Love creamy mushroom sauce? Try my delicious and easy Pork Stroganoff!

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My husband gave me a copy of Julia Child’s Mastering the art of French Cooking as an anniversary present recently.

I love reading through the recipes in the book but the techniques that Cordon Bleu trained Julia used often seem unnecessarily complicated.

This creamy tarragon chicken actually uses only a handful of ingredients and cooks in about half an hour. Yet it does taste chef’s kiss amazing and I am sure you will fall in love with it too!

Fans of French cooking will also love my Slow Cooker Chicken Chasseur and beloved classic Beef Bourguignon!

Tarragon Chicken Ingredients

Chicken: I used skinless and boneless chicken breasts in this recipe. If your chicken breasts are quite large then you will need to slice them or butterfly them (see photo below) so that they cook relatively quickly.

Butterflying chicken breasts — Slice the chicken breasts down the middle without cutting all the way through to flatten them.

Tarragon: this wonderful herb is often used in classic French cooking (like bearnaise sauce). It has a mild aniseed flavor that pairs wonderfully with the cream and wine in the sauce. Fresh tarragon is best if you can find it, but you can use dried tarragon in a pinch.

Shallots, minced garlic, wine and cream round off the tarragon sauce.

Mushrooms: these are optional so feel free to leave them out if you are not a fan. I used a mix of wild mushrooms and chestnut mushrooms.

overhead view of creamy tarragon chicken

How to Make Creamy Tarragon Chicken

↓ For the full ingredients and detailed method, jump to the recipe card.

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and lightly dust with a little flour on both sides. Butterfly the chicken breasts if they large and thick so that they cook evenly and quickly.

Heat butter and oil in a skillet or casserole dish. Brown the chicken over medium heat for a couple of minutes, flipping over once. You want the chicken to be nicely golden but not cooked through. Set aside.

Deglaze the pan with the white wine, scraping any browned bits stuck to the pan loose – these add so much flavor! Simmer until the wine is almost completely cooked down.

Add the shallots and a bit more butter and sauté, stirring, over low heat until softened. You can use onions instead of shallots if needed.

Stir in the minced garlic, tarragon and mushrooms and cooke for about five minutes until the mushrooms have softened.

Add the chicken stock and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until almost cooked through.

chicken cooking with mushrooms and stock in a pan

Stir in the cream and cook until warmed through and slightly thickened. Taste and add salt and pepper and garnish more tarragon before serving.

close up on a pan of tarragon chicken with cream and mushrooms

What to Serve with Tarragon Chicken

This rich recipe can be served with carbs for a hearty meal or simply with some vegetables. Make sure to add a glass of crisp white wine such as Sancerre or Picpoul De Pinet.

Boiled or Mashed potatoes
Rice or pasta
Steamed vegetables such as green beans, broccoli or asparagus

HAVE YOU MADE MY TARRAGON CHICKEN RECIPE? Post a photo on my Facebook page, share it on Instagram, or save it to Pinterest with the tag #Nusde. I can’t wait to see your take on it!