Cast Iron Tarragon Chicken

This wonderful piece of French-influenced cookery showcases the magic of one pot meals. The simplicity of this amazing Cast Iron Tarragon Chicken recipe is only outshone by the immense flavors this dish will produce. The best kind of recipes in our opinion are ones that are easy to make, take no time at all, and are packed full of big flavors. This amazing Chicken dish ticks all three of those boxes, making it the perfect choice for an easy midweek dinner to feed the family

You can make this recipe with a large Cast Iron skillet, which is our preferred pan. It is oven safe, which is a must, as this dish requires some stovetop cooking as well as roasting in the Oven. Any oven-safe pan will work, but we recommend using a Cast Iron if you’ve got one handy. They conduct heat better than any other pan, which means you’ll achieve an even cook throughout

Breaking down the Chicken

For our Cast Iron Tarragon Chicken recipe, we use a whole Chicken. Using a whole Chicken has several benefits, but the main one is cost. You’ll pay far less for a Whole Chicken that you can easily break down yourself at home than buying individually prepared pieces from the store

This dish uses all elements of the Chicken, so nothing will go to waste. The Chicken Thighs and Breasts are cooked at the same time, but the Wings will need to be cooked a little differently to ensure an even cook. For this recipe we keep the bones in the Chicken, which adds flavor but also makes breaking down the Chicken a lot easier

There are loads of great videos out there on the best way to break down a whole Chicken. I would recommend you try this one as it shows how to break down the Chicken while keeping the bones

Any bones you don’t use, and those that are left on the place once the dish is eaten can be saved to make a delicious homemade Chicken Stock. This dish does require just over 1 cup of Chicken Stock, so you can make a fresh batch of Stock using this recipe and repeat this dish again at a later date!

The Chicken is lightly coated in Flour before being pan fried

What makes this dish a little different from many one pot meals is the Chicken goes through a light coating of seasoned Flour before it is pan fried in Oil and Butter. This step is not to completely cook the Chicken, but serves to create a beautiful crispy coating

We cook the Chicken for about 3 minutes on each side until lightly browned. At this stage the Chicken will be still raw in the middle, but that outside is beautiful and golden-brown. The liquids will be added to the pan once the Chicken is removed, along with Shallots, Mushrooms, and the all-important Tarragon

You will likely need to batch cook the Chicken during this first step. One whole Chicken that has been broken down will be unlikely to fit into the pan. So split the quantity of Oil and Butter in the recipe below, allowing for enough for two batches to be cooked. You can always add a little more if needed anyway!

At this point I recommend reserving the Chicken Wings. They will be a lot closer to completely cooked than the Breast or Thighs and will overcook if they’re added to the Oven step. So, simply set them aside and return them to the pan to finish them off right before serving. Or you can do what we do and eat them sooner. They’re too good to resist!

The Cast Iron Tarragon Chicken dish relies on a classic French-inspired Pan Sauce

Preparing the Sauce for this recipe is done in a very classical way. Once the Chicken is browned, remove it from the pan. Reserve any Juice and the bits of meat that are stuck to the pan. We’ll capture all this flavor in the sauce!

Like any good French recipe, the next step involves adding Butter (the Cream comes later!). Melt the Butter then add Shallots and Mushrooms. Cook them all down for about 5 minutes then add about 1 cup of White Wine to deglaze the pan. Scrape up all the flavors from the pan at this point, and your sauce will start to take shape

Once the Wine is reduced, add the Heavy Cream along with Chicken Stock. In goes the Tarragon and the sauce is cooked down for about 10 – 15 minutes. The Tarragon is going to begin to infuse into the sauce, and the flavors are amazing. A slightly sweet, slightly anise flavor is what to expect. It’s a unique flavor that is easily identifiable, and we love it!

The second step for cooking is easy, just Roast the dish until the Chicken is completely cooked

Once you’re happy with the consistency of the Sauce, give it a taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Then return the Chicken to the pan, being sure to keep the skin-side facing upwards (so it doesn’t soak in the sauce while it cooks)

The dish then goes straight into the Oven to roast for about 40 – 45 minutes at 360F. The time may vary slightly depending on the size of your Chicken pieces. We recommend checking it at around the 35 minute mark with a thermometer. Once the internal temperature of the Chicken reaches 160F it’s done!

All you need to do now is remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool before serving. I like to add a squeeze of Lemon Juice to the sauce to brighten the whole thing up. For some added flair, you can also add some additional freshly chopped Tarragon and flaky Sea Salt to the dish. Serve the Cast Iron Tarragon Chicken family style in the pan for a nice rustic plating and enjoy

Cast Iron Tarragon Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Chicken, broken down into pieces
• ½ cup of All-Purpose Flour
• 2 tbsp. Unsalted Butter
• 2 tbsp. Olive Oil
• 8 Shallots, peeled and halved
• 1 cup of Button or Cremini Mushrooms, roughly chopped
• ½ cup of White Wine
• 1 cup of Heavy Cream
• 1 ¼ cups of Chicken Stock (recipe here)
• 8 Tarragon Sprigs (stems included)
• 1 tsp. Lemon Juice
• Salt and Pepper
  
  

Instructions

1. Add Flour in a bowl with some Salt and Pepper and coat the Chicken pieces. Dust off any excess Flour and set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 360F
2. Heat half of the Oil and Butter in a large Cast Iron (or any ovenproof pan) over medium high heat until foaming. Add Chicken pieces and fry until golden-brown on each side (about 3 minutes per side). You may need to batch cook the Chicken depending on the size of your pan
3. Wipe the pan clean and add the remaining Butter and Oil. When the Butter is foaming add the Shallots and Mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
4. Deglaze pan with Wine, scraping up all the Chicken bits from the bottom of the pan. After 2 minutes add the Cream, Chicken Stock, and Tarragon. Season with Salt and Pepper and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce the liquid slightly
5. Return the Chicken to the pan, skin side up to avoid it being covered in the liquid. Place pan in oven and roast for 45 minutes, or until the internal Chicken temperature reaches 160F
6. Remove from Oven and remove Chicken pieces. Add Lemon Juice to the sauce and stir well. Check for seasoning and (if required) you can reduce the sauce a little further to intensify flavor
7. Return Chicken to pan and serve family style
   
   

Recipe Notes

• You don’t need to roast the Chicken Wings for the full 40 minutes. Simply cook them through when pan frying and set them aside. You can add them to the sauce right before serving
• You can add a little bit more chopped Tarragon to the pan as a garnish along with some flaky Sea Salt. Be sure to remove the Tarragon stalks if serving onto individual plates
• Roasting time in the oven may vary slightly depending on the size of your Chicken pieces
  
  

For a simple, rustic, and delicious dish you can’t beat this amazing Cast Iron Tarragon Chicken. I love the big flavors this dish brings to the table, and breaking down a Whole Chicken not only ensures there is no wastage, but you save a lot of money in doing so. We recommend enjoying this dish with a side of Roast or Mashed Potatoes

For more hearty, warming dishes like this one, check out these fun and tasty dinner recipes:

• Crispy Porchetta with Fennel and Herbs
• Classic Lasagna
• Steak Diane
• Roast Beef Dinner
  
  

Happy Cooking!