Creamy Tarragon Chicken
, Updated Oct 13, 2022
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This creamy Tarragon Chicken recipe is quick enough for a weeknight meal but fancy enough for a dinner party! Tender chicken breasts cooked in a creamy sauce with mushrooms and the unique taste of tarragon.
Love creamy mushroom sauce? Try my delicious and easy Pork Stroganoff!
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My husband gave me a copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the art of French Cooking as an anniversary present recently.
I love reading through the recipes in the book but the techniques that Cordon Bleu trained Julia used often seem unnecessarily complicated.
This creamy tarragon chicken actually uses only a handful of ingredients and cooks in about half an hour. Yet it does taste chef’s kiss amazing and I am sure you will fall in love with it too!
Fans of French cooking will also love my Slow Cooker Chicken Chasseur and beloved classic Beef Bourguignon!
Tarragon Chicken Ingredients
Chicken: I used skinless and boneless chicken breasts in this recipe. If your chicken breasts are quite large then you will need to slice them or butterfly them (see photo below) so that they cook relatively quickly.
Tarragon: this wonderful herb is often used in classic French cooking (like bearnaise sauce). It has a mild aniseed flavor that pairs wonderfully with the cream and wine in the sauce. Fresh tarragon is best if you can find it, but you can use dried tarragon in a pinch.
Shallots, minced garlic, wine and cream round off the tarragon sauce.
Mushrooms: these are optional so feel free to leave them out if you are not a fan. I used a mix of wild mushrooms and chestnut mushrooms.
How to Make Creamy Tarragon Chicken
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and lightly dust with a little flour on both sides. Butterfly the chicken breasts if they large and thick so that they cook evenly and quickly.
Heat butter and oil in a skillet or casserole dish. Brown the chicken over medium heat for a couple of minutes, flipping over once. You want the chicken to be nicely golden but not cooked through. Set aside.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping any browned bits stuck to the pan loose – these add so much flavor! Simmer until the wine is almost completely cooked down.
Add the shallots and a bit more butter and sauté, stirring, over low heat until softened. You can use onions instead of shallots if needed.
Stir in the minced garlic, tarragon and mushrooms and cooke for about five minutes until the mushrooms have softened.
Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until almost cooked through.
Stir in the cream and cook until warmed through and slightly thickened. Taste and add salt and pepper and garnish more tarragon before serving.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH TARRAGON CHICKEN
This rich recipe can be served with carbs for a hearty meal or simply with some vegetables. Make sure to add a glass of crisp white wine such as Sancerre or Picpoul De Pinet.
- Boiled or Mashed potatoes
- Rice or pasta
- Steamed vegetables such as green beans, broccoli or asparagus
HAVE YOU MADE MY TARRAGON CHICKEN RECIPE? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #supergoldenbakes. I can’t wait to see your take on it!
MORE WINNING CHICKEN DINNERS!
Creamy Tarragon Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts skinless and boneless
- salt and pepper to season
- ½ tbsp plain flour
- 2 tbsp butter or as needed
- 1 tbsp light olive oil
- ½ cup (60ml) white wine
- 2 shallots or one yellow onions peeled and finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh tarragon chopped
- 3 cups (260g) mushrooms sliced
- ¾ cup (180ml) chicken stock
- 1 cup (240ml) cream
- salt and pepper to season
- fresh tarragon to garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and lightly dust with a little flour on both sides. Butterfly the chicken breasts if they large and thick so that they cook evenly and quickly.
- seasoning chicken breasts
- Heat butter and oil in a skillet or casserole dish. Brown the chicken over medium heat for a couple of minutes, flipping over once. You want the chicken to be nicely golden but not cooked through. Set aside.
- pan frying chicken breasts in butter
- Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping any browned bits stuck to the pan loose – these add so much flavor! Simmer until the wine is almost completely cooked down.
- deglazing pan with white wine
- Add the shallots and a bit more butter and sauté, stirring, over low heat until softened. You can use onions instead of shallots if needed.
- pan frying shallots
- Stir in the minced garlic, tarragon and mushrooms and cooke for about five minutes until the mushrooms have softened.
- pan frying mushrooms
- Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until almost cooked through.
- chicken cooking with mushrooms and stock in a pan
- Stir in the cream and cook until warmed through and slightly thickened. Taste and add salt and pepper and garnish more tarragon before serving.
- close up on a pan of tarragon chicken with cream and mushrooms
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
So delicious! I made this tonight and it was amazing. I used chicken tenders instead of breasts, and it worked out fine. I used cremini mushrooms and I recommend them if you like mushrooms. I wasn’t sure but my husband liked the idea. I served with pilaf and peas. He served a French Sauvignon Blanc, which was perfect. My only suggestion is to start prep at least 30 minutes (not the suggested 20), unless you have staff. I am a seasoned cook and it took closer to 30 minutes to prepare and another 30 to cook. Also, lots of fresh tarragon for service really brightens the dish.
Beautiful! I diced the chicken for my little people and added a little roux to thicken. Very good recipe.
Many thanks, glad to hear it Helen!