Let this delicious Tarragon Chicken simmer away in your slow cooker all day, and you will be in for an incredible dinner.
Looking for the best creamy tarragon chicken recipe?
This tarragon chicken is a delicious weeknight meal made with fresh tarragon and bone-in chicken pieces and wrapped up in a creamy sauce, like our creamy cajun chicken pasta.
The slow cooker is the perfect tool for making this delicious chicken tarragon. It’s the perfect set-it-and-forget-it meal, like these slow cooker chicken tacos. After a couple of hours in the crockpot, you’re left with perfectly tender chicken with delicious flavor.
What Is Tarragon Chicken?
Estragon, commonly known as tarragon, belongs to the perennial herb family within the sunflower family. Found extensively in the wild across Eurasia and North America, it is deliberately grown for both culinary and medicinal applications. The various types of tarragon, such as French tarragon (ideal for culinary use), Russian tarragon, and wild tarragon, come with distinct characteristics. With an aromatic profile akin to anise, tarragon is recognized as one of the four “fine herbs of French cooking,” often enhancing the flavors of chicken, like in this tarragon chicken recipe.
Tarragon chicken is a dish featuring chicken seasoned with chopped tarragon, an herb known for its distinctive flavor. Using tarragon adds a unique taste to the chicken, creating a dish often associated with French cuisine. It’s a flavorful and aromatic way to prepare chicken, infusing it with the rich and herbal essence of tarragon.
Why you’ll love this recipe
This chicken tarragon recipe is the perfect easy weeknight dinner because all you have to do is throw everything into the slow cooker to cook for a few hours until you’re ready to serve.
Ingredients
- Chicken broth: Adds depth and savory flavor to the sauce. You could also use a white wine like Pinot Grigio for added flavor.
- Dijon mustard: Provides a tangy and slightly spicy element to enhance the taste.
- Salt & pepper
- Bone-in chicken parts (breasts, drumsticks, and thighs), skin discarded: You can use a rotisserie chicken if you like or this whole smoked chicken.
- Garlic: Infuses the dish with aromatic and savory notes.
- Fresh tarragon leaves: Impart a distinct and aromatic licorice-like flavor to the chicken.
- Heavy cream: The base for the cream sauce.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce.
- Lemon: Adds citrusy brightness to complement the dish.
- Flat-leaf parsley: Adds a fresh and herbaceous element for garnish.
How to Make Tarragon Chicken
First, pour the chicken broth into a 6-7 qt slow cooker. Now, in a small bowl, combine the mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon pepper; rub the chicken with the mustard. Then, place the chicken in the slow cooker and top it with the garlic and 2 tbs tarragon.
Next, cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender and an instant-read thermometer inserted into a thigh away from the bone registers an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 5 hours. Now, transfer the chicken to a serving plate and cover to keep warm.
Next, strain the pan juices into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat. In a small bowl, combine the cream and cornstarch. Whisk the cream mixture into the saucepan and cook until the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, parsley, and 1 tbs tarragon. Top the chicken with the zest-herb mixture.
Expert Recipe Tip
- If you didn’t discard the skin but rather worked in batches, sear the chicken for 2-3 minutes per side in a large skillet over medium-high heat before placing it in the crockpot.
How to Store Leftovers & Reheat
Store leftover chicken tarragon in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. We don’t recommend freezing it as the creamy tarragon sauce may become gritty over time.
To reheat:
- Place a large pan over medium heat.
- Place leftover tarragon chicken in the pan and simmer until heated.
What to Serve with Tarragon Chicken
Since this meal doesn’t include any carbs, you can add anything you like! If you’re on a low-carb diet, you can eat it as is or add a salad. Or, if you want to add some carbs, you can dip a baguette into the creamy sauce or serve it over a bed of pasta or mashed potatoes.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. If you don’t have a slow cooker, a Dutch oven is the next best thing. Start by browning the chicken and then making the sauce as the recipe instructs.
Using fresh tarragon is the key to getting that classic French flavor. We highly recommend using fresh over dried.
Nope. You can use chicken breasts or chicken thighs instead for this recipe.
Slow Cooker Tarragon Chicken
AmericanIngredients
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tbs chicken broth
- 4 tbsp dijon mustard
- salt & pepper
- 4 lbs bone-in chicken parts - breasts. drumsticks, and thighs skin, discarded***
- 3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
- 1/3 heavy cream
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 lemon - finely zested and juiced
- 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
Instructions
- Pour the broth into a 6-7 qt slow cooker.
- In a small bowl, combine the mustard, 1 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp pepper; rub the chicken with the mustard.
- Place the chicken in the slow cooker and top with the garlic and 2 tbs tarragon.
- Cover and cook on low heat until the chicken is tender and an instant read thermometer inserted into a thigh away from the bone registers 165 degrees F, about 5 hours.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and cover to keep warm.
- Strain the pan juices into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over high heat.
- In a small bowl, combine the cream and cornstarch.
- Whisk the cream mixture into the saucepan and cook until the sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the lemon zest, parsley, and 1 tbs tarragon.
- Top the chicken with the zest-herb mixture.
- ***I didn’t discard the skin,but rather, working in batches, seared the chicken 2-3 minters per side in a skillet over medium high heat before placing it in the crock pot.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional informations provided as a courtesy and is only an approximatation. Values will changes based on ingredients used.
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This effortless dish is the ultimate comfort food, with the vibrant flavors from the tarragon bathed in a decadent creamy sauce. Perfect for lazy weeknights when you don’t feel like cooking. If you try this recipe, please rate the recipe card and leave a comment down below to help out the next reader!
Glad you found a local store to support! It might be a few cents more, but its employees probably are also being compensated more fairly. This chicken is oooooooo ooooooo good. What flavors – bet the house smells good!
Sounds fabulous Kita! I love chicken and tarragon together annnnnd it’s in a slow cooker with out a cream-of-anything soup! LOVE THIS!
I searched everywhere for tarragon last week! It’s nowhere to be found around here! Alas, I did not check Walmart. I’m sure they have it.
I stay away from Walmart for the most part but honestly? They seem to have all the “weird” things that other stores don’t, like fresh tarragon.
I hear you regarding Walmart. We, too, try to stay away as much as possible. Now, this Chicken Tarragon looks incredibly delicious! I love the intensity of tarragon!
I refuse to go to walmart unless I absolutely have to. They’re dirty and smell up here. I’m not even remotely kidding. I feel gross when I leave there. Thankfully for the everything store – there are a few Targets in the area that have small grocery selections.
Such a great recipe! I might just unpacked my recently put away slow cooker 🙂
I don’t enjoy shopping at Walmart simply because the store near mean has incredibly unhelpful and uncaring workers. I have a hard time finding some things, and when I ask for help they say they have never heard of such a thing (and it won’t even be anything that uncommon) and don’t carry it. I of course end up spending an hour scouring every shelf in every aisle and eventually find it. I had to resist the urge to hunt down the person who told me they don’t have it to show them they in fact do. I usually go to the Kroger on the way home from the gym because it has a better produce section than the Kroger closer to my apartment. But at the same time have noticed that some things are cheaper at Target but their produce and meat section is very minimal. Ah!!! Where is Wegmans when I need them? #missingRochesterNY
Anyway enough with my rant… one of these days I will not be working 12 hour days and will remember to take out my slow cooker to make this.
this is such a great slow-cooker recipe!
This looks fantastic – and makes me want a slow cooker once more. This must be the most tender chicken ever!
I agree on the quality of ingredients. I am a devout coupon clipper and love to save money, but sometimes it’s just not worth trying to save money by sacrificing flavor.
I’m scared to ever move from where I live because I have such great local markets. If 1 store doesn’t have _____, then a store 1 block down will. With my recent crockpot obsession, I MUST make this recipe!
This looks great and perfect for spring! I made something like this in the summer with corn and poblano peppers, and have been looking for a winter or spring version of braised chicken.
Also, congrats on finding a new store! I looooaaathe Wal-Mart and haven’t set foot in one since I was stranded and needed tire chains years ago, but it’s a big privilege to have other options–I’m thankful I have them.