29 Fresh Takes on Tarragon, From Orzo to Oysters

Tarragon is prized for its perfume and bittersweet, assertive taste, with notes of anise or liquorice. As one of French cookery’s four fines herbes, it is particularly good in Béarnaise and other sauces, spreads, salsas, seafood dishes, pasta dishes and even the desserts featured below. Whether you grow it yourself or buy fresh tarragon at a farmers’ market or supermarket, this herb can be used in dozens of delicious ways.

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01 of 29: Grilled Oysters with Spicy Tarragon Butter

Bobby Flay crowns oysters with butter mixed with tarragon and hot sauce, before putting them back on the grill to melt the tarragon butter into pools inside their shells.

02 of 29: Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Tarragon Cream Sauce

This simplified sauté matches browned chicken breasts with a smooth tarragon cream sauce, made with white wine, butter and a speedy roux using the pan juices. On the table in around 30 minutes, it is a delicious, quick take on the French classic poulet à l’estragon.

03 of 29: Lemon-Tarragon Shrimp Scampi with Orzo

Garlic, white wine, butter and lemon form the base of this lively one-pan prawn scampi, while fresh tarragon’s gentle anise flavour brightens the familiar sauce. The prawns sit on creamy orzo dotted with parsley and herbs, and the meal takes around 30 minutes to make.

04 of 29: Scallops with Tarragon Butter Sauce

For this recipe from Food & Wine’s Quick from Scratch Herbs & Spices cookbook, plump sea scallops are seared quickly to a golden finish, then served with a delicate white wine and butter sauce perfumed with fresh tarragon and lemon zest.

05 of 29: Tarragon-Roasted Courgettes with Goat’s Cheese and Black Olives

Chef Mateo Granados roasts summer courgettes with garlic and fresh tarragon until tender and lightly caramelised, which intensifies their natural sweetness. He stirs through crumbled goat’s cheese and salty black olives at the end to bring contrast and richness.

06 of 29: Warm Cod Salad with Tarragon Sauce and Boiled Eggs

Chef Ned Baldwin’s salad, with Provençal influences, brings together softly poached cod and jammy boiled eggs, taking its cue from Provence’s grand aioli. Lemon, capers, anchovy and fresh herbs sharpen a bold, tarragon-led sauce that unites every element.

07 of 29: Bucatini with Mushroom Ragù, Dandelion Greens and Tarragon

Dried morels give this vegetarian ragù its rich, savoury depth. To speed things up, use a food processor to pulse the vegetables, stopping once they are finely chopped rather than puréed.

08 of 29: Chicken with Tarragon and Morels

Food writer David McCann’s recipe gently poaches boneless chicken breasts in a velvety tarragon cream sauce, enriched with rehydrated morels. It refreshes a Craig Claiborne dish. “Definitely not everyday fare,” he says “but for those special occasions ... wow.”

09 of 29: Tarragon Chicken with Spring Greens

Grace Parisi’s fragrant chicken with tarragon and leafy spring greens is an excellent one-pan meal.

10 of 29: Smashed Cucumber Salad with Butter Beans and Tarragon

Tarragon’s fragrant, subtle anise taste adds a refreshing lift to this 20-minute cucumber salad from Chapple.

11 of 29: Spinach, Feta and Tarragon Frittata

This recipe from Food & Wine’s Quick from Scratch Herbs & Spices cookbook folds delicate greens and aromatic herbs into softly set eggs, with sharp, briny feta for contrast. Finishing the frittata under the grill gives it a lightly golden surface and a custardy middle.

12 of 29: Steamed Mussels with Tarragon

A version of these tomato- and fresh tarragon-packed steamed mussels was among the first dishes 1991 F&W Best New Chef Tom Colicchio learnt to make, at the age of 13.

13 of 29: Riesling-Poached Peaches with Tarragon and Salted Soured Cream

Justin Chapple’s elegant, fragrant pudding features peaches gently poached with Riesling, vanilla and tarragon, served with a spoonful of salted soured cream.

14 of 29: Apricot-Tarragon Cocktail Biscuits

Finely chopped dried apricots and fresh tarragon come together in these delicate cocktail biscuits: the herb’s light anise notes scent the dough while offsetting the fruit’s sweetness. “I don't know where I got the idea to add tarragon to these apricot cookies,” says Dorie Greenspan. “But when I tried it, I thought, That's the way it's supposed to be.”

15 of 29: Chicken in Tarragon-Mustard Cream Sauce

This speedy chicken sauté combines classic French flavours - wholegrain mustard, fresh tarragon, white wine and cream - in a silky pan sauce. Shallots and sliced mushrooms contribute savoury depth. The sauce is ready in under 30 minutes; serve it over buttered noodles.

16 of 29: Asparagus and Potato Salad with Riesling-Tarragon Vinaigrette

Food writer and recipe developer Melissa Clark co-wrote the cookbook East of Paris with chef David Bouley, who shared this recipe for tender asparagus and potatoes coated in a Riesling and tarragon vinaigrette.

17 of 29: Cheddar BLT Burgers with Tarragon Russian Dressing

1998 F&W Best New Chef Laurent Tourondel brushes butter over his beef burgers on the grill, creating a caramelised crust. Fresh tarragon livens up the creamy Russian dressing, while traditional BLT toppings turn the burgers into a genuine treat.

18 of 29: Pork with Grapes and Tarragon

Lean loin chops are paired with a glossy pan sauce of sautéed seedless black or red grapes, red wine and chicken stock, finished with fresh tarragon, in this fast pork dish. “If you make the sauce with less tannic green grapes, it just won't have the same texture,” says 1996 F&W Best New Chef Maria Helm Sinskey.

19 of 29: Italian Butter Beans with Meyer Lemon and Tarragon

Chef Annie Somerville marinates substantial butter beans in olive oil, tarragon, Meyer lemon zest and juice. This simple method delivers plenty of flavour and makes an ideal prepare-ahead dish.

20 of 29: Aubergine and Goat’s Cheese “Sandwiches” with Tomato Tarragon Sauce

Slices of aubergine are fried until crisp and golden, layered with mild, tangy goat’s cheese, then baked only until the filling becomes a rich, savoury centre. A speedy tomato sauce flavoured with dried tarragon lends brightness and herby complexity.

21 of 29: Charred Broad Bean Salad with Lemon and Tarragon

Celebrated chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten swiftly chars blanched broad beans in a hot frying pan to give them a smoky, grilled character. They are tossed with garlic, jalapeño, lemon juice, butter and fresh tarragon, then enriched with tiny cubes of Parmigiano-Reggiano.

22 of 29: Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Tarragon and Goat’s Cheese Sauce

In this recipe from Food & Wine’s Quick from Scratch Vegetable Main Dishes cookbook, sautéed mushrooms and a velvety goat’s cheese sauce are freshened with chives and tarragon. Parmesan and pasta cooking water create a smooth sauce that clings well to the fettuccine.

23 of 29: Slow-Roasted Salmon with Tarragon and Citrus

The late chef and restaurateur Floyd Cardoz shared his technique for slow-roasting salmon, keeping it moist and delicately seasoned. Here, he uses Provençal aromatics - garlic, shallots, citrus, thyme and fennel - to flavour the rich fish.

24 of 29: Pan-Roasted Chicken with Tarragon Crème Fraîche

Food writer Jane Sigal created this recipe after trying a comparable dish at Coinstot Vino, a Paris wine bar, and talking with its owner, Guillaume Dupré. Before sautéing, the chicken is seasoned with a fragrant spice mixture featuring mustard seeds, black pepper and coriander.

25 of 29: Warm Shrimp Salad with Kamut, Red Chilli and Tarragon

Tender prawns, crisp French beans and a mild hit of fresh red chilli are combined with sweet, chewy kamut, an heirloom wheat variety, in this warm salad. White wine, lemon and aromatic tarragon finish the dish, making it delicious for a light lunch or dinner.

26 of 29: Chilled Tomato Soup with Tarragon Crème Fraîche

Ripe tomatoes are blended with vegetable stock, olive oil and tomato purée in this refreshing cold soup, adding depth and intensity even if the tomatoes are not at their sweetest. Tarragon-speckled crème fraîche provides a creamy counterpoint.

27 of 29: Salmon with Mashed Peas and Tarragon Butter

Chef Gerardo Valenzuela serves simply grilled salmon alongside buttery mashed peas and a traditional white wine and tarragon butter sauce.

28 of 29: Grilled Sweetcorn with Queso Fresco and Lime-Tarragon Butter

This recipe was inspired by the street corn chef Michelle Bernstein ate while living in Oaxaca, Mexico. It follows the classic approach of grilling corn, coating it in mayonnaise, rolling it in cheese and finishing with spicy chilli powder.

29 of 29: Spring Vegetable Soup with Tarragon

Winemaker Stéphane Vivier shares this light, vegetable-led soup, in which spring roots and tender greens simmer gently in water so their own flavours can stand out. Fresh parsley and fragrant tarragon complete it.