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This Creamy Tarragon Sauce is made with white wine, lemon juice, and fresh tarragon. It is perfect for pairing with chicken, fish, or even drizzling over veggies and rice. The smooth, velvety texture and balanced flavors make it an easy way to add a gourmet touch to your weeknight dinners!
Our French lemon tarragon cream sauce is velvety smooth and aromatic. It’s particularly delicious with our Chicken Cordon Bleu with Asparagus. It is easy to make, incredibly delicious, and will take your meals to the next level.
Why This Creamy Tarragon Sauce Recipe Works
We love recipes that are easy to make and come together quickly. Here’s why we love it:
Quick and easy: You don’t need to be a master chef to whip this up—just a few simple ingredients and you’re good to go!
Versatile: It pairs beautifully with everything from chicken to veggies, making it a go-to for any meal.
Fresh and zesty: The lemon juice and tarragon give it a bright freshness that keeps things interesting.
Customizable: Swap out the white wine for chicken broth or tweak the seasonings to make it your own.
Ingredients Needed For This Cream Sauce
Here’s a quick shopping list of all the ingredients you need to make this dish:
- Butter: Makes a velvety texture.
- Garlic: For some kick.
- White wine: Big flavor enhancer.
- Chicken broth: For some depth.
- Heavy cream: For richness.
- Honey: Lends a touch of sweetness.
- Lemon: A little bit of tang.
- Fine salt: For seasoning.
- White pepper: Adds a subtle spice without the visible black specks.
- Tarragon: An aromatic, anise-like flavor.
Ingredient Notes:
- When cooking with wine, choose a good dry white wine you’d actually enjoy sipping; it’ll enhance the flavors in the best way. If wine isn’t your thing, no worries! You can swap it out for extra broth.
- Use fresh tarragon. Dried tarragon will be too mild and contribute a grainy texture.
If you like this recipe, try our tarragon cod or use it with our chicken cordon bleu.
How to Make the Recipe
Here are the basic steps to prepare this recipe. Check out the full recipe card at the bottom of the page for all the details in the printable recipe.
Make sure to lower the temperature before you pour in the cream.
Variations
Tarragon mustard variation: Stir in one tablespoon of mustard for a tangy kick that’s perfect with pork.
Parmesan addition: Mix in ¼ cup of grated Parmesan cheese for a rich, cheesy variation that’s great with pasta or roasted veggies. This variation will be thicker and you may want to add more broth.
Make it spicy: Sprinkle in a pinch of red pepper flakes or 1 minced jalapeño.
Tips for recipe success
- Have all your ingredients pre measured and ready to go when you turn on the saucepan. As you may have noticed, the recipe comes together fairly quickly.
- If you’re concerned about the thickness at the end, please note that it will thicken a little more as it cools.
- To keep the sauce warm, place your serving dish in a large bowl of hot tap water. This will gently heat the sauce without overheating it.
Storing Leftovers
To store leftovers, transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When you’re ready to use it again, reheat gently over low heat on the stovetop.
You can also store it in the freezer for up to 6 months but it will split and look watery when you thaw it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute the white wine?
Yes! If you do not have any wine available or you prefer not to cook with alcohol, you can substitute with an equal amount of broth.
Can I substitute the chicken broth?
Yes. You can use veggie broth. We would not substitute for water as you will lose a lot of richness and the texture will be off.
Can I substitute the white pepper?
Yes. You can use freshly ground black pepper if you wish. You’ll have black specks in the finished sauce, but it will still taste delicious.
What goes well with this Sauce?
This rich, thick creamy goodness goes beautifully with a wide range of dishes! Try it drizzled over steak or pan-seared fish for an instant upgrade. It also works wonders with grilled veggies, rice, or even mashed potatoes. You can also use it as a dip for bread or spoon it over pasta.
More Recipes You Will Love:
Here are some more savory sauces to try:
- Our Garlic Butter Sauce will turn a boring dish into something special.
- Roasted Asparagus with Curry Sauce contains low-fat mayo and Greek Yogurt but tastes indulgent.
- Our Spicy Peanut Sauce is quick and easy to make and it is far better than store-bought brands.
Did you try this recipe? Please take a moment to leave a star rating and comment below.
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Pin ItLemon Tarragon Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons butter, divided
- 1 garlic clove, grated or minced
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 1-½ cups heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
Instructions
- In a saucepan set over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter and add the garlic. Cook for 30 seconds, do not brown.
- Add the wine and cook for 30 seconds to burn off the alcohol; then add the chicken broth. Increase the temperature to medium high and bring to a boil and reduce by half. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Adjust the stove to medium low and stir in the cream, honey, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5-8 minutes or until slightly reduced and a little bit thicker.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining butter and the chopped tarragon. Transfer the sauce to a pitcher or small dish.
Video
Notes
- The sauce will thicken a little more as it cools.
- To keep it warm, set the pitcher or dish into a larger dish of hot tap water.
- The white wine can be subbed with an equal amount of chicken broth.
- Pairs well with poultry, fish, rice, and veggies.
- Freshly ground black pepper can be swapped for white if you don’t mind the black specks.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
We made this for pasta and salmon meal. It turned out so delicious! The sauce is had the perfect thick consistency and made the salmon taste so good. We will definitely be making this sauce again with other meats.
Thanks for the comment, I’m so glad you enjoyed it. It really is a great match with salmon!
Can I use 1/2 & 1/2 instead of Heavy Cream?
Hi, Joyce…Yes, you could and it would save a few calories but I think you will not get the same thickness and consistency. Thanks for the great question, if you use the 1/2-1/2 I would love the feedback on how it turned out.
can I substitute lime juice or lemon paste for the lemon juice?
Thank you
Yes, that will work just fine. Thanks for the question.
Lovely sauce which paired well with my meal.
Thanks for the comment, I’m glad you enjoyed it.
Mmmmmm, so goooooood! I would make this again.
Thank you, Viki….I am so pleased that you enjoyed it!
When it states heavy cream does this mean double cream? The recipe uses one and a half cups of this to give a yield of one and a half cups?
Heavy cream is 36% to 40% fat. You can use a lower-fat cream than that, but you don’t need to use double cream. I think that would make it a bit too rich.
What do you mean reduce by half? Are you referring to the temperature for the thickness of the sauce?
Hello, Charlotte, thank you for you question. To reduce by half means to cook until the volume of the sauce has been reduced by half the amount. This will slightly thicken the sauce.
Hello I have a question can I replace the chicken broth with seafood broth if im pairring it with octopus?
Yes, that would work just fine, thank you for the question.
Can this be frozen?
Yes, you can freeze it. Keep it in an airtight container and let it thaw slowly in the fridge. Occasionally the sauce will break when you freeze and thaw it out. If that happens warm it up slowly and whisk it vigorously. You can also try a slurry of 2 teaspoons of cornstarch and 2 teaspoons water to the sauce while you heat it will bring it together if it breaks.