Juicy chicken cutlets are pan-fried to golden-brown perfection, then coated in silky-smooth tarragon cream sauce. The whole dish comes together in one skillet and is ready in 30 minutes!
A 30-Minute Chicken Dinner Weeknight Winner
One of my favorite perennial garden herbs is lovely licorice-flavored tarragon, and the role it plays as the perfect herbal accent in easy dinners like my Honey Mustard Chicken and Lemony Chicken Orzo Stew.
In this creamy tarragon chicken recipe, its subtle flavor transforms a simple one-skillet recipe into tasting like it came from a restaurant, with a nice pop of freshness and flavor that doesn’t overpower the sauce.
In this fast and easy recipe, juicy chicken cutlets are bathed in the creamy tarragon sauce that’s been thickened with a little butter and flour, while heavy cream adds to its deliciously silky texture.
And this dish goes with any of your favorite sides like mashed potatoes, steamed rice, or egg noodles to easily complete a meal that everyone loves.
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Success
- To reduce the cook time and keep the chicken breasts super juicy, I placed them between two pieces of plastic wrap and pounded them to an even thickness. It’s a little more work up front, but it means the chicken only has to cook for about 8 minutes total!
- To prevent the butter from burning, you’ll want to mix it with a little canola oil when pan-frying the chicken.
- The tarragon cream sauce can be made with either chicken broth or white wine. I’ve tested this recipe using either broth, wine, or a mixture of the two, and the results have always been delicious.
What’s in This Recipe?
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts — Halve the chicken breasts lengthwise to create chicken cutlets. (Or, see if the butcher’s counter at your local grocery store sells pre-sliced chicken cutlets to save yourself some time.)
- Salt and pepper — We’re seasoning the chicken very simply so the tarragon flavor can really shine.
- Butter + oil — The butter adds richness and flavor, while the oil raises the smoke point and lets you pan fry the chicken without anything accidentally burning.
- Chicken broth or white wine — Pick one, or mix the two to create a flavorful sauce.
- Heavy cream — Makes for an ultra creamy tarragon chicken. I bet you could get away with using half and half if you wanted to make the dish a little lighter.
- Lemon — You’ll be using both the juice and zest, so buy a fresh lemon and not just the bottled juice.
- Tarragon — Tastes like a cross between licorice and mint. It has a slightly stronger anise flavor than basil, but it’s generally a crowd pleaser. Fresh is preferred, but dried can be used in a pinch.
How to Make Tarragon Chicken
- Prep the chicken. To keep the kitchen as clean as possible, I suggest placing the chicken between two layers of plastic wrap before pounding. Once that’s done, dredge in a mixture of flour, salt, and pepper to create a gorgeous golden sear.
- Brown the chicken. The key to getting a nice sear is to preheat the skillet for a couple of minutes beforehand. Then, once the chicken is added to the skillet, don’t touch it until you’re ready to flip.
- Scrape up the brown bits. Once the chicken is remove from the skillet, you should see lots of crispy golden bits on the bottom of the pan. Pour in the chicken broth or white wine and whisk gently to release all that flavor into the sauce.
- Thicken the sauce. The cream is poured in first, followed by a paste made from butter and flour. The sauce will need to gently bubble away for 5 minutes to thicken.
Heidi’s Tip: You’ll know the cream sauce has become sufficiently thick when it’s able to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add the lemon and tarragon. Adjust the seasonings to taste after you’ve added the lemon juice, zest, and chopped tarragon.
- Return the chicken to the skillet. Let the chicken sit in the creamy tarragon sauce for about 2 minutes to reheat.
FAQs
I strongly suggest cutting the chicken breasts into cutlets and then pounding them to an even thickness.
This helps to tenderize the meat, ensures it cooks more evenly in the skillet, reduces the total cook time, and generally just makes for the juiciest chicken ever.
Go for it! Fresh herbs are always preferred, but swap in 1 teaspoon of dried tarragon if that’s what you have on hand.
Theoretically, yes, but the cook time would need to be adjusted. More than that, I can’t say for sure! I only tested this recipe with chicken breasts.
Storage Tips
Let the chicken cool before transferring to an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days, gently reheating individual servings in the microwave on 30-second intervals.
What to Serve With Chicken in Tarragon Sauce
- Salads — Italian House Salad, Arugula Salad with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, or Parmesan Kale Salad
- Sides — Steamed Rice, Mashed Potatoes, Parmesan Buttered Noodles or plain egg noodles, or Roasted Asparagus
- Bread — Buttery Dinner Rolls
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Creamy Tarragon Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds skinless boneless chicken breasts, halved lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- ½ cup chicken broth or white wine, or a combination
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped tarragon, or 1 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
Instructions
- Prep the chicken: Working with 1 ½ pounds chicken breasts halved lengthwise, place each cutlet, one at a time, between two sheets of plastic wrap and use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound out to ½-inch thickness. In a shallow bowl, mix 2 tablespoons flour, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon black pepper. Lightly dredge both sides of each chicken cutlet in the flour, shaking off the excess, and set aside.
- Brown the chicken: Heat a large cast iron pan or heavy bottom skillet over medium and melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon canola oil. Place chicken cutlets into the pan and cook, undisturbed, until browned on underside, about 4 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes on the second side. Transfer to a plate, tent with foil, and repeat with the remaining chicken cutlets, adding more butter or oil as needed.
- Make the sauce: Wipe out any burned bits from the skillet with a paper towel and return to medium-high. Add ½ cup chicken broth or wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Scrape up browned bits of flavor, cook for 2 minutes, and add 1 cup cream. In a small bowl, mash remaining 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon butter until smooth, then whisk into the chicken broth. Reduce the heat and simmer until thickened, 3-5 minutes or until the cream coats the back of a spoon. Stir in juice and zest of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon, and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Re-warm the chicken: Return chicken breasts to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes or until chicken is warmed through. Serve with rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes with more chopped tarragon or lemon wedges on the side.
Nutrition
More 30-Minute Chicken Dinners:
- Caprese Chicken
- Creamy Mushroom and Leek Chicken
- “Marry Me” Chicken
- Crispy Chicken Milanese
- Skillet Chicken Marsala
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Holli Freeman
Made this for dinner tonight. 10 out of 10! Will definitely be putting this in the dinner rotation.
Thank you for the good news in your comment and the 5 stars Holli!