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This recipe is sure to be a fast favorite! If you’re looking for something new to try, this Dutch Oven Creamy Tarragon and Dijon Chicken Thighs recipe will not disappoint! It’s elevated, delicious, and surprisingly easy to make.
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I really love to use my dutch oven and my braiser (I’m using my braiser here so that you can see the chicken better), to cook chicken thighs. Not only does the dutch oven give you a more evenly heated surface, but you cannot beat the look of the sear you get when you use one!
This recipe features classic French-inspired flavors, and if you’re a fan of tarragon (who isn’t?!), you’re going to fall truly, madly, deeply in love with this recipe.
Ingredients + substitutions
- Chicken thighs - bone-in, skin-on is best for this recipe. You can, of course, use boneless, skinless thighs, chicken breasts, or even legs. Just be sure to keep an eye on cooking times, you may need more or less. Keeping a meat thermometer handy so that you can monitor the internal temperature of your chicken is very helpful.
- Salt + pepper - for seasoning your chicken breasts. I like to liberally salt and pepper mine. Kosher salt is best, but if you’re using table salt try not to use *a ton* of it. It’s better to under-salt and salt later, rather than over salt and have your dish ruined, you know?
- Butter - butter adds flavor to the pan and helps with the searing process.
- Olive oil - for searing and for flavor.
- Flour - for slightly thickening your tarragon mustard cream sauce.
- Tarragon - I used fresh tarragon, you can easily find this at most grocery stores but you can use dried tarragon. Just use about a tsp of it because with dried herbs a little goes a long way (and you can always add more if you’d like after a taste-test.
- Dijon mustard - for that bright, tangy mustard flavor.
- Shallot - you can swap the shallot for a clove or two of minced garlic if you’d like. Or simply leave it out of the recipe if you don’t have it. I like to use them because they’re sweet and have a mild garlic flavor.
- Chicken stock/broth - this will make up the base of your cream sauce. You can swap it for white wine. Or use ½ cup of white wine and ½ cup of chicken broth.
- Heavy cream - for creaminess and flavor.
- Lemon juice - I like to squeeze a little lemon juice in here to brighten the dish and save some lemon wedges for serving and for garnish.
How to make it? Steps + photos
- The process is pretty easy and I think you’ll be shocked by how quickly you can get this fancy-looking dish on the table.
- First preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Season your chicken with salt and pepper. Use your judgement, here. I just add a few twists of salt and pepper to each side of the chicken thigh.
- Heat your dutch oven with butter and olive oil then sear the thighs on each side, and set them aside.
- Add the flour, chopped tarragon, dijon, and shallot to the pan and give it a quick stir.
- Then add the stock to deglaze the pan.
- Finally return the chicken to the dutch oven and finish baking it in the oven for about 20 minutes.
What sides go best with Tarragon Chicken?
My Copycat Outback Brussels Sprouts are always a huge hit! But they also pair well with mashed or baked potatoes, rice, or even just a salad!
More Dutch Oven Chicken Recipes
I’m a fan of chicken thighs and my dutch oven, as you can probably tell from my Dutch Oven Chicken Thighs with Mustard Sauce, and my Dutch Oven BBQ Chicken Thighs. But I have many more recipes featuring dutch ovens, chicken, and cream sauces. Give one of them a try!
Ingredients
- 6 Chicken thighs bone-in, skin-on
- Kosher salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tbsp chopped tarragon or use 1 tsp if using dried tarragon
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp shallot minced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper on both sides. Please be sure to use kosher salt.
- Heat your dutch oven over medium-high heat, with the butter and olive oil. Sear the thighs on each side and remove them from the dutch oven.
- Turn the heat down a little bit and add the flour, chopped tarragon, dijon mustard, and shallot. Stir it around for just a minute. It’s okay if it doesn’t look gorgeous at this point, we’re just getting things a little toasty and scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the dutch oven.
- Add the chicken stock, bring it to a simmer to deglaze.
- Turn the heat off and stir in the heavy cream and lemon juice.
- Return the chicken to the dutch oven and finish baking in the oven, uncovered, until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F. This will take about 20 minutes.
Notes
Nutrition
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