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Tarragon Chicken

4.91 from 21 votes

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!

Creamy Tarragon Chicken

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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. 

Tarragon Chicken

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.

Easy Tarragon Chicken Recipe

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. 
Poulet à l'Estragon

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.

pan-fried chicken thighs

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!

creamy tarragon sauce

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.

How to Make Tarragon Sauce

Step 5. Add chicken broth and bring it to a boil for about 2 minutes.

Tarragon Mustard Sauce

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.

Creamy Tarragon Sauce

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!

Poulet à l'Estragon French Tarragon Chicken

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.
Tarragon Chicken with Mustard

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.
Tarragon Chicken

Check Out More Delicious Chicken Recipes

Check out more French recipes:

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

Tarragon Chicken

Rika
Creamy Tarragon chicken packed with delicious flavor. Crispy and juicy pan-fried chicken in a rich and creamy tarragon sauce. It’s absolutely the best recipe for tarragon chicken!
4.91 from 21 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, French
Servings 4
Calories 795 kcal

Ingredients
 

Instructions
 

  • 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.

Notes

If you are using chicken breasts, follow these steps: 
Step 1. Use about 2-3 large chicken breasts. Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, pat them dry with paper towels. 
Step 2. Cook the chicken for approximately 3-5 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness), until cooked and golden brown. 
Step 3. Follow the remaining steps as mentioned above. 
Remember that the sauce will get thickened as it sits. 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 795kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 39gFat: 63gSaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 290mgSodium: 1151mgPotassium: 728mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 994IUVitamin C: 8mgCalcium: 93mgIron: 3mg
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Comments

    4.91 from 21 votes (12 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Tammy says

    5 stars
    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

      5 stars
      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

  2. Chenée Lewis says

    5 stars
    That tarragon sauce is truly mouthwatering!

  3. Jess says

    5 stars
    One-pan meals are the best! I love all the flavors here!

    • Rika Livingston says

      I agree with you, Jess!

  4. Laura says

    5 stars
    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!

  5. Tara says

    5 stars
    Oh wow! Such an amazing choice for weeknight dinner.

  6. 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

  7. Caroline says

    5 stars
    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.

  8. Kathi says

    5 stars
    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