Baked Tarragon Chicken

If you love lemony, buttery, moist, flavorful deliciousness, you will LOVE this amazing recipe, courtesy of my sweet friend, Jackie. Having it served to us during a dinner evening at her home years back, I remember thinking, "I seriously, literally, just fell in LOVE with a chicken dish!" You will most definitely agree, and the versatility of the finished pan full of baked yumminess is amazing... Here are a few things I do with mine:

I shred the cooked breasts and fold shredded cheddar cheese into them for a whole wheat wrap filling. I slice them and place atop steamed veggies and quinoa and drizzle with my "Yummy Gluten Free Cheese Sauce". I serve them with the savory sauce they bake within paired with my "Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes" and steamed veggies. I chunk them up and toss them with crumbled bacon atop salads. I slice them and freeze lots of snack bags filled with them for great mid morning/mid afternoon protein grabs. I shred them and bake atop whole wheat tortillas with artichokes and feta cheese for thin crust pizzas. The flavor, simplicity and versatility is simply amazing and I just know you will enjoy this great recipe as much as I do!

Of course if lemons are involved, I am involved.

And melted butter, here with the aromatic tarragon.

"Dressing the chicken"

Ready to be baked in the oven.

I seriously could live on this if I were stranded on a deserted island. Of course, if it were deserted, there wouldn't be chickens, butter, or tarragon, so I suppose that wouldn't quite work out to my benefit actually.

Two notes! I made a slight recipe adjustment, making mine with half olive oil and half melted butter (the original recipe is for all butter) AND, I use more tarragon than is listed below... SO much tarragon in fact, that it could seriously mimic a drug raid in my kitchen as I LOVE tarragon! I made the chicken pictured above with the correct amount for your viewing pleasure, but mine are WAAAAAAAY more "herbed up"!)

Chicken pieces {Skinless, boneless breasts, cut in half}
Butter {about 1 tsp. per breast}
Olive oil {about 1 tsp per breast}
Dried tarragon leaves {1-2 tsp for every 4 breasts}
Fresh lemon juice {I use a whole lemon}
Fresh cracked pepper
Lawry's Seasoning Salt
Paprika

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place chicken in baking dish bottom side up. Melt butter in small bowl in microwave and add olive oil and tarragon to melted butter. Cut lemon in half and squeeze one half over chicken. Using a basting brush, brush half of the butter/olive oil/tarragon mixture over the chicken pieces. Sprinkle chicken with the paprika, pepper and Lawry's Seasoning Salt evenly. Doesn't it already look so pretty?!

Now flip each chicken piece over and repeat the same directions on the other side, using the remaining other lemon half and the seasonings, etc. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake for about 15 minutes more, until done and your house smells incredible. Plate up the chicken pieces and then using a turkey baster or very carefully tilting the baking pan, fill up a little gravy boat or cup with the sauce from the baked chicken to use atop the chicken while dining. {The sauce is also delish on those "Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes" I mentioned in the beginning.} Enjoy!