In this recipe, each chicken breast half is baked in its own foil packet with a lemon-tarragon sauce and sliced mushrooms: so flavorful and so moist! Serve this lemon tarragon chicken with potatoes, rice, or any type of grain, plus a vegetable or a salad, and you have a quick, delicious meal!
I have been making this recipe for many years. In fact, I made it so often awhile back that I had to take a break from it for a time, and just tonight I made it again. No wonder I used to make it so often! It is so tasty and so easy! It’s easy, but it tastes like something special. I think it’s the baking of the chicken in the foil packet. The foil keeps in all that moisture, and the lemon juice, olive oil, and tarragon blend together so nicely. This recipe is very loosely adapted from a cookbook called 365 Ways to Cook Chicken by Cheryl Sedaker. Over the years I have tweaked it here and there to fit our tastes.
Do you ever feel like the forces of chaos have been unleashed into your life? That’s how I have been feeling this week, and in times like that, it’s good to fall back on a meal that is reliable, comforting, and nourishing. I can’t even quite explain what has been going on–I think it’s just a lot of little things happening all at once. In any case, food is a constant, food is a comfort. We all have to eat, no matter what is going on, or how crazy our days can become. If we can make eating enjoyable and restorative, then we are doing one important thing toward fostering a feeling of goodwill, toward building up rather than breaking down. And if we can pick some flowers and put them in a vase, so much the better!
One thing I love about this recipe is that there is minimal prep work, and then it bakes in the oven for twenty minutes. During that twenty minutes this evening, I also put some asparagus, mixed with garlic and Parmesan cheese, in the oven to roast along with the chicken, and then threw together some mashed potatoes. It all came together pretty quickly, yet it tasted like a real meal that took lots of time to prepare. Super-satisfying, yet easy on the one doing the cooking.
I hope you all have a great weekend! This is the perfect time to eat outdoors as much as possible, and don’t forget to marvel at all the beautiful flowers! I am adding this recipe to Angie’s Fiesta Friday, co-hosted this week by Quinn @ dadwhats4dinner and Elaine @ Foodbod.
Lemon Tarragon Chicken
Ingredients:
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves, pounded to 1/4 inch thickness
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 cups of fresh mushrooms, sliced
- 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup of sweet onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon of dried tarragon
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 4 teaspoons of lemon juice
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, chopped onion, tarragon, salt, and lemon juice. Stir well.
Tear off four sheets of heavy-duty aluminum foil, about 12 by 18 inches. Line them up on your counter. Place a chicken breast on the lower half of each piece of foil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Evenly top each piece with the mushroom slices. Spoon the olive oil-lemon juice mixture evenly over each piece of chicken and mushrooms.
Fold the upper half of the foil down and seal it with the lower half. Make a series of locked folds all the way around the foil to seal each foil packet. Fold the edges for a tighter seal, while still allowing room for the heat to circulate and expand. Place the foil packets on a baking sheet and bake in your 450-degree oven for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is done and no longer pink. Cut an X in the top of each foil packet, fold the foil back, and transfer the chicken and mushrooms to a plate. Pour the remaining juices over the chicken, if desired. Serve with potatoes, rice, or a grain of your choice, plus a vegetable and/or salad. Enjoy!
Oh yes, I understand about that chaos you mentioned. This recipe looks light, tastes, and easy to make. I totally think I can make this! Great post.
Thanks, Ginger!
I love how cooking and a meal together brings harmony 🙂 Thank you for sharing your dish with everyone at this week’s Fiesta Friday and it’s nice to meet you 🙂
Thank you, Elaine, it’s nice to meet you too, thanks for co-hosting FF this week!
Hi! I saw your post @ Fiesta Friday and love lemons and tarragon!
I feel the force of chaos repeatedly lately! I love to get my “cook on” to help build the shield against it all?
Michelle
Hi Michelle, thanks for visiting my blog. I like the idea of cooking as a shield against the chaos! 🙂 It’s cheap therapy too. 🙂
I love to cook after a stressful day, it really helps me to feel better. What a delicious recipe, quick & easy too, perfect for a mid week meal. Popping over from the Fiesta party ?
Thank you Sarah! Thanks for stopping by!
This recipe looks just perfectly delicious. I love lemon in chicken dishes and the tarragon must have been just delicious. Perfectly light and delicious for a summer meal.
Thank you, Julie! It is good for a summer meal because there is minimal time in the kitchen!