Tarragon Chicken Recipe

A plate of tarragon chicken over spaghetti.

Rich, creamy, and super easy to make, this tarragon chicken recipe is a weeknight dinner that's as quick and comforting as it is delicious. Ready in just 35 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 305kcal

Author Jessy Freimann

Equipment

Ingredients

6 Tablespoons salted butter, divided
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, filleted (slice each piece horizontally into 2 even pieces, so 6 pieces total)
2 teaspoons fresh tarragon chopped and divided (or any other fresh herb of your choice)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
½ teaspoon ground black pepper, divided
¾ cup flour, divided
¼ cup shallots, minced
¾ cup white wine
2 cups chicken broth
⅓ cup heavy cream
pasta of your choice, cooked to al dente as per package directions

Instructions

Melt 2 Tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-medium high heat.
While the butter melts, place the filleted chicken breasts onto a cutting board and cover with plastic wrap. Pound to ¼ inch uniform thickness with a meat mallet.
Season the chicken pieces with ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon.
Place ½ cup flour in a shallow bowl and dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, lightly tapping off the excess.
When the butter is fully melted and covering the bottom of the skillet, cook the chicken pieces for around 2 minutes per side until golden brown and remove from the pan into a side plate. Work in batches so you don't overload the pan and if it seems to be drying out, feel free to add a bit more butter.
Once the chicken is removed from the pan, melt remaining butter. BOil pasta per package directions.
Add the shallots to the pan and sauté for around a minute to soften, stirring frequently.
Stir in 4 tablespoons flour until there are no more lumps. Sauté for another minute until fragrant.
Add wine and deglaze the pan for 2 minutes. Then add chicken broth and heavy cream and stir to fully combine.
Reduce the heat to medium and simmer the sauce for 5 minutes until thickened.
Add remaining salt, black pepper and chopped tarragon to the pan and stir to combine.
Add the chicken back into the pan and simmer for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately over pasta.

Notes

Use a meat mallet to pound the chicken, or a rolling pin if you don't have one on hand.
Season the chicken before dredging it in flour, so the flavor gets locked in underneath the coating.
If the pan starts to look dry while browning the chicken, feel free to add a little more butter to keep things from sticking.
Don't sear the chicken for more than 2 to 3 minutes per side at first. It doesn't need to be fully cooked yet, since it finishes in the sauce later.
Serve this right away for the best texture, since the cream sauce can separate slightly after being chilled and reheated.
Ingredients to prep ahead- Mince the shallots and chop the tarragon up to a day in advance. Bring a pot of water to boil before getting started so the pasta cooks at the same time.
Leftovers and storage- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition