Chakhokhbili

Who hasn’t tried making this delicious Georgian dish yet? All you need is chicken, onions, ripe tomatoes, sweet pepper, garlic, fresh herbs, and, of course, aromatic spices. And don’t be afraid to experiment — every chef can make this dish uniquely delicious in their own way 

For Chakhokhbili, it is best to use chicken with the skin on. This way, you won’t need to add any oil when browning the chicken. If you prefer a lighter version without the skin, brown the chicken pieces in vegetable oil. When the onions are almost cooked, you can also add a small piece of butter.

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken (I used chicken drumsticks)

• 2 medium onions

• 2 medium tomatoes

• 1 sweet pepper

• 4 garlic cloves

• A bunch of cilantro or other fresh herbs (this time I used parsley)

• 30 g butter (optional)

• 2 tsp khmeli-suneli

• 1 tsp adjika (optional)

• Salt to taste

Steps

1. Cut the chicken into small pieces and pat dry with a paper towel

2. Dice the onions, tomatoes, and pepper; finely chop the garlic and herbs

3. Brown the chicken in a Dutch oven or dry skillet for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it releases its juices

4. Add the onions and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until translucent

5. At this stage, you can add a small piece of butter

6. Add the tomatoes, pepper, and garlic, season with salt, and add the spices

7. If the tomatoes are not very juicy, add a little boiling water

8. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes

9. Add the fresh herbs and simmer for another 5 minutes