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5 from 3 votes

Taragon Cream-Coated Chicken

Savory tarragon and chives shine in a slightly tangy cream sauce that coats these perfectly tender chicken breasts. Unlike the traditional versions, this tarragon chicken is fully digestion-friendly!
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time15 mins
Total Time25 mins
Servings: 4 servings (See notes section below for IBS/GERD/Reflux)
Calories: 159kcal

Ingredients

  • 12 oz boneless, skinless chicken breasts (uncooked) - pounded out to be of even size
  • 3/4 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 6 oz non-dairy plain yogurt (if you're not lactose free, feel free to use regular plain yogurt, but for GERD/IBS, watch the fat content! I used Green Valley Organics Low Fat Plain Lactose Free Yogurt, which has 2.5g fat/1.5g fat per 6oz serving. You don't want to go above 3g fat per 6oz serving)
  • 1 tsp. fresh tarragon (chopped)
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley (chopped)
  • 1/4 tsp. fresh chives (finely chopped)
  • 1/8 tsp. salt (I use pink rose himalayan salt which seems to be less intense than regular salt. So if you're using regular salt, you might want to use a bit less)
  • 1+1/2 Tbsp. Fresh Grated Parmigiano Cheese (needs to be fresh grated to have the right flavor) - OR use Parmigiano-Reggiano (my personal favorite)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 500 degrees F and place the rack at the top of the oven (you're essentially just going to use the oven to brown the cheesy yogurt mixture on top, so it needs to be the high heat and at the top in order to work right).
  • In a skillet large enough to hold all the chicken, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
  • Pat the chicken breasts dry (this will help them brown), season both sides of them liberally with salt, then add them to the pan and cook ~2-3 minutes per side, just until browned a bit (you don't want to thoroughly cook the chicken, just partially cook them and get a nice color to them). (*Note: See notes section below for an alternative method for those with severe GERD/Reflux with severe reactions to fat in foods*)
  • Place the chicken breasts in an even layer in the smallest baking dish that will fit them in a single layer and pat the tops of them dry with a paper towel (this will remove any excess oil to cut down fat and also helps the cream coating stay in place when baking).
  • In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, tarragon, parsley, chives, salt and 1 Tbsp. of the cheese until thoroughly combined.
  • Spoon the yogurt mixture over top of the chicken and use a spatula to spread out evenly, then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. cheese over the top.
  • Bake the chicken in the preheated oven for ~10-15 minutes, until the center has an internal temperature of at least 165 degrees F and the cheese has turned a golden brown color (watch it to make sure it doesn't burn).
  • Serve with your favorite side dish. I served it with my Savory Jasmine Rice w/Yellow Summer Squash & Zucchini (recipe coming later this weekend - zero fat, perfect choice to accompany this chicken), for the right combination of protein, vegetables and carbs.

Notes

For those with IBS and/or GERD/Acid Reflux:
  • The maximum portion size of cooked chicken is 3oz (per the Low FODMAP food plan).  The photo above shows 2 servings and there are exactly 4 servings from this recipe.  You might have to eyeball it a little to gauge portion size (but once you've been measuring out your portions long enough you'll have a good idea what 3oz looks like).  This is why pounding the chicken out to be evenly layered is important, so some parts aren't thicker than others and it's easier to eyeball (plus it makes cooking times faster when the chicken breasts are thinner).  You can still weigh the cooked chicken, even though it has the tarragon cream coating.  Measure out ~3+1/4oz and that will be a safe portion.  For some people with IBS, too much protein in a sitting is a problem and they can't even have 3oz.  In this case, measure out 2+1/4oz of the chicken.
  • Due to the fat from the olive oil, cheese and yogurt, watch your fat intake the rest of the day and especially with any side dishes you have with this chicken.  (Your side dish should have no fat and other dishes you eat on day(s) you eat this can have some fat, but it should be minimal).  I went with my Savory Jasmine Rice w/Summer Squash. The total fat content in a serving of this chicken is low enough that it shouldn't cause problems for most, but it's possible it could cause problems for some (particularly those with severe cases of GERD/Reflux).
Therefore, if you have Severe GERD/Reflux where you cannot tolerate using oils:
  • Do not brown the chicken in the olive oil (or use olive oil at all).  Instead, still salt the chicken breasts and place them in the smallest baking dish that will fit both of them in a single layer and bake in a preheated 375 degree oven with rack on the middle shelf for 15 minutes until they achieve a slight brown color to them but are not thoroughly cooked (internal temp of 165 degrees is thoroughly cooked. If they do get fully cooked, don't worry too much, they will still end up delicious just maybe a tiny bit less tender).  Remove the chicken from the oven, move the oven rack to the top and increase oven temperature to 500 degrees F. While the oven heats up, remove the chicken breasts from the pan and, using paper towels, carefully sop up all liquid in the pan (too much liquid once adding the yogurt mixture will make it get a weird consistency and it won't brown properly). Once pan is dry, place the chicken breasts back in the pan and continue on with steps 5-8 above.  (The olive oil is the only real high fat content ingredient in this recipe, so with it removed anyone with IBS/GERD should be able to eat this recipe without symptoms).
[nutrition-label]*Information above is based on the specific brands/types of ingredients I used (as one example, pink himalayan sea salt is lower sodium than regular salt). Values vary if using any other brands/types of ingredients.*
*The Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet, so your values may change depending on your calorie needs. The values here may not be 100% accurate because the recipes have not been professionally evaluated nor have they been evaluated by the U.S. FDA.*
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Nutrition

Calories: 159kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 66mg | Sodium: 187mg | Potassium: 292mg | Fiber: 0g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2% | Vitamin C: 2% | Calcium: 10% | Iron: 4%