Make this classic Creamy Tarragon Chicken recipe in 30 minutes for a delicious weeknight meal! Recipe with step-by-step photos.
Tarragon Chicken
When it comes to cooking traditional French food, most people think of a complex concoction of ingredients in a Le Creuset pot which has been simmering away on the stove for hours and hours à la Julia Childs.
But with the popularity of fast-cook meals, 30 minute meals and the like, many traditional French dishes have been adapted for the busy cook, and this Creamy Tarragon Chicken recipe is one such delicious example.
Creamy Tarragon Chicken
My children are half-French, so I try to cook the occasional French meal at home so that they have some connection to their French heritage. Although, one could probably argue that their daily dose of croissants at breakfast should be enough to ensure that they do not forget their French roots!
This Creamy Tarragon Chicken recipe combines the classic pairing of – you guessed it – tarragon with chicken, and no French kitchen is likely to be absent of cream and white wine, which are also essential to this dish.
Tarragon Sauce
The tarragon sauce contains dry white wine for deglazing the pan, as well as cream for richness.
Fresh tarragon is also essential to this dish for that distinct aniseed flavour, but dried tarragon also works in a pinch.
My recipe below includes a cornflour slurry to thicken the sauce slightly, but you can omit this if you prefer a thinner sauce.
How to Make Creamy Tarragon Chicken
Step 1
Start by browning the chicken breasts in a large skillet or saucepan. You want the chicken to get a good colour and caramelisation on each side, and this is best achieved by letting the chicken sear on each side for at least 2 to 3 minutes until they are nicely coloured.
Remove the chicken to a plate. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through at this stage.
Step 2
Sauté the shallots (or onions) and garlic for about 1 minute, or until they are fragrant and softened.
Step 3
Add the white wine to pan and let it bubble away for about 1 to 2 minutes until it has slightly reduced.
Next, add the chicken stock, cream and tarragon, and give everything a good stir, using your wooden spoon to scrape any caramelised bits from the pan. Simmer gently for a few minutes and then taste for seasoning.
If you wish, add enough cornflour slurry to the sauce to thicken it slightly.
Step 4
Then return the chicken breasts to the sauce, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Garnish with parsley or more chopped tarragon before serving.
What to Serve with Creamy Tarragon Chicken
The creamy tarragon sauce is delicious served with some vegetables on the side, such as:
- boiled potatoes
- mashed potatoes
- Crispy Roast Potatoes
- steamed asparagus
- steamed broccoli
- steamed green beans
You could also serve some buttery pasta noodles alongside, such as tagliatelle, fettucine, or parpadelle.
Creamy Tarragon Chicken
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: Serves 3 to 4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: French
Make this classic Creamy Tarragon Chicken recipe in 30 minutes for a delicious weeknight meal!
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RateIngredients
- 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 to 6 small chicken breast fillets
- 2 shallots or 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 160 ml (2/3 cup) dry white wine
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) chicken stock
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) double cream (heavy whipping cream) or soya cream (see Kitchen Notes)
- 1 tablespoon cornflour (US: cornstarch) mixed with 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped (see Kitchen Notes)
- parsley, finely chopped
- sea salt
- freshly cracked pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or saucepan over high heat.
- Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper.
- Place the chicken breasts in the pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until they are golden and caramelised, before turning them over. The best way to achieve a nice colour on the chicken is to not move the chicken too often.
- Once the chicken is golden and caramelised on both sides, remove them to a plate. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through at this stage.
- Add a bit more oil to the pan as needed.
- Add the shallots (or onions) and garlic. Cook for a few minutes until they have softened.
- Pour the white wine into the pan and let it simmer for a few minutes until it has reduced slightly.
- Use a wooden spoon to stir the mixture and to lift any caramelised bits from the pan.
- Pour in the chicken stock and cream, together with the fresh tarragon.
- Let the sauce simmer gently for a few minutes.
- Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.
- Slowly pour in the cornflour slurry, stirring the sauce as you do. You may not need all of the cornflour slurry – use as much as you need until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Return the chicken to the pan and place them in the sauce.
- Turn the heat down to low-medium, and place a lid on the saucepan.
- Cook gently for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken pieces have cooked through.
- Garnish with parsley or more tarragon before serving.
Kitchen Notes
DRIED TARRAGON
If you can’t find fresh tarragon, I recommend using 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon.
WHAT TO SERVE WITH CREAMY TARRAGON CHICKEN
* boiled potatoes
* mashed potatoes
* Crispy Roast Potatoes
* steamed asparagus
* steamed broccoli
* steamed green beans
MAKE IT DAIRY-FREE
To make this recipe dairy-free, substitute the cream for a plant-based soya cream. Start with half the quantity of soya cream, and add more to taste.
CONVERSIONS
To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 264
- Sugar: 1.7g
- Sodium: 95.7mg
- Fat: 12.2g
- Carbohydrates: 6.3g
- Fiber: 0.3g
- Protein: 24.1g
- Cholesterol: 91.8mg
#eatlittlebird
I made this for the family last night and it was delicious! I forgot to add the cornflour so there was a lot of sauce but it was great to drizzle on the boiled potatoes. Will make again for sure!
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Made this for dinner today. So easy to make and full of flavour. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Hi Ami,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!!
Delicious!!
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Oh my GOSH this is tasty ??? made for my fiancé and went down a storm!
Hi Jenny,
That’s so great to hear! So glad you both enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Easy to make and delicious to eat 5 stars from me ❤
If I could give this recipe 5 more stars I would! Delicious. I added mushrooms to it and it was absolutely amazing.
Cooked it for my mother in law and she said it was the “most delicious meal” she has ever had! Been craving it since!!
Hi Alexis,
So glad you and your mother-in-law enjoyed this recipe!
great dish – made it with fresh oregano instead of tarragon. delicious.
I made this recipe >20 yrs ago, been looking for it ever since ? thanks to you, now I can make it ?
Hi Linda,
Hope you will enjoy this recipe!
This is the second time i have followed your recipe. Its very yummy indeed !!
Hi Julie,
So glad you have enjoyed this creamy tarragon chicken recipe! Thanks for popping by.
I am not a huge fan of chicken and I have never made a dish with Tarragon.
My Mom however, loves both so I was happy to have found this recipe.
I made it exactly as instructed and my Mom absolutely loved it!
As I said I’m not a huge fan of chicken but this was pretty dang good.
I served it with mashed potatoes, lemon garlic broccolini and a very dry Sauvignon Blanc.
It is definitely a dish I would make for her again.
Thank you for a great recipe and easy instructions!
Hi Laura,
I’m glad to hear that you and your mum enjoyed this dish! It’s a favourite in our home 🙂
Superb. All the family loved it. Everything turned out just like the recipe. Served with baby new potatoes and green beans.
Omg this was bloody amazing!! Forgot to put the parsley in – had it with french beans and new baby potatoes – just AMAZING!!!
Hi Janis,
So glad you loved this recipe! Beans and potatoes are the perfect accompaniment 🙂
Cannot find it anywhere, but I use a similar French recipe that begins by browning the chicken with salt and quite a bit of sugar for caramelization. Sugar and salt, if needed, was also added at the end to balance the acidity of the wine. No vegetables were used but using carrots, as in your recipe, sounds like a really good addition. Thank you.
Oh yes, sugar always helps with the caramelisation, but I tend to use sugar in marinades and not so much when I’m browning chicken like in this recipe. But I frequently use sugar to balance flavours. I hope you will enjoy this recipe 🙂
Love this! Have made it a few times & having it for tea today. Easy to follow with few ingredients but delicious. Makes a refreshing change not having to go out & buy loads of ingredients which cost the earth & never to be used again! I swapped the cream for lighter creme fraich which works well & bit healthier. Thank you little bird!
Hi Christine,
Thank you for your lovely feedback! Great to hear that this recipe works well with crème fraîche as well. So glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Made this for tea, really tasty and simple to make. Will make again.
Hi Vivienne,
That’s great that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for your popping by.
We are half French too! When visiting France one of the things that amazes me about the children is their palates. French children eat adult food. I never saw a child’s menu anywhere. They eat what everyone eats. Smaller portions of course, but the same foods. And they stay for the entire meal, which is several courses long! It is a cultural norm for French children to adapt as quickly as possible to the French way of doing things.
Hi Darleen,
Yes, I love that kids in France eat what the adults eat. A few times at restaurants, the waiters will make a suggestion for the kids, which usually involves altering one of the existing menus slightly. I love it!
Absolutely gorgeous!! Restaurant standard
Hi Louise,
Thank you so much for the compliment! So glad you enjoyed this recipe 🙂
Tried it out seeing the reviews and it honestly turned out sosososooo goood! Im a fan of tarragon steaks and this is the best one ive had, plus at home!!
I skipped the wine though and added just a pinch on cheddar cheese and about half a tea spoon of mustard sauce to the terragon sauce and it did wonders for me!!
Hi Ouruba,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Love the additions you made as well 🙂
Love this recipe..it’s one of my all time faves
Hi Amie,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Delicious! One of the best recipes I’ve made in a long time.
Easy to make and utterly delicious. We have this cut into bite size pieces served with fresh tagliatelle and asparagus.
Hi Vicky,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! It‘s perfect with asparagus.
Fantastic recipe!
Wow, delicious recipe! I’ve never cooked with tarragon before but loved the flavors of this dish. Plus it was super easy and quick. Yum! Highly recommend.
Delicious recipe! So nice even though I had to use dried tarragon this time. Can’t wait to try it with fresh!
My next try 🙂
Used Saki instead of dry white wine. Had fresh tarragon in the herb garden, so used it and fresh parsley. Served it with rice pilaf and some sugar snap peas from the garden, steamed with garlic, shallot, and ginger.
Hi Sheila,
Sounds perfect the way you made it!
My husband now requests this for all of our dinner parties. Such a wonderful recipe! I serve it with fettuccine so I can use the extra sauce and steamed broccoli on the side!
Hi Julie,
So glad you and your husband enjoy this recipe! It sounds perfect with fettuccine and broccoli 🙂
Just lovely – and very simple to make
What real French cook would thicken with cornflour or use dried tarragon?
I only had chicken thighs on hand so I used those instead and it turned out delicious! Maybe that doesn’t make me a “rEaL fReNcH ChEf” though 🙂
Loved it. I even used dried tarragon, as I couldn’t find fresh, and still it was great.
Beautiful dish! I’ve made this recipe several times now and everyone just loves it, yet it is so quick and easy.
Loved this! Quick, easy, delicious. I was unable to source fresh tarragon so I used dried but still got that lovely taste. I will be making this again real soon. Thank you.
Hi Dianne,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for popping by.
I drank the white wine. Can I substitute something else?
Quick and delicious week-night recipe! Makes a big difference to get all the part ready to go (mise en place). I used Chicken Breasts, browned them for a little longer and covered them on a plate while I got the sauce going and they cooked perfectly in 10 minutes in the sauce. Fresh tarragon makes a big difference.
Hi Kate,
I’m happy that you enjoyed this recipe! Dried tarragon works at a pinch, but I also prefer fresh tarragon in this recipe. Thanks for popping by.
Bon appetite! Better than restaurant quality & taste. Quick & easy to boot.
Hi Phil,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Too much liquid i this recipe makes it a bit blend. Add dijon mustard a bit of lemon zest and only the half amount of the liquid except for heavy cream and this will taste lovely.
Excellent, easy to make, and unlike some recipes it doesn’t call for dijon mustard which you may not want to buy only to be stuck with it, or vermouth which is the same deal.
I made this for dinner and it’s outstanding!!! My husband just loved it! Next time I’ll add some fresh mushrooms. We enjoyed this with a simple salad, although it would be amazing with mashed potatoes, white rice, maybe even cauliflower. I might try this sauce with salmon!
Hi Sue,
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! This sauce is definitely delicious with salmon. I pan-fry salmon fillets (without skin) until crispy, and then I make the sauce as per the recipe. However, instead of tarragon, I use fresh dill and squeeze some fresh lemon into the sauce just before serving. I was planning to add this as a recipe to the blog sometime soon 🙂
A winning recipe! Beautiful flavors, easy to make.
Beautiful dish! Perfect served with boiled potatoes and steamed asparagus.
Made this today, very straightforward and easy but also delicious. Very pleased, will certainly make it again. Thank you.
I can’t believe how easy this dish was to make but the taste is sensational!
I had pinned this recipe ages ago but could never find fresh tarragon where I live. So I decided to make it with dried tarragon last night and omg it was soooooo amazing!!! I bet it tastes even more fantastic with fresh tarragon but I couldn’t be happier with how this dish worked out. Fairly quick and easy to make too. Absolutely recommend!!!
This is a favorite chicken dish. Great flavor, and easy to make.
Hi Bella,
So glad you enjoyed this dish!
This is my go to recipe for entertaining. Actually, my friends now request that I make it before they even come over – it’s that good. I serve it with steamed greens and mashed potatoes. Always wonderful.
Thank you, nice and simple, delicious recipe. Didn’t need the cornflour for my taste,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! Some people prefer a thin sauce, which is very delicious too 🙂
I needed to use some Tarragon from my plant and found your recipe. Really tasty and will be a regular now 💗
Lots of people saying that can’t find fresh Tarragon it should be sold in Markets or garden centres, dies back in the winter and then comes back in the Spring
Many thanks x
Hi Dave,
That’s great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe! And thanks also for the gardening tip! I love using fresh tarragon in this recipe.
This is unbelievably good!
This is unbelievably good! And just like adish I had in Brussells. SO TASTY!
This recipe is just amazing. So easy and incredibly delicious!
My uncultured family didn’t like the taste of the tarragon. I however, enjoyed this dish. It took me back to my childhood when my mother would prepare this dish!
Hi Kenneth,
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe! I think tarragon is an acquired taste … hopefully your family will come around to like it one day 🙂
Wonderful recipe! It was so quick and delicious! I sliced two garlic scapes instead of the garlic cloves and used coconut yogurt for a dairy alternative.
Hi Cathy,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Good straight forward recipe. Used bone out chicken legs with skin on. Cut them in two. So much more flavor. Chicken and tarragon just as sweet as seafood and tarragon. Cream always makes me smile. Difficult wine choise. Went with an Alsace riesling. Worked really good.
Hi Matsa,
So glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Flavorful & FAST to make, the best Tarragon Recipe I’ve ever found!!! The instructions really helped, especially how to thicken the sauce, marvelous!! The chicken was moist and so delicious!! I served the dish with steamed cauliflower, the sauce made our meal exceptional!! I will be making this often!
Hi Greta,
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe! I love the idea of steamed cauliflower – one of my favourite vegetables 🙂
This chicken recipe looks mouthwatering! Will definitely give it a try!
Can this be made in advance and frozen?
Can this be made for freezing and defrosting?