- Add a small amount of chicken broth, cover the pan, and heat very slowly at low heat, stirring occasionally.
Check Out More Delicious Chicken Recipes
- Healthy Baked Chicken Tenders
- Oven-Baked Chicken Breast
- Crispy Grilled Chicken Wings
- Chinese Roasted Chicken
- Harissa Chicken Recipe
- Creamy Chicken Marsala
- Easy Chicken Paprikash
- Roasted Half Chicken
- Perfect Lemon Chicken Thighs
Check out more French recipes:
- Chicken Chasseur (French Hunter's Chicken)
- French Onion Soup
- Coq Au Vin (French Chicken in Wine Sauce)
I hope you will enjoy this chicken with a tarragon sauce recipe! If you try it, don't forget to rate and leave a review on the recipe card/comment box below.
📖 Recipe
Tarragon Chicken
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs (bone-in and skin-on) about 2.5 pounds
- ½ cup minced shallots (about 5 oz)
- 1½ tablespoon minced garlic
- 1¼ teaspoon kosher salt (or use more according to your taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1½ tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1½ tablespoon dijon mustard
- ¾ cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup chicken broth (lower sodium)
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
Method
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.
- Heat 1½ tablespoon of olive oil in a large (12 inch) skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, add chicken, skin side down and cook undisturbed for 15 minutes.
- Flip the chicken and cook for another 15 minutes or longer or until the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Transfer the chicken into a plate. Set aside.
- Add butter, minced shallots into the pan, cook, stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes.
- Add garlic, cook, stirring occasionally for 30 seconds then add dijon mustard, cook, stirring often for about 1 minute.
- Add dry white wine, and cook until reduced by more than half, about 4 minutes.As the liquid simmers, scrape up any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula.
- Add chicken broth and bring to a boil for about 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat, add heavy cream, and tarragon. Cook for 3 minutes or longer, until the sauce starts to thicken, stirring often. If the sauce is too watery to your liking, add a thickening agent by mixing 1 tablespoon of softened butter with 1 tablespoon of flour into a paste then stir it in the sauce, cook for about 2 minutes. Strring often.Season the sauce with salt and black pepper if necessary.
- Return the chicken, skin side up, and any accumulated juices to the skillet and simmer for about 2 minutes or longer, until the sauce has tickened. Turn off the heat.
Tammy says
What a gorgeous dish and hearty meal for the colder months.
Rika says
Thanks, Tammy! It's definitely a very comforting dish for cold months.
Geri says
This is one of the easiest and best recipes that I’ve made in a while! I added a tablespoon of brandy for another layer of taste.
Rika says
Hi Geri,
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I love that you added brandy for an extra layer of flavor—great idea! Let me know if you try any other tweaks, I’d love to hear how it turns out next time. 😊
Best,
Rika
Chenée Lewis says
That tarragon sauce is truly mouthwatering!
Jess says
One-pan meals are the best! I love all the flavors here!
Rika Livingston says
I agree with you, Jess!
Laura says
Great way to serve chicken thighs. It's a great sauce. I can see it going well with some pasta too!
Rika says
Yes, absolutely!
Tara says
Oh wow! Such an amazing choice for weeknight dinner.
J Patrick Aaron says
This is so delicious. I added a bit more garlic; otherwise followed the recipe.the sauce would be great paired with sautéed shrimp and pasta.
Rika says
Hi J,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try! I am glad that you liked it. I agree with you, this tarragon chicken will go well with wide fettuccine or papardelle.
Best,
Rika
Caroline says
Delicious and will make again. The sauce has an *incredible* depth of flavour. I cooked the chicken for 7 minutes in a dutch oven, then finished it in a 180C oven (no fan) for 20 minutes during which I made the sauce. I added mushroom slices with the (double) cream and used 2 tbsp tarragon. When I returned the chicken into the pot I added the cooking juices to thin out my sauce and let everything simmer for 5 minutes covered - the skin was still crispy. Served with rice and green beans and the sauce tied everything together.
Rika says
outstanding! Thanks for the details, that helps me as well. It sounds like you know what you're doing. :). I am very glad you enjoyed the sauce.
Kathi says
All I can say about this recipe is, if you are wondering what to make for company, this is it! Do not hesitate! I'm 70 years old, and I eat pretty healthy. Once in a while, I indulge in a dish like this that's rich in terms of fat and calories, and I must say, that this is probably in my top five favorite recipes EVER. It is to die for! The balance and pop of flavors will knock your socks off. Definitely 5-Star perfection. Thanks for putting this one out into the universe!
Rika says
Wow, thank you so much for this amazing feedback, Kathi! I'm seriously honored that this recipe made your top five—that's such a huge compliment. I’m so glad you treated yourself and that it hit the spot! Totally agree, it’s rich but worth every bite. Thanks again for trying it and sharing your thoughts—it made my day!
Best,
Rika
Kathi says
Hi Rika! I'm making this again for my son-in-law tonight who is a picky German, so he has high-end European taste in dining. I can't wait until he tries it! Not sure what to make with it but probably roasted potatoes. 🙂
Rika says
Hi, Kathi! That’s wonderful you’re making it again! Roasted potatoes sound like a great side with it. I’d love to hear what your son-in-law thinks after he tries it. I hope you all have a delicious dinner!
Best,
Rika