Winner winner chicken dinner? Oui oui! Chicken gets transformed into a French-inspired entree that comes together in less than half an hour. Lightly breaded and served with a sauce of creme fraiche, Dijon mustard and tarragon, it's subtly elegant served over buttered noodles. Or serve it over rice, mashed potatoes, risotto or even a slice of crusty toasted French bread. Tres facile (very simple), it uses pantry staples and best news is that it also uses only one pan!
Perfect for entertaining -- it's a crowd-pleaser -- or a weeknight meal staple, I love this recipe because of its versatility. You can read about the suggested substitutions and variations below. No creme fraiche? Use sour cream or heavy cream. And what a great way to use fresh herbs like dill or basil that you might have lingering from other cooking adventures.
Dial it up with a sprinkling of gruyere or Comte. Or top it with a poached egg. Just think how yummy that egg will be with with the cream sauce and the buttered noodles. Magnifique!
Divine served along some of my favorites from The Savory Tart:
- Pear, Fennel and Arugula Salad with Lemon Dressing and Pistachios
- Buttermilk Cucumbers with Almonds and Everything
- Heirloom Tomato, Peach and Arugula Salad with Miso Buttermilk and Herb Dressing
- Fennel, Leek and Artichoke Gratin
- Haricots Verts with Shallots, Hazelnuts and Citrus
Ingredients
- boneless, skinless chicken breast
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- all-purpose flour
- butter
- extra virgin olive oil
- white wine or chicken broth)
- Dijon mustard
- crème fraiche or heavy whipping cream
- fresh tarragon
- buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, rice, risotto or toasted bread
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts in half horizontally.
Pat the chicken breasts dry using paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of each piece with salt and pepper.
Add flour to a plate or large low bowl. Dredge the chicken breast halves in the flour coating completely. Shake off excess and reserve on a plate.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil.
When the butter begins to turn golden, add the chicken breast halves to the skillet in a single layer.
When browned, about 3 minutes, turn over and brown the other side, cooking until cooked through, about 5 minutes. The chicken should be brown on the outside and the inside should be cooked through and no longer pink on the inside.
Transfer to a plate and reserve.
Prepare the Mustard Tarragon Sauce:
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the wine or chicken broth to the skillet using a spatula to scrape up the browned bits.
Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
Whisk in the mustard and crème fraiche or cream. Boil until the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Remove from the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon.
Serve chicken and mustard tarragon sauce over buttered noodles, rice, risotto, a piece of toasted bread or mashed potatoes. Sprinkle with chives or additional tarragon.
Hint: To make sure the chicken is cooked, use a meat thermometer. The temperature should register 165°F, but can be removed from the skillet at 155°F; the temperature will continue to rise, and the chicken will continue to cook after removing from the skillet.
Substitutions
- Herbs - while I love the combination of tarragon and mustard, this would be very good with variety of herbs -- or even a mixture. Consider using basil or dill. Or use rosemary, sage or thyme, but adjust quantities to taste. (You may need less.)
- Chicken - boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used, but they will need to cook longer depending on thickness -- 7 to 9 minutes on each side. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
- Creme Fraiche - substitute heavy whipping cream or sour cream. Next time I make this I'm going to use mascarpone which will be sweeter and thicker. Thin the sauce with wine or chicken stock.
- Wine -- in line with its ingredients that are "French-ish", wine works best, but chicken or vegetable stock can be used instead.
- Dried Thyme -- substitute 2 teaspoons dried thyme for the fresh thyme
Variations
- Open-Face Sandwich with Bacon - serve the chicken breast half on a piece of toasted French bread and drizzle with sauce. Sprinkle with diced cooked bacon and chives
- Add Some Cheese - a few minutes before removing chicken from the skillet, sprinkle the chicken breasts with shredded Gruyere or Comte cheese -- even a slice of cheese -- and cover the pan to encourage melting. Aged cheddar or Fontina would also be tasty!
- Capers -- stir in 1-½ tablespoons of capers to the sauce. OR -- add a new first step to the recipe. To the same skillet, sauté 1-½ tablespoons of capers in 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until crispy. Use a slotted spoon to reserve to a paper towel lined plate. Use the capers as a garnish over the chicken.
- Mushrooms and Shallots - add a first step to the recipe and saute 5 ounces of sliced trimmed mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of minced shallot in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Cook until softened and mushrooms are lightly browned. Stir -- along with their juices -- into the Mustard and Tarragon Sauce. Or simply layer on top of the chicken when serving.
- Egg Decadence - top the chicken with a poached egg followed by the sauce. A bit of decadence when the egg yolks mix with buttered noodles! Heck. Sprinkle with bacon lardons.
- Gluten Free - used a gluten free option such as corn starch or rice flour in place of the all-purpose flour.
Equipment
What I absolutely love about this recipe is that it can be prepared using one pan -- a large skillet.
Storage
Store the cooked breaded chicken in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The sauce will keep in the refrigerator covered for up to 5 days.
Breaded cooked chicken breast halves can be frozen for up to 3 months. Freeze with layers of parchment between the breast halves.
The sauce can be frozen for up to three months. Defrost completely before reheating over low heat whisking to emulsify.
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🍽️ Recipe
Chicken with Mustard and Tarragon Sauce
Equipment
- large skillet
Ingredients
- 1-½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 6 ounces each or 3 to 4 chicken breast halves), sliced in half horizontally
- kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
- ½ cup flour
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup white wine or chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 8 ounces crème fraiche or heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon (2 teaspoons dried), plus more for garnish if desired
- buttered noodles buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, rice, risotto or toasted bread for serving
Instructions
- Pat the chicken breasts dry using paper towels. Sprinkle both sides of each piece with salt and pepper.
- Add flour to a plate or large low bowl. Dredge the chicken breast halves in the flour coating completely. Shake off excess and reserve on a plate.
- In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the oil. When the butter begins to brown, add the chicken breast halves to the skillet in a single layer. When browned, about 3 minutes, turn over and brown the other side, cooking until cooked through, about 5 minutes. The chicken should be brown on the outside and the inside should be cooked through and no longer pink on the inside.
- Prepare the Mustard Tarragon Sauce:
- Increase the heat to medium-high and add the wine (or chicken broth) to the skillet and use a spatula to scrape up the browned bits. Cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the mustard and crème fraiche (or cream). Boil until the sauce has thickened and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon.
- Serve chicken and mustard tarragon sauce over buttered noodles, rice, risotto, a piece of toasted bread
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