Name: Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts; 1 shallot diced; 1 cup of heavy cream; 1 tbsp of butter; 1 tsp of olive oil; 1 1/2 -2 tbsp of fresh tarragon course chopped (depending on how much you like); 1 lemon; 1/2 tsp of salt; 1/2 tsp of freshly ground black pepper

Jump to Recipe

Chicken tarragon is a simple, delicious dinner that is quick to make. This creamy chicken tarragon is a classic and the perfect easy dinner.

chicken with tarragon sauce in a pan on a white table

Why You Will Love This Creamy French Chicken!

If you are looking for recipes with tarragon, this creamy French tarragon chicken is a must-try and I promise you will be making it again and again. In fact, I have been making this recipe for my family for years because it is easy and so elegant. This is my go-to recipe for a delicious quick chicken dinner that doesn't seem like it is quick and effortless but it really is and everyone always enjoys it.

It takes only a few ingredients to make this recipe and it is ready in just 30 minutes.

I think this was the first French dish that I learned to make and the recipe that convinced me that not all French cooking is complicated. Let me show you how easy it is to make!

What You Will Need

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: Boneless chicken breasts are pounded down first and cook quickly.
Fresh tarragon: It is important to use fresh tarragon since this herb imparts a sweetness to the cream sauce that you cannot get from dried tarragon. I have tried it both ways and know this from experience!
Shallots: try to use these and not regular onions since they have a much milder flavor.
Heavy cream: This makes the base for the delicious cream sauce.
Lemon: Lemon juice brightens up the whole dish.
Butter (just a touch): The butter adds a little extra flavor to the sauce.
Olive oil. I use extra virgin olive oil for this recipe.
Salt and pepper. I always like to use kosher salt but if you do not have it, regular table salt works too. Just make sure to halve the amount in the recipe.

This creamy chicken and tarragon dish makes a wonderful quick meal during the week but it is fancy enough to serve to guests. So, you can practice mastering this for yourself and when you need a quick meal to serve up to company, you will feel ready.

creamy tarragon chicken in a pan with lemons in the background

How to make creamy chicken tarragon

adding salt and pepper to chicken tarragon 2

Step 1 & 2

Prepare chicken: The first thing that you want to do when making this chicken tarragon is to pound your chicken thin (with a mallet or rolling pin). I like to cover the chicken with plastic wrap so I do not contaminate my kitchen utensils.

cooking the chicken for chicken tarragon

cooking down shallots for chicken tarragon

Steps 3 & 4

Saute: The next thing you want to do is sear and cook the seasoned chicken in a hot pan over medium-high heat. Because the chicken was pounded thin, it will cook up quickly.

When it is done, remove the chicken from the pan, place it on a plate, and set aside. Now you saute the shallots in the same pan until they are caramelized.

adding cream and tarragon to chicken tarragon

Steps 5 & 6

Stir: The last step is adding the cream and fresh tarragon to the pan making sure to stir and scrape up the bits on the bottom of the pan which gives so much flavor. This is called the fond.

Once you have added the cream and tarragon, you place the chicken back into the pan to warm back up and then it is ready to plate and serve. Garnish with a little extra tarragon if you have it.

Recipe Tips

Anyone who has 30 minutes can make this easy tarragon chicken recipe. My favorite tips for this recipe are:

Make extra: I always love doubling the tarragon sauce.
Make it ahead of time: If you wanted to make this tarragon chicken ahead of time, you could cook up your chicken and then let it come to room temperature before adding it to the cream sauce. The cream sauce will reheat the chicken beautifully.
Fresh tarragon is best: Make sure to use only fresh tarragon. Dried tarragon does not have that same sweet taste.
Serve it with a nice white wine: I love serving this with a nice dry white wine, preferably a French wine. It is a perfect match.

a closeup view of chicken tarragon in a saute pan

Storing And Reheating

This delicious creamy chicken makes the best leftovers and stores really well in the refrigerator. To do this just allow the chicken and cream sauce to cool.

Place it in a container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days. To reheat this, I like to place the chicken and cream sauce in some aluminum foil and seal it like a package. To warm it up, place this in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10-15 minutes or until warmed all the way through. It will be delicious!

What to serve with chicken tarragon

There are so many great sides to go with this tarragon chicken and I am sure whatever you choose will taste amazing. Just make sure your side dish can scoop up that delicious tarragon cream sauce!

chicken and tarragon in a pan on a white table cloth

Print Recipe

5 from 22 votes

Chicken with Tarragon Cream Sauce

Chicken tarragon is a simple, delicious recipe that is quick to make. This creamy tarragon chicken is a classic and the perfect easy dinner.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Servings: servings

Author: Melissa Oleary

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 shallot diced
1 cup of heavy cream
1 tablespoon of butter
1 teaspoon of olive oil
1 ½ -2 tablespoon of fresh tarragon course chopped depending on how much you like
1 lemon
½ teaspoon of salt
½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 170 degrees and place an oven proof plate in the oven to get warm.
Place a large heavy bottom pan on your stove and add your olive oil and butter and preheat over medium heat.
1 tablespoon of butter, 1 teaspoon of olive oil
Now we are going to pound the chicken breasts thin.
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Line a counter with a sheet of plastic wrap large enough to place all 4 chicken breast on. Place your chicken breasts on the plastic wrap and cover with a second piece of plastic wrap making sure all of the chicken is covered well. Take a rolling pin (or something similaand begin to pound down your chicken breasts until they are nice and thin and almost double in size.
Sprinkle ½ of your salt and pepper on the side of the chicken breasts facing up.
½ teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
Now place your chicken breasts salt and pepper side down in your pan and cook for about 4-5 minutes a side until they are nice and browned.
While the chicken is cooking, sprinkle the other ½ of your salt and pepper on the chicken.
Flip your chicken breasts over and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Once the chicken is done cooking add them to the warm plate in your oven and cover it with aluminum foil.
In the same pan that you cooked your chicken, over medium heat, add your diced shallots and a pinch of salt and cook until the shallots become translucent (about 4 minutes).
1 shallot diced
Now squeeze in the juice from 1 lemon and scrape up the little yummy bits from the pan. Your sauce will take on a light brown color at this point.
1 lemon
Now add your cream and fresh tarragon and mix well and turn heat to low.
1 cup of heavy cream, 1 ½ -2 tablespoon of fresh tarragon course chopped
Add your chicken from the oven back into the pan with the cream and cover.
Let this sit for about 4 minutes and remove from the heat.
Plate your chicken by adding it to a plate and spooning sauce over top of the chicken.

Notes

Serve this with a side of roasted potatoes, charred broccoli or crusty bread!

Nutrition