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Creamy Tarragon Chicken

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
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Creamy Tarragon Chicken

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This Creamy Tarragon Chicken is an easy one-pan version of classic French bistro fare! Crispy chicken thighs swimming in a bright and herby cream sauce–there is nothing more comforting.

All you need to make this recipe is 20 minutes of prep, then the oven does the rest of the work. It’s the decadent and cozy recipe you need in your life, even on a busy weeknight.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken

I am a sucker for one-pan comfort food recipes and this creamy tarragon chicken delivers! The sauce is somehow both rich and bright thanks to fresh tarragon and lemon zest.

The sauce is velvety smooth and rich thanks to the heavy cream–perfect for smothering the crispy chicken in. The best thing about this recipe? It only requires a few ingredients–some of which you probably already have on hand!

This is the coziest of dinners and perfect for serving over mashed potatoes, pasta, rice, or with a side of crusty bread for soaking up all that sauce.

Creamy Tarragon chicken

What is Tarragon Chicken?

Tarragon chicken is a classic French dish of braised chicken in a white wine and cream pan sauce that’s bolstered by the flavor of fresh tarragon and lemon. It’s delicious, bright, and has such a nice, zippy flavor from the tarragon. This is exactly what you’d expect to eat in a little French bistro!

Tarragon is a staple herb in French cooking. It’s bright and grassy with peppery-anise notes and it’s a great addition to sauces, dressings, or in a classic chicken salad! Dried tarragon just doesn’t have the same zip, so I highly recommend sourcing fresh tarragon.

How to Make Creamy Tarragon Chicken

For this recipe, you’ll need an oven safe skillet with a lid. I always turn to a cast iron braiser here because it heats so evenly!

Tools Needed

Ingredients & Substitutions

  • Bone-in chicken. You can use thighs or whole leg quarters here. I don’t recommend using breast because it typically dries out while braising.
  • Tarragon. Look for fresh French tarragon. It’ll be in the herb section of most well-stocked grocery stores. I do not recommend using dried here as it does not have the same flavor.
  • Shallots. I love the delicate flavor that shallot adds, but you could swap in yellow onion if needed.
  • Garlic. Use fresh garlic cloves (not the jarred minced stuff).
  • Dijon mustard. My favorite dijon mustard comes from Trader Joe’s because it’s so fragrant and flavorful.
  • White wine. Opt for something dry and bright here–sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio are nice. Make sure it’s a wine that you’d drink.
  • Chicken stock. Homemade is always best, but this is one of those recipes that you can get away with using store bought.
  • Heavy cream. This is not a recipe where you want to skimp on milk fat so I don’t recommend using anything else unless you use creme fraiche.
  • Lemon zest and juice. The lemon zest adds brightness and the juice is perfect for finishing off the chicken.

Creamy Tarragon Chicken Ingredients

The Process

  1. Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken very dry and then season all over with salt and pepper. Transfer to the fridge uncovered (skin-side up) for 4-8 hours.
  2. Sear the chicken. Heat the oil in a braiser or large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken in the skillet skin-side down. Brown the chicken for 7-8 minutes, until the skin is very golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
  3. Saute the shallots and garlic. Add the butter to the skillet and increase the heat to medium. Once the butter is melted and foamy, add the sliced shallots and garlic and use a spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the shallots are soft and starting to brown.
  4. Build the sauce. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Cook the flour for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, and then stir in the wine so that no lumps of flour remain. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir in the dijon, chicken stock, and cream. Simmer until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and lots of cracked black pepper and then stir in the tarragon and lemon zest.
  5. Braise the chicken. Nestle the chicken, skin-side up, into the sauce, cover, and transfer to the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue cooking for another 40 minutes. Check the internal temperature to ensure that it’s reached at least 165 F.
  6. Finish. Remove the skillet from the oven and squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Garnish with more chopped tarragon.

Recipe Tips & Tricks

Season the chicken well. It’s not enough to simply have a well-seasoned sauce, but you want the chicken to be seasoned well, too! Don’t be shy with the salt and pepper.

Pat your chicken very dry. This is KEY to getting that crispy skin! When the skin feels wet or damp to the touch, it won’t brown well in the skillet. Use paper towels to pat the chicken pieces dry all over.

Don’t crowd the pan. Always make sure your pan is adequately pre-heated before you brown your chicken. That being said, you also don’t want to crowd the pan as the chicken will bring down the overall temperature. You may need to sear the chicken in batches depending on the size of your skillet.

Don’t rush the browning of the chicken. We’re not just browning the skin, we’re actually rendering some of the fat out so that the skin continues to crisp up as it cooks in the oven. Don’t rush the process as it may take 8-10 minutes for the skin to get really nice and deeply browned.

What to Serve with Creamy Tarragon Chicken

I love creamy tarragon chicken because it’s such a versatile main dish! You can serve it with virtually anything, but here are my favorite combinations:

When I’m in the mood for a comfy classic dinner, I like to serve the chicken alongside mashed potatoes and green beans. Or, I’ll serve it simply over buttered egg noodles or steamed white rice–both are perfect for catching all that sauce.

When I want things a bit lighter, I’ll serve creamy tarragon chicken with crusty baguette on the side and a crisp and cool caesar salad. However you choose to serve it, it’ll be a stunner!

Storage & Reheating Instructions

I love creamy tarragon chicken because it really stores and reheats well!

In the refrigerator: let the the dish cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat your portions on the stovetop on low heat, adding broth and cream as necessary. Keep the heat low so that the sauce doesn’t separate.

I don’t recommend freezing this dish. Saucy dishes made with dairy don’t handle the thawing process very well.

creamy tarragon chicken


Creamy Tarragon Chicken is the simple one-pan comforting recipe that you need in your life! The whole recipe has minimal prep with your oven doing most of the work. If you do give this recipe a try, be sure to let me know! Leave a comment with a star rating below. Be sure to subscribe to my weekly newsletter and never miss a new recipe! You can also snap a photo & tag @JENNYGOYCOCHEA on Instagram. I LOVE hearing about & seeing your SMF creations!

More French-Inspired Recipes to Try

Beef Bourguignon
Epic French Onion Soup
Steak Tartare
Oysters with Mignonette
Steak au Poivre

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Creamy Chicken Tarragon
Main Dishes

Creamy French Tarragon Chicken

This Creamy Tarragon Chicken is an easy one-pan version of classic French bistro fare! Crispy chicken thighs swimming in a bright and herby cream sauce–there is nothing more comforting.
All you need to make this recipe is 20 minutes of prep, then the oven does the rest of the work. It's the decadent and cozy recipe you need in your life, even on a busy weeknight.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes
Makes: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup white wine
  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest
  • 1/3 cup minced fresh tarragon leaves
  • kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper
  • ½ lemon, for squeezing

Instructions

  • Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken very dry and then season all over with salt and pepper. Transfer to the fridge uncovered (skin-side up) for 4-8 hours.
  • Preheat an oven to 350 F.
  • Sear the chicken. Heat the oil in a braiser or large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken in the skillet skin-side down. Reduce the heat to medium low and brown the chicken for 7-8 minutes, until the skin is very golden brown. Flip the chicken and cook for 2 minutes, then transfer to a plate. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the skillet.
  • Saute the shallots and garlic. Add the butter to the skillet and increase the heat to medium. Once the butter is melted and foamy, add the sliced shallots and garlic and use a spoon to scrape up any browned bits. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the shallots are soft and starting to brown.
  • Build the sauce. Sprinkle in the flour and stir well. Cook the flour for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, and then stir in the wine so that no lumps of flour remain. Bring to a gentle simmer and stir in the dijon, chicken stock, and cream. Bring to a gentle simmer until the sauce thickens. Season to taste with salt and lots of cracked black pepper and then stir in the tarragon and lemon zest.
  • Braise the chicken. Nestle the chicken, skin-side up, into the sauce, cover, and transfer to the oven. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and continue cooking for another 40 minutes. Check the internal temperature to ensure that it’s reached at least 165 F.
  • Finish. Remove the skillet from the oven and squeeze the lemon juice over the chicken. Garnish with more chopped tarragon and serve over mashed potatoes or buttered noodles.

Nutrition

Calories: 519kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 27gFat: 42gSaturated Fat: 16gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 187mgSodium: 237mgPotassium: 444mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 671IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 45mgIron: 2mg

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