I Made Meryl Streep's Favorite Recipe from Julia Child

I've cooked my fair share of chicken over the years, mostly chicken breast since that's what my daughter prefers. While I'm happy to cater to her taste, I’ll admit I sometimes get bored with the usual preparations. So, when asked to cook a whole chicken, I eagerly say 'Yes!' The whole bird offers more flavor and excitement than just the cuts. Perhaps that’s why Julia Child’s Tarragon Chicken is a favorite of Meryl Streep—it’s a more interesting and flavorful option.

You might remember Meryl Streep playing Julia Child in the film 'Julie & Julia.' Streep’s performance was a revelation—she captured Child’s wit and charm effortlessly. Interestingly, Streep revealed in an interview with Glamour that she wasn’t much of a cook herself. Yet, she found herself drawn to one of Julia’s recipes: Tarragon Chicken. It’s a dish that requires some finesse but is accessible to any home cook. And, as Streep notes, the effort is truly worth it.

How to Prepare Julia Child's Tarragon Chicken

Here's how to prepare Julia Child's Tarragon Chicken:

• Start by preparing the chicken. Child suggests rinsing the chicken, but we know now this is an unnecessary step that increases the risk of cross-contamination, which can lead to foodborne illness. So skip this step and move right to patting the chicken dry.
• Next, season the cavity with salt, pepper, butter, and add a few sprigs of tarragon. Truss the chicken and cover the skin with butter.
• Heat additional butter along with olive oil in a Dutch oven, and once the butter has melted, add the chicken, breast side down. Brown the chicken on all sides, then remove it from the pot.
• Add some sliced onion and carrots and sauté for a few minutes, then add sprigs of tarragon.
• Return the chicken to the pot, breast side up, season with salt, and add more butter before covering with foil and a lid and roasting at 325 degrees F for about 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Once the chicken is done cooking, take it out of the pan and use the flavorful drippings to create a quick, elevated pan sauce. Deglaze with 1 to 2 cups of chicken stock, add a slurry if you like, and finish the sauce with extra tarragon and butter.

After following the recipe and making the accompanying tarragon sauce, I completely agree with Streep—this chicken is absolutely delicious.

Julia Child knew exactly how to cook chicken, and this recipe is proof. Searing the chicken before roasting creates a beautifully golden, buttery skin that tastes as good as it looks. The searing also seals in moisture, keeping the chicken tender and juicy. The sauce, with its delicate tarragon flavor, perfectly complements the dish. I paired it with roasted potatoes, which were perfect for soaking up the extra sauce.

Whenever I crave something more exciting than just chicken breast, I turn to Julia Child's Tarragon Chicken. While the recipe requires a bit of effort upfront, if Meryl Streep, who once called herself a 'terrible cook,' can manage it, then so can anyone. As Julia Child herself would say, 'Bon appétit!'