This Tarragon Chicken recipe is easy and delicious! Baked in the oven with asparagus, lemon, garlic & leeks, it’s a fresh, healthy weeknight dinner. Vegan-adaptable. Watch the Video!
Whether we are happy or not depends on our awareness. ~Thich That Hanh
This Tarragon Chicken with asparagus is so fresh and flavorful- the perfect meal for spring! You’ve been telling me you want to cook more “lean and green” recipes featuring fresh seasonal veggies and lean proteins. Here’s a simple sheet pan dinner that fits the bill and highlights fresh spring asparagus. We’ve paired it with chicken, but this also works with tofu if you are plant-based.
Why You’ll Love This!
- Vegan-adaptable. This can easily be made vegan by substituting tofu – or use both chicken and tofu (for mixed households where both vegans and meat-eaters cohabitate).
- Easy to make (and clean up!). A one-pan dinner where you simply toss the parchment paper and be done. Great for busy weeknights!
- Utilizes fresh, seasonal produce. Made with spring produce, asparagus, leeks, and herbs.
- A lightened-up version. This is often served as a creamy tarragon chicken recipe with a creamy tarragon sauce. There is no butter or heavy cream sauce here!
Make It with Chicken Or Tofu!
On the left is my dinner (made with tofu) and the chicken dinner is on the right. One meal two ways. That’s what I love about sheet pan dinners….they are so adaptable!
Ingredients in Tarragon Chicken
- Chicken breasts: Medium, boneless, skinless. Or sub tofu or chicken thighs. See notes.
- Fresh tarragon leaves – offer up classic French flavor here.
- Asparagus: Extra large bunch, trimmed.
- Leeks: Large, cleaned (see notes), sliced into rounds.
- Lemons or Meyer Lemons
- Olive oil
- Garlic cloves: Finely minced or use a garlic press.
- Dijon Mustard
How to make Tarragon Chicken (or Tofu)
Preheat oven to 425F.
Step 1: Make Lemon Tarragon marinade. Add lemon zest and lemon juice to small bowl. Add oil, garlic, dijon mustard, kosher salt, black pepper, and mix well. Add 1/2 of the fresh French tarragon.
Step 2: Add marinade to vegetables and protein. Toss asparagus in a bowl with a little marinade over the top. Transfer to a parchment-lined sheet pan.
Add leeks to the same bowl, stir with a little marinade, then spread out onto the sheet pan.
If using tofu, season with salt, then add to the bowl, mixing with a little marinade. Add to pan (or bake on a separate pan).
Finally, add the chicken the same bowl and pour the remaining marinade into the bowl. Coat well. Nestle chicken amongst the asparagus.
Chef’s Tip: Tossing in this order allows you to use one bowl, without getting chicken all over your veggies and tofu. Get it? 😉
Chef’s Tip #2: Create a little “barricade” with the asparagus between the tofu and chicken. Or if you need total separation, of course, baking on a separate little pan is just fine. But then you’ll have two pans to clean up – so I just do the one because it’s just Brian and me. Up to you.
Step 3: Add lemon slices to the pan. Zest the second lemon over the sheet pan, then slice into rounds and layer over the asparagus.
Step 4: Roast. Bake 15-20 minutes. Check internal temp of chicken. It should read 160-165F. For golden color, broil just a couple of minutes. (Tofu may need a little longer.)
*** If using very thin asparagus, check after 12 mins and perhaps remove it early.
Step 5: Serve. Remove the sheet pan from the oven. Toss the contents of the pan, turning the chicken over to coat with flavorful juices. Garnish with fresh tarragon and serve. Parsley makes another lovely garnish.
What to Serve with Tarragon Chicken
Serve over your favorite starch! Mashed potatoes or creamy polenta make delicious bases for this dish, or even risotto, rice, or pasta. Serve with bread to soak up any remaining accumulated juices and liquid from the pan.
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
- Garlic Mashed Potatoes
- Instant Pot Polenta
- Creamy Polenta
- Instant Pot Risotto
- Crispy Herby Smashed Potatoes
- Cacio e Pepe
Storage
Leftovers will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge and have be reheated in a microwave, on the stovetop or in the oven.
FAQs
Fresh tarragon has a bright, elegant herbal flavor with a slight hint of anise (licorice). It is the perfect match for poultry. The dish is vibrant with lemony flavor!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat.
Of course! Green beans would make a nice addition, as well as onion or shallots.
Sprinkle with fresh herbs …..serve over your favorite starch if you like, or keep it low carb. Enjoy this Tarragon Chicken (or Tofu)!
xoxo
More Recipes you may like
Tarragon Chicken & AsparAgus Video
Tarragon Chicken with Asparagus
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: main, chicken, tofu, low-carb
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: French
Description
A healthy delicious sheet-pan dinner, that features the best of spring produce! Make it in 30 minutes with minimal clean up. Vegan adaptable, GF and paleo!
Ingredients
- 2 lemons
- 1/ 4 cup olive oil
- 4–6 garlic cloves, finely minced ( or use a garlic press)
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1-ounce package of fresh tarragon leaves, rough chopped, about 1/4–1/3 cup
- 1 extra-large bunch asparagus, trimmed (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- 1–2 large leeks, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rounds ( if dirty, rinse, see notes)
- 4–5 medium chicken breasts (boneless, skinless) about 1- 1 1/2 lbs or sub tofu, or chicken thighs- see notes
Serve with (all optional):
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F
- In a small bowl make the marinade. Place the zest of one lemon, and its juice ( about 3 tablespoons) in a small bowl. Add oil, garlic, dijon, salt and pepper, and mix well until salt dissolves. Add ½ of the fresh tarragon, saving the rest for garnish.
- Place trimmed asparagus in a bowl and spoon some of the marinade over the top. Toss to combine and place on a parchment-lined sheet pan. Add leeks to the same bowl, toss with a little marinade, and spread out on the sheet pan. If using tofu, season it with salt, then place in the bowl, adding a little more marinade, toss to coat, and add to sheet pan. Lastly, add the chicken breasts with the remaining marinade, coating well. Nestle the chicken amongst the asparagus.
- Zest the second lemon over the whole sheet pan and slice the lemons into rounds, layering them over the asparagus. Place in the hot oven. If using tofu, either nestle it into one side of the pan or place it on a separate sheet pan – up to you.
- Bake 15-20 minutes and check chicken- internal temp should read 160-165 F – thicker pieces will take longer. To get a more golden color, broil for just a couple of minutes.
- Remove from the oven. Give everything a little toss, turning the chicken over to coat the top with the flavorful juices. Sprinkle with remaining fresh tarragon and serve.
Notes
TOFU: Use extra firm tofu. Pat dry. Slice into ¾-1 inch thick slabs, season with a little salt and coat on all sides with marinade. For mixed households, serve both tofu and chicken! (Marinade is enough for 1.5 lbs chicken + 8 ounces tofu and the veggies.)
ASPARAGUS: The thickness of the asparagus and the thickness of the chicken may affect cooking time. Here I’m using pencil-thick asparagus and 6-ounce chicken breasts (relatively thin and small). If your sizing differs greatly, you could use two separate baking sheets. Very thin asparagus cooks in 12-15 minutes- so check it.
CHICKEN: You can also use skin-on bone-in thighs. Sear the skin side first in a skillet, then nestle in the sheet pan. This will most likely require a longer cooking time- asparagus may need to come of the oven out sooner – so either place to one side or on a separate pan.
LEEKS: If the leeks are dirty when you slice them into rounds, not to worry. Just place the cut rounds into a bowl of water, gently swish and soak them for a few minutes. The dirt will fall to the bottom. Fish them out, pat dry. (They don’t need to be perfectly dry.)
If cooking for two – you could easily half the chicken and double/ or triple the asparagus. ( We do this a lot at home.) You could also marinate the chicken/tofu ahead, overnight if you like.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 326
- Sugar: 2.7 g
- Sodium: 939.5 mg
- Fat: 17.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.5 g
- Fiber: 3.4 g
- Protein: 35.2 g
- Cholesterol: 103.4 mg
Thank you so much for this, the marinade was delicious! I struggled with the eveness of cooking though. I pulled out the asparagus and leeks early since they cooked much faster than the chicken. Do you have any tips?
Hey Katherine, yes it all depends on the size of the chicken and size of the asparagus. Fatter asparagus tends to work best here.
This was so easy & the perfect light meal for summer. I had to sub dill for the tarragon based on availability and it was wonderful. Can’t wait to try more recipes!
Thanks Jessica- glad you gave it a go.
Thanks! I made this, loved it and shared in a class on Great Dinners in 30 Minutes or Less
and, I should say, I shared your website to make sure you were the one who got credit for it!
Thank you Sylvia, I enjoy your recipes! The tarragon chicken was delicious and you do a great job walking your readers through the steps to great taste with minimal clean up in this one! One bowl-Yes!
Thanks for sharing such tasty & healthy recipes! This was flavorful & well received at my table!
Thanks Sherry- appreciate this so much! xo
Wow….Thanks to your wonderful recipe, this might be one of the best dishes I have ever made. It is almost unbelievable to me how a dish with such simple ingredients can taste like this. This meal felt like it was something that I ordered at an upscale restaurant. It is such a show-stopper that I decided that (when we can all safely visit our friends and relatives again) I’d really like to make it for my mom and step-dad. My mom was (and still is) a really good cook, but as I was growing up, she didn’t use fresh herbs or zest very often, so I think that the fresh herbs and the oils and juices from the lemon zest and lemons were part of the “magic” of this dish for me. I am learning so much from you about how flavors work with one another, and the advantages of using as many fresh and seasonal ingredients as you possibly can….I’m pretty partial to the fresh tarragon, but I realized after I ate it that a variety of fresh herbs would probably work in place of it if you couldn’t find any tarragon or happened to have another fresh herb on hand. Maybe thyme, or rosemary, or basil…. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you, thank you so much!!
Love it Jennifer! Thanks so much!
Loved it!
This sounds amazing! I s the nutrition data for chcken not tofu?
yes, for chicken
Delicious!
this is one of my favorites!! love the tarragon with the roasted lemon! thank you for sharing your creativity with us!
So glad you like it Mert! Thanks!
Loved, loved, loved this!! So yummy! I am so happy I found your website. Can’t wait to try more! Thanks Sylvia
Awwwww, thanks so much Reg! Appreciate you taking the time to rate and comment and welcome to the blog!
Fantastic dish and easy to make. My roommates loved it. Paired it with a French Sauvignon Blanc just wonderful.
Glad you enjoyed it…perfect with Sauv Blanc!
So flavorful and simple. I used a bit of Thyme and a sprinkle of Basil because I didn’t have Tarragon. I don’t usually use fresh herbs because it adds expense. Dried works well, too. This summer I’ll grow some of your most commonly used herbs to have on hand. I’m learning so much from you! Thanks.
Thanks Trudy I’m so happy you liked it and thanks for sharing!
I just made this again but didn’t have all so the ingredients. I had baby brussel sprouts, dill and I used a bit of EVOO infused with Meyer lemon. I am not a fan of brussel sprouts but they were in the freezer and wow, I almost ate the whole pan!! My husband even went back for seconds!
Wow! What a great mix of flavors. I spatchcocked (butterflied) a whole chicken and roasted it for about 20 minutes before adding the asparagus and leeks. The presentation was nice and the flavors were fantastic!.
We paired this dinner with your fennel, grapefruit, and avocado salad (which is also great and will be made again and again…) and the citrus inthe two dishes complimented each other well.
Thanks for yet another Feasting at Home recipe to add to the repertoire!
So glad you liked it. Sounds perfect with the salad!
Absolutely gorgeous, simple elegant French-style flavours, looks beautiful plated up and best of all, so very easy to prepare! Love the roast lemons!
Awesome!Great to hear…thanks!
This is delicious. I cubed some potatoes, tossed them in some of the marinade and baked them for about 10 minutes on their own. I then added the remaining ingredients, tossed and then baked for the 20 minutes.
Awesome!Great to hear…thanks!
Hard to find good chicken breast recipes that are not dry. Absolutely moist and delicious, fast and easy to make. Thanks!
I’m not a great cook but you do create such beautiful and simple recipes! I cooked this one this evening and found it very easy to cook – not to mention delicous. Thank you.
Thanks Lavinia, glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is so easy, quick and delicious! I love leeks with the lemon and tarragon. I have made this twice, once with fresh tarragon and chicken and once with dried tarragon and a turkey thigh. Both were wonderful. Thank you!
Sooo good! So easy! So flavorful! And really pretty to serve as well! Wouldn’t change a thing!
That is awesome Jessika! Thanks for the rating and glad you enjoyed. xo
Another big hit with the family! I’ve done this twice, once with tarragon, and again with thyme (which I had in the garden – I forgot to buy tarragon!). Worked beautifully both ways – a new addition to our regular week night suppers.
So good!
Hi Sylvia,
This came out great. I had fresh asparagus coming up in the garden so I had to try this. The lemon and the tarragon worked well together. I used both boneless chicken thighs and tofu. The only problem I had was I didn’t like the price of fresh tarragon at the market. A little research online makes me think I should get a plant for my garden. Thanks for the recipe. Keep sending me your emails. I love browsing around your website for ideas.
Addendum to my previous comment: My husband lightly steamed the green beans before adding them to the pan to bake. They were perfect.
My husband made me the tarragon chicken sheet pan for dinner this evening. He substituted green beans for the asparagus, and dried tarragon for fresh. It was absolutely delicious!!! We’ll be serving this to guests next week. Hope we find some choice asparagus at the market. Thanks Sylvia!
This looks amazing! Are the nutrition facts for chicken?
Yes for chicken breast