High protein tarragon chicken brings fragrant herbs and savory flavor to dinner. Here’s a satisfying chicken recipe worth making room for on your weekly menu!
Golden chicken, a creamy sauce flecked with fresh tarragon, and just enough Dijon to make you reach for another forkful: this high protein tarragon chicken deserves a place beside a generous scoop of mashed potatoes!
What Does Tarragon Chicken Taste Like?
Tarragon has a delicate anise flavor, a little sweet and slightly peppery, which works especially well with chicken, mustard, and creamy sauces.
Here, buttery shallots soften its herbal edge, Dijon adds a gentle sharpness, and lemon zest keeps every bite bright without making your dinner taste like lemon chicken.
I recommend keeping garlic modest and adding fresh tarragon near the end, because you want that fragrant herb to come through clearly.
This is one of those dinners where another six cloves of garlic would be an enthusiastic interruption!
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1¾ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
For the Creamy Tarragon Sauce
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped: About ½ cup.
- 2 medium garlic cloves, finely minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
- ¾ cup plain 2% Greek yogurt, about 170 grams
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves, loosely packed before chopping
- ½ teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
- 1–2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, optional
- Additional salt and black pepper, to taste
Servings: 4
Total time: About 40 minutes, allowing a little longer if searing in batches
Estimated protein: Approximately 45–48 grams per serving, including sauce and excluding sides
How to Make High Protein Tarragon Chicken
Place chicken between sheets of parchment or plastic wrap and gently pound thicker areas until each piece is about ½ inch thick, keeping your pressure even so you don’t tear thinner edges.
Don’t skip this step, because a breast with one thick end and one thin end forces you to choose between an undercooked center and a dry tip, and neither belongs on tonight’s menu! Pat both sides thoroughly dry with paper towels, then season with salt and pepper.
Heat olive oil in your skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers but doesn’t smoke, usually about 1–2 minutes depending on your pan and stove.
Lay chicken away from you to avoid splashes, leaving a little space around each piece; if your cutlets overlap or fill every inch, cook in two batches and add a small splash of oil if needed.
Let chicken cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes on its first side, checking underneath near the end for a golden crust. If it clings to a stainless-steel pan, give it another 30 seconds before trying again.
Turn chicken and cook for another 3–5 minutes, adjusting heat down slightly if browned bits begin turning very dark.
Check each piece with an instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into its thickest part, and transfer it to a clean plate once it reaches 165°F (74°C).
Timing will vary with thickness and your skillet, so let temperature make that final decision instead of giving every piece an automatic extra minute.
Reduce heat to medium and let your pan settle for about 30 seconds, then add butter and chopped shallots.
Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring frequently, until shallots soften and look translucent with lightly golden edges; if your pan seems too dry or shallots catch, add a tablespoon of broth.
Keep golden-brown chicken drippings, since they bring flavor to your sauce, but wipe away any truly black, burned patches before continuing. Add garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
Pour in wine, taking care around rising steam, and scrape across your pan with a wooden spoon to loosen those browned bits. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, until liquid reduces by roughly half and its sharp wine aroma softens.
If using broth instead, reduce it by about half as well, which keeps your finished sauce from becoming watery.
Stir in ¾ cup chicken broth and Dijon, whisking until mustard disperses, then simmer gently for 2 minutes. Give your cornstarch mixture another stir because it settles quickly, pour it in, and simmer for 1–2 minutes while stirring.
At this stage, sauce should look glossy and lightly coat a spoon, but it should still pour easily; yogurt will thicken it further, so don’t reduce it into gravy.
Move your skillet completely off heat and wait 2–3 minutes, until bubbling stops. Whisk Greek yogurt in a small bowl until smooth, then gradually whisk in about ¼ cup warm pan sauce, adding it a tablespoon at a time to gently warm yogurt.
Slowly stir this mixture back into your skillet. I recommend taking your time here, because yogurt added straight into a bubbling pan can separate into grainy little flecks, and a smooth sauce is worth two minutes of patience!
Stir in fresh tarragon, lemon zest, and any juices collected on your chicken plate, then taste before adding lemon juice.
Yogurt and Dijon already bring acidity, so start with just 1 teaspoon lemon juice if sauce needs more brightness, and add another only if you want it.
Adjust salt and pepper, then check consistency: if sauce sits in thick mounds, loosen it with warm broth, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it flows slowly from a spoon.
Return chicken to your skillet and spoon sauce over each piece, letting it sit in that residual warmth for 1–2 minutes. If needed, place your skillet over its lowest heat briefly, keeping sauce below a simmer.
Serve promptly with plenty of tarragon sauce, because leaving half of it in your pan would be a very questionable dinner decision!
Small Details That Make This Recipe Better
- Use fresh tarragon if you can. Its delicate flavor gives this dish its character. If dried tarragon is what you have, start with 2 teaspoons and add it with chicken broth in step 6 so it has time to soften and infuse.
- Choose thick, plain Greek yogurt. Regular yogurt makes a thinner sauce, while flavored yogurt belongs nowhere near Dijon chicken. A 5% Greek yogurt also works and produces a richer finish; nonfat is more prone to a sharp flavor and grainy texture.
- Let browning happen before moving chicken. Repeatedly lifting and sliding cutlets prevents good contact with your skillet. You’re looking for a golden surface, and that requires leaving dinner alone for a few minutes!
- Taste before adding more mustard. Start with the measured 2 teaspoons, then add another ½ teaspoon if you want a stronger Dijon note. Tarragon should remain easy to taste.
- Keep yogurt away from a rolling boil. Tempering helps, but gentle heat afterward matters just as much. If your sauce starts bubbling, move your skillet off heat immediately and stir.
Serving Suggestions
- Mashed potatoes and green beans: Spoon sauce into a shallow hollow in your potatoes, add chicken alongside, and serve with green beans cooked until tender but still bright.
- Buttered egg noodles and peas: Toss noodles with a little sauce before adding sliced chicken, then finish with peas for sweetness.
- Brown rice and roasted asparagus: Rice catches those shallot-studded spoonfuls, while asparagus adds a slightly earthy contrast.
- Crusty bread and a crisp salad: Serve with romaine, cucumber, and radishes dressed lightly with olive oil and lemon, keeping enough bread nearby to finish your plate properly.
High protein tarragon chicken gives you juicy, golden-edged chicken and a creamy, fragrant sauce with enough Dijon bite to keep every mouthful interesting.
Put it beside buttery potatoes, spoon sauce right to the edges, and bring dinner to the table while everything is warm. This is a good evening to leave a little extra bread within reach!
Hungry for more feel-good meals? Explore these 21 Anti-Inflammatory Breakfast Recipes for a nourishing start and 10 Anti-Inflammatory Dinner Recipes for delicious evenings that make healthy eating easy!
High Protein Tarragon Chicken with Creamy Dijon Sauce
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1¾ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ¾ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
For the Creamy Tarragon Sauce
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 medium shallots, finely chopped (about ½ cup)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp cold water
- ¾ cup plain 2% Greek yogurt
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh tarragon
- ½ tsp finely grated lemon zest
- 1 –2 tsp fresh lemon juice, optional
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Pound chicken breasts to an even ½-inch thickness, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken for 4–5 minutes per side, or until golden and the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C). Transfer to a plate.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and shallots and cook for 3–4 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in wine and scrape up the browned bits from the skillet. Simmer for 3–4 minutes, until reduced by about half. Stir in chicken broth and Dijon and simmer for 2 minutes.
- Stir the cornstarch mixture again, add it to the skillet, and cook for 1–2 minutes, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon.
- Remove the skillet completely from the heat and let it cool for 2–3 minutes. Whisk Greek yogurt until smooth, then gradually whisk about ¼ cup warm sauce into the yogurt. Slowly stir the tempered yogurt back into the skillet.
- Stir in tarragon, lemon zest, and any chicken juices. Add lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Return chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over it, warming gently for 1–2 minutes without letting the sauce boil.
Notes
- Fresh tarragon works best. If using dried, start with 2 teaspoons and add it with the broth.
- Don’t boil the sauce after adding Greek yogurt, or it may separate.
- Pound the chicken evenly so it cooks at the same rate without drying out.
- If the sauce becomes too thick, loosen it with warm chicken broth 1 tablespoon at a time.
