Food Ingredients Seasonings 12 Dishes Where Tarragon Makes All the Difference Add the herb's bittersweet flavor to chicken, sea bass, and even cookies with these recipes. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Published on December 20, 2023 Trending Videos Photo: Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Tarragon is known for its fragrance and bittersweet, pungent flavor, reminiscent of anise or licorice. One of the four fines herbes in French cuisine, the herb stars in Béarnaise sauce along with other sauces, spreads, salsa, seafood dishes, and pastas here. Whether you've grown your own or picked up fresh tarragon from the farmers market or grocery store, there dozens of delicious ways to make the most of the herb — here are some of our favorites. 01 of 12 Chicken with Tarragon and Morels Alison Miksch David McCann poaches this beautiful French-style chicken breast in a wildly flavorful and decadent tarragon cream sauce for special occasions. Get the Recipe 02 of 12 Bucatini with Mushroom Ragù, Dandelion Greens, and Tarragon Photo by Caitlin Bensel / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Former F&W food editor Mary-Frances Heck garnishes this meatless mushroom pasta with tarragon leaves. Get the Recipe 03 of 12 Spinach, Feta, and Tarragon Frittata © Chas Plummer. Food styling by Alison Attenborough. The combination of flavors here is pure genius. Tarragon is classic with both spinach and eggs, and a touch of sharp feta cheese accents the trio beautifully. Get the Recipe 04 of 12 Smashed Cucumber Salad with Butter Beans and Tarragon Jennifer Causey Tarragon's fragrance and delicate anise flavor give this cucumber salad a refreshing pop. Get the Recipe 05 of 12 Steamed Sea Bass with Potatoes and Avocado-Tarragon Salsa © Con Poulos Former F&W food editor Kay Chun dresses up delicately steamed fish and potatoes with a quick and creamy mix of avocado, grapefruit juice, and fresh tarragon. Get the Recipe 06 of 12 Tarragon Chicken with Spring Greens © Tara Fisher This aromatic chicken cooked with tarragon and leafy greens makes a great one-skillet meal. Get the Recipe 07 of 12 Apricot-Tarragon Cocktail Cookies © Quentin Bacon "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." Get the Recipe 08 of 12 Steamed Mussels with Tarragon © Michael Turek One of the first recipes that star chef Tom Colicchio learned to cook (when he was 13) was a version of these steamed mussels, packed with tomatoes and fresh tarragon. Get the Recipe 09 of 12 Tagliatelle with Mussels and Tarragon © Anna Williams This simple, striking black and white seafood pasta gets a double hit of anise flavor from Pernod and fresh tarragon. Get the Recipe 10 of 12 Chicken in Tarragon-Mustard Cream Sauce © Fredrika Stjärne Former F&W food editor Grace Parisi harnesses the flavors from a classic French pan sauce (mustard, tarragon, white wine, and cream) for this quick chicken sauté. Get the Recipe 11 of 12 Grilled Oysters with Spicy Tarragon Butter © Ngoc Minh Ngo Bobby Flay tops his oysters with a blend of butter, tarragon, and hot sauce, then returns them to the grill so the tarragon butter melts into little pools in the shells. Get the Recipe 12 of 12 Eggplant and Goat Cheese "Sandwiches" with Tomato Tarragon Sauce © Susan Spungen Golden eggplant slices sandwich tangy, melting cheese, all set off by a fast tomato sauce complemented with tarragon. Get the Recipe Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit