Creamy Tarragon Chicken

overhead shot of chicken in skillet garnished with tarragon

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4.84 from 6 votes

Chicken drenched in a Creamy Tarragon Sauce. Quick and easy dinners don't come more delicious than this!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Universal

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2 / $2.50

Equipment

Large Pan & Tongs
Wooden Spoon
Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Jug (for stock & Cream)

Ingredients

2 large Chicken Breasts, brought close to room temp (approx 9oz/250g each)
3/4 cup / 180ml Heavy/Double Cream, at room temp
3/4 cup / 180ml Chicken Stock
1/4 cup / 60ml White Wine (see notes)
1/4 cup / 20g freshly grated Parmesan
2 Shallots, finely diced
2 cloves of Garlic, finely diced
1 tbsp finely diced Fresh Tarragon, plus more to serve (optional)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
1 tbsp Butter
1/2 tsp Salt, plus more to taste
1/4 - 1/2 tsp Black Pepper, plus more to taste

Instructions

Slice your chicken breasts right through the centre to make 4 even sized breasts. Rub 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4-1/2 tsp black pepper into the meat.
Add 1 tbsp butter and olive oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breasts and fry both sides until golden, with the centre cooked right through. Remove and place to one side. Lower heat to medium.
Add in shallots and fry until they begin to soften/brown, then add garlic and fry for another 1-2mins. Pour in wine and use your wooden spoon to scrape off any flavour stuck to the pan. Simmer until the wine reduces right down. This is important to burn off the alcohol.
Pour in stock and cream, then add 1 tbsp finely diced fresh tarragon. Turn heat to low and gently simmer for 5mins, or until the sauce starts to thicken slightly. Stir in parmesan then add salt & pepper to taste. Give it a final stir and simmer for another couple of minutes until the sauce thickens.
Add chicken back to the pan and coat in the sauce. Sprinkle over a pinch more tarragon (optional) then serve up with potatoes and veg of choice!

Video

Notes

a) Chicken - I prefer chicken breasts for this recipe but you could use thighs if you fancy! In both cases it's important to bring close to room temp or the meat will seize up and dry out.

b) White Wine - This cuts through the richness of the sauce and adds a very gentle background flavour. Any dry white wine you've got on hand will do the trick. Most (if not all) of the alcohol will burn off, but just sub with more stock if you can't use it.

c) Tarragon - This is quite a strong herb, but I find 1 tbsp adds a good blast of flavour, without being too overpowering. If you've only got dried tarragon, general rule of thumb is 1 tsp dried herbs = 1 tbsp fresh herbs.

d) Calories - whole recipe divided by 4 (no sides).

Nutrition