Chicken Kapama — Greek Braised Chicken in Spiced Tomato Sauce

Chicken Kapama is one of my favorite Greek Recipes

There are few things more comforting to me than a dish of slowly braised chicken in a richly spiced tomato sauce. That’s why this traditional recipe for Chicken Kapama — slowly braised chicken in tomato sauce with spices — is one of my all-time favorites.

Classic Greek flavor combinations

Chicken Kapama perfectly utilizes the classic Greek flavor combination of meat, tomato, and cinnamon. Greek cuisine incorporates this with all types of meat in a variety of iconic dishes like stews, pasta sauces, and other meat sauces like the one used in Moussaka or Pastitsio. Have you ever had a classic Coney Island hot dog or Skyline Chili? You know what I’m talking about.

This is a saucier version of the one I included in Opa! The Healthy Greek Cookbook. I added in the crushed tomatoes because I enjoy soaking up all the sauce with freshly baked bread and having more of it if I ended up serving the chicken over orzo pasta (more on that later).

Make this ahead

This is a perfect dish to make dish for a cozy week night meal. Additionally, you can elevate your plating and cook it as the main event at a dinner party. It’s a favorite for my pop-up dinners in Los Angeles. It also pays off well to make it a day ahead. The extra time it will have in the refrigerator will allow the flavors of the cinnamon and the tomato to marry together and create a greater depth of flavor. You can also make a large batch and free what you’re not going to get to right away.

Choosing spices

This is a template where I suggest using cinnamon. You can also add a hint of nutmeg, all spice, and/or ground cloves. Don’t overwhelm what you have going. I’m talking about 1/4 teaspoon just to make it a little more exciting and to add dimension.

Serving the stew

Most people serve this stew over buttered egg noodles, hiloptas, orzo, in addition to rice or roasted potatoes. But if you’re leaning toward a more low carb and gluten free option, cauliflower rice or a cauliflower or celery root mash works very well. 

Chicken Kapama — Greek Braised Chicken in Spiced Tomato Sauce

Yum

Cuisine Greek, Mediterranean, Middle Eastern

Category Entree Greek Food Greek Recipes One Pot Meals Recipes

Persons

6

Prep Time

20 minutes

Cook Time

2 hours, 30 minutes

Total Time

2 hours, 50 minutes

There are few things more comforting to me than a dish of slowly braised chicken stew with a richly spiced sauce. That's why this traditional recipe for Chicken Kapama — slowly braised chicken in tomato sauce with spices — is one of my all-time favorites.

Ingredients

• 4 pounds chicken thighs** or 1 (4.5 to 5 pound) whole chicken cut into 8 pieces
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 3 carrots, diced
• 3 celery stalks, diced
• 1 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or two cinnamon sticks
• 1 cup dry white wine (optional)
• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 cups chicken broth or water
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons Koser salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• Hard salty cheese like kefaloriri, mizithra (or Romano) cheese for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F
2. Pat chicken thighs dry and season them with 1/2 tablespoon olive oil, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper.
3. In a heated 7-9 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the chicken in 1 tablespoon of olive oil for 5-7 minutes per side. Work in batches if needed, as as to not crowd the pan. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Drain any excess fat from the pot.
4. Return the pot to the heat and heat the remaining olive oil.
5. Add the onion and stir. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
6. Add the carrots, celery, garlic, and ground cinnamon (if using cinnamon sticks, wait to add them). Cook for 5 minutes.
7. Stir in the wine, vinegar, honey, and tomato paste. Simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, until reduced by half.
8. Add crushed tomatoes and cook 5 minutes more.
9. Return the chicken to the pot. Cover it with the chicken broth, add bay leaves and cinnamon sticks (if using). Pour in chicken broth or water. Stir to combine.
10. Bing contents of the pot to boil. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Braise for 2 hours, or until tender.
11. Serve over your favorite rice, potatoes, or pasta.

Notes

If using boneless skinless chicken thighs, you probably only need 3 pounds for 6 servings.

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© 2024 © Christina Xenos

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Kapama — Greek Braised Chicken in Spiced Tomato Sauce

Serves: 6 servings

Amount Per Serving:
Calories		634.14 kcal
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 35.99 g		53.8%
	Saturated Fat 9.58 g	45%
	Trans Fat 0.19 g
Cholesterol 152.4 mg		50.7%
Sodium 1176.74 mg		49%
Total Carbohydrate 28.61 g		9.3%
	Dietary Fiber 3.64 g	12%
	Sugars 19.53 g
Protein 41.53 g

Vitamin A 39.38 %		Vitamin C 17.27 %
Calcium 9.15 %		Iron 20.67 %

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

Sweet Greek Personal Chef and Culinary Services Los Angeles, CA