Chicken tarragon is a classic. At its best, this simple dish can truly be the stuff of dreams...creamy, rich, and delicately flavored with a whisper of fresh tarragon. But at its worst, it can be a plate of withering disappointment, bathed in a thin and flavorless sauce fit for export to the kingdom of bland. After trying countless recipes over the years, I have developed my own dream version. Perhaps you will enjoy this one, too. Lusciously creamy, richly flavored, and designed with maximum comfort food potential in mind, this chicken tarragon still remains exceedingly easy to prepare. Think elegant French cuisine meets cozy cottage kitchen. And the secret that makes this particular version so downright irresistible? It's mascarpone. Though I suppose the cognac might also have a little something to do with it.
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Ingredients for Chicken Tarragon
- boneless skinless chicken breasts
- extra virgin olive oil
- unsalted butter
- shallot
- cognac
- chicken stock
- mascarpone
- heavy whipping cream
- fresh tarragon
- dijon mustard
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions for Chicken Tarragon
Preparation
If using bouillon for the chicken broth, begin by preparing the broth.
Mince the shallot and finely chop the tarragon.
Cut the chicken breasts into medium pieces of roughly equal size.
Generously season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Then place a large skillet over medium heat and add the butter and the oil.
Cooking the Chicken
When the butter is melted and the skillet is good and hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook for a few minutes until browned on the first side.
Turn the chicken pieces over and brown them on the other side. Then transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the chopped shallot to the same skillet and then reduce the heat to medium low. Sauté the shallot until soft and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the cognac. Let it simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced, stirring and scraping up any remaining browned bits in the bottom of the skillet.
Then stir in the chicken broth.
Return the chicken, along with any accumulated juices, to the skillet. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Then transfer the chicken to a clean serving dish, reserving the skillet and its remaining contents in preparation for making the sauce.
Making the Sauce
Add the mascarpone, tarragon, mustard, and whipping cream to the remaining contents in the skillet.
Whisk to combine. Then bring the sauce to a lively simmer over medium high heat.
Simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper and pour it over the chicken. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped tarragon.
Serve with some good crusty bread.
Hint: Take the mascarpone and heavy whipping cream out of the refrigerator at the same time you begin cooking this dish. The sauce will come together more quickly if these ingredients are not "fridge cold" when added to the skillet.
Substitutions
- The shallot - In a pinch, you can substitute yellow onion for the shallot...but be sure to chop it very fine and sauté a bit longer.
- The cognac - If you don't have any cognac on hand, you can certainly use your favorite brandy instead.
- The heavy whipping cream - Since the mascarpone really does most of the heavy lifting when it comes to thickening the sauce, you could probably get away with using half & half rather than heavy whipping cream here.
Storage
Leftover chicken tarragon will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Tarragon
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¾ cup shallot
- ¼ cup cognac
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup mascarpone
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- kosher salt
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Preparation
- If using bouillon for the chicken broth, begin by preparing the broth.
- Mince the shallot and finely chop the tarragon.
- Cut the chicken breasts into medium pieces of roughly equal size. Generously season them with salt and pepper.
Cooking the Chicken
- Place a large skillet over medium heat and melt the butter with the oil.
- Add the chicken pieces to the skillet in a single layer and brown them on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the chopped shallot to the same skillet and reduce the heat to medium low. Sauté the shallot until soft and translucent, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add the cognac. Let it simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes until slightly reduced, stirring and scraping up any remaining browned bits in the bottom of the skillet.
- Stir in the chicken broth and then return the chicken, along with any accumulated juices, to the skillet. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean serving dish, reserving the skillet and its remaining contents in preparation for making the sauce.
Making the Sauce
- Add the mascarpone, tarragon, mustard, and whipping cream to the remaining contents in the skillet. Whisk to combine.
- Bring the sauce to a lively simmer over medium high heat. Simmer until it has thickened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper and pour it over the chicken. Garnish with a sprinkle of chopped tarragon and serve with some good crusty bread.
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