Creamy Lemon Chicken is delicately simmered in a skillet with an exquisite lemon butter sauce.
This creamy recipe for lemon chicken with tarragon is the one-pan, easy stovetop recipe you didn’t know you needed! With it’s faint anise flavor, this is the ultimate chicken recipe for a quick dinner that is oh, so fresh and elegant!
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Why We Love this Recipe
Chicken is the perfect vehicle for so many flavor profiles! And in this dish, we kept the original recipe simple, but left plenty of room for delicious additions and variations. It’s a one-pot entrée that stands alone as a main dish, or can be topped over a bed of orzo, creamy rice, or pasta. Try it with spaghetti or linguine, no matter what you serve it with it’s always stylish!
Ingredients
CHICKEN – Freshly seared chicken breasts are gently cooked in a mild sauce.
SAUCE – The sauce is made with broth, mustard, butter, tarragon, lemon zest, and pepper.
CREAM – Heavy cream is called for, making the sauce rich and savory, and bringing out the flavors of all the ingredients.
WINE – For a special dish like this, use a decent wine you wouldn’t mind drinking. Try unoaked Chardonnay or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc or Pino Grigio. To sub, just use extra chicken broth, the recipe will still be excellent!
Variations
- Creamy lemon chicken stands on its own but the sauce can be accented with sauteed garlic, broccoli, asparagus, artichoke hearts, sliced mushrooms, or green peas.
- Serve it over lemon rice, a bed of spinach (for a low carb entrée), with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese as a garnish.
- For a piccata-style recipe, dredge chicken in flour before browning in oil.
- Don’t forget to accent it with our own lemon rice recipe!
How to Make Creamy Lemon and Tarragon Chicken
Creamy Lemon Chicken is an elegant savory dish, but that doesn’t mean it’s complicated to cook. Simple steps is all it takes!
- Brown chicken in oil.
- Pour all ingredients except cream and wine over chicken. Cover and simmer.
- Remove the chicken breasts onto a serving plate and cover.
- Add cream and wine to the pan and reduce.
- Add lemon slices, salt & pepper. Pour sauce over chicken, garnish and serve.
For Frozen Chicken Breasts
- Simply prepare as the recipe as directed, but add another 15 minutes to the cooking time.
- Check for doneness using a meat thermometer. Place it in the thickest part of the breast. It should read 165°F.
Tips and Tricks
- If tarragon is not available, (or the flavor is not to your liking,) feel free to switch it out for fresh basil or fresh dill. Either will work well and still complement the lemon flavor.
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Serve with lemon rice and garnish with extra lemon slices and sliced green onions.
What to do with Leftovers
- Creamy lemon tarragon chicken tastes even better the next day! Serve it cold by chopping it to top a salad, or tuck it into a low-carb wrap with lettuce and Low Carb Ranch Dressing, or our Creamy Dill Dressing.
- Lemon tarragon chicken will keep in the refrigerator in a covered container for up to 4 days, and frozen for up to 2 months. Be sure to write the date on the outside of the zippered bag or container.
Other Delicious Chicken Entrees!
- Chicken Lasagna – Creamy!
- Chicken Parmesan With Spaghetti Squash – A healthy option.
- Air Fryer Buttermilk Fried Chicken – Crisp and juicy.
- Dijon Chicken – Full of flavor!
- Smoked Chicken Breasts – so tender.
Creamy Lemon Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon oil
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- 1 ¼ cup chicken broth
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 Tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon fresh tarragon chopped, or your favorite herbs (or ½ teaspoon dried)
- zest of 1 lemon *
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 lemon *thinly sliced (small lemon)
- ½ teaspoon salt optional
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup white wine or chicken broth
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and brown both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- Pour chicken broth over chicken. Add mustard, butter, tarragon, lemon zest, and pepper (no need to stir). Cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
- Remove chicken to a serving dish and cover to keep warm.
- Add cream and wine to pan and bring to a boil. Reduce sauce by about one third. Reduce heat to bring to a simmer and add lemon slices. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour over chicken and serve with rice or pasta.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information does not include optional ingredients or garnish and is an estimate. It may change based on actual ingredients and cooking methods used.
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Two of my favorite flavors, lemon and tarragon! Thanks for sharing, I am looking forward to trying this out!
Oh, you’ll love this chicken Shauna! Thank you!