Sautéed Chicken Breasts With Tarragon
Updated May 15, 2025
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon Madras curry powder
6 large (about 6 ounces each) or 12 small (about 3 ounces each) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Canola oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced shallot
¼ cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped tarragon plus 1 tablespoon whole tarragon leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
3 grams carbs; 37 milligrams cholesterol; 123 calories; 3 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 8 grams fat; 208 milligrams sodium; 8 grams protein; 1 gram sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a small bowl mix together paprika and curry powder, and sprinkle on both sides of chicken breasts; cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
- Step 2
Place 2 breasts on large sheet of plastic wrap, cover with more plastic and pound with a mallet until they are about ¼-inch thick. Repeat with remaining breasts. (Chicken may be wrapped and refrigerated for up to 12 hours.)
- Step 3
Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Season chicken on both sides with salt. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough canola oil to film the bottom of pan. Working in batches, without crowding, place breasts smooth side down and let cook until golden brown, 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Turn and cook for another 1 to 1 ½ minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in oven.
- Step 4
Wipe out skillet and return to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and shallot, and sauté for 30 seconds, swirling pan to coat shallot with butter. Add wine, raise heat to medium-high, and cook until wine is reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add stock, bring to boil, and cook until reduced and slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Step 5
Stir in chopped tarragon, remaining 2 tablespoons butter, and any juices that have accumulated on baking sheet. Swirl to melt butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken on a warmed platter, pour sauce over it, and garnish with whole tarragon leaves.
Private Notes
Comments
Argh! I read the intro and it says this can be ready in 20 minutes. Imagine my disappointment when I read the recipe only to find out there are 2 hrs of marinating time as well. What am I cooking for dinner now?!
This was delicious. I added mushrooms to the sauce and I think that improved it. I didn't have "sweet" paprika. No worries.
I make this about once a month or so. It's very tasty. Any changes I've made don't make it better, just a bit different: if I don't have a shallot, I use sweet onion or scallion. I've sometimes cut back a bit on the butter, which is probably why the sauce doesn't thicken enough, but that's okay. It's still rich and I like a lot of sauce for the rice that I usually serve with it.
This was a lovely use of the abundant tarragon in my garden. I used chicken tenderloins instead of breasts, and served with egg noodles and asparagus. Anyone who says they reduced that sauce in the suggested 2 minutes is a fibber.
The chicken in the picture looks like it has skin on it. Would make a world of difference if that was the case. Was meh at best with a boneless skinless breast.
Really different! Didn’t measure the Madras curry pwd or the paprika, just sprinkled both sides generously and marinated about an hour while prepping the sides. Used 1/2c Better than Bouillon + water for the broth and 1/4c wine for 1.5 lbs chicken breast fillets. Didn’t have tarragon so used dried, but would love to use fresh next time. Lightly simmered the chicken in the sauce to finish; didn’t need oven. Used less butter. Very tasty and a nice sauce.