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Tarragon Cream-Coated Chicken

Tarragon Chicken
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Tarragon Chicken recipes are notorious for lots of oil or butter, wine and/or heavy cream, all of which are pretty big no-nos for IBS and GERD. This recipe is safe for IBS and GERD/Reflux and depending on your level of lactose intolerance should be suitable for those with lactose intolerance as well (Parmigiano and Parmigiano-Reggiano are very low-level lactose cheeses and the quantity in a serving of this chicken is minimal).

The yogurt gives a nice tangy flavor that, paired with the savory flavors of the tarragon and chives, is truly out of this world. The only real problem I have with this dish is that it’s so delicious, it makes it difficult to stick to the 3oz portion limit! It’s honestly one of the best things I have had since altering my diet for the IBS/GERD restrictions.

Ilya and I had this for dinner last night, so it needed a side dish. I created a jasmine rice concoction (as seen in the photo above and recipe found here) cooked in my homemade vegetable broth with fresh rosemary, fresh basil and summer squash cooked in it. The recipe does not include any oils or fats, so it’s a great choice for Low FODMAP/IBS/GERD eaters. I wasn’t sure if it would be herb overload between those in the tarragon sauce on the chicken and those in the rice, but ultimately everything worked well together and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner.

I also used yogurt yesterday when making Peanut Chicken Salad (showcased 2 different ways on the blog; one here and one here. I used some lactose free yogurt for the peanut chicken salad too, but for that I used an almond milk based yogurt. For some reason there is no plain flavored version of the almond milk yogurt in the grocery stores here, so I had to figure out a different kind to use for this recipe. There were a few options, but the Green Valley brand was the best in terms of fat content, which was really important given I was using oil to brown the chicken and was also using some cheese (meaning some more fat). It worked so well, providing the perfect consistency I was going for and with a tang to it like sour cream, but without the high fat content of sour cream.

Between the two dishes yesterday I definitely developed a newfound love of yogurt in cooking! It’s going to be a game changer for sure, and I already have some other ideas floating around in my head, including a salmon recipe I hope to try before the end of the weekend. Om nom nom! Who said dietary restrictions mean you can’t eat delicious food(s)?

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Taragon Cream-Coated Chicken
Recipe by: Yums for the Tum (see Recipe Notes below for additional sources, if applicable)
Taragon Cream-Coated Chicken
Recipe by: Yums for the Tum (see Recipe Notes below for additional sources, if applicable)
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!
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 Recipe Rating:
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Votes: 3
Rating: 5
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Servings Prep Time
4servings (See notes section below for IBS/GERD/Reflux) 10minutes
Cook Time Total Time
~20minutes ~30minutes
Servings Prep Time
4servings (See notes section below for IBS/GERD/Reflux) 10minutes
Cook Time Total Time
~20minutes ~30minutes
Ingredients
  • 12ozboneless, skinless chicken breasts(uncooked) - pounded out to be of even size
  • 3/4Tbsp.olive oil
  • 6oznon-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)
  • 1tsp.fresh tarragon(chopped)
  • 1Tbsp.fresh parsley(chopped)
  • 1/4tsp.fresh chives(finely chopped)
  • 1/8tsp.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+1/2Tbsp.Fresh Grated Parmigiano Cheese(needs to be fresh grated to have the right flavor) - OR use Parmigiano-Reggiano (my personal favorite)
Ingredients
  • 12ozboneless, skinless chicken breasts(uncooked) - pounded out to be of even size
  • 3/4Tbsp.olive oil
  • 6oznon-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)
  • 1tsp.fresh tarragon(chopped)
  • 1Tbsp.fresh parsley(chopped)
  • 1/4tsp.fresh chives(finely chopped)
  • 1/8tsp.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+1/2Tbsp.Fresh Grated Parmigiano Cheese(needs to be fresh grated to have the right flavor) - OR use Parmigiano-Reggiano (my personal favorite)
Instructions
  1. 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).
  2. In a skillet large enough to hold all the chicken, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat.
  3. 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*)
  4. 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).
  5. In a small bowl, mix together the yogurt, tarragon, parsley, chives, salt and 1 Tbsp. of the cheese until thoroughly combined.
  6. 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.
  7. 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).
  8. 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.
Recipe 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 Facts
Taragon Cream-Coated Chicken
Amount Per Serving
Calories 159 Calories from Fat 54
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 6g 9%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Trans Fat 0g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 3g
Cholesterol 66mg 22%
Sodium 187mg 8%
Potassium 292mg 8%
Total Carbohydrates 4g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 2g
Protein 22g 44%
Vitamin A 2%
Vitamin C 2%
Calcium 10%
Iron 4%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
*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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