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Greek Braised Chicken with Tomatoes and Cinnamon
The rustic, homey Greek dish called kota kapama stews chicken with fragrant cinnamon, sweet-tart tomatoes and, more often than not, white or red wine. For this recipe, we use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and braise them in a minimal amount of liquid. This way, the chicken cooks mostly in the juices it releases. Without other ingredients to dilute the flavor, the resulting sauce is wonderfully rich and full-bodied. Kota kapama traditionally is served with orzo or other noodles, but any starchy side—from crusty bread to mashed potatoes—works well.
4
Servings
Tip
Don’t fuss with the chicken once it’s skin side down in the pot. The skin may stick upon contact, but once it is nicely browned—which is the goal in this step, for flavor—the chicken will release easily. The pieces will be only parcooked after browning on the skin side; braising will finish the cooking.
1¼ hours
35 minutes active
Ingredients
-
1
teaspoon ground cinnamon
-
½
teaspoon ground allspice
Directions
-
01In a small bowl, stir together the cinnamon, allspice, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Use the mixture to season the chicken all over, gently rubbing it in.
Reviews
July 12, 2026
Flavorful and simply scrumptious
First made this when it appeared in the magazine. It has layers of flavor with not much work. It is a favorite among friends and family. I make this dish with all bone-in, skin on thighs for the added flavor and serve with a lemon rice pilaf. Delish!
April 4, 2026
New family favorite
This was a huge hit. I didn't have plum tomatoes or fresh mint, so I substituted with a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of dried mint -- the substitutions seemed to work well. Served it with mashed potatoes, a Greek yogurt / cucumber salad, and a soft focaccia to sop up the sauce. This will definitely be added to our regular rotation, especially since bone-in chicken thighs are so inexpensive.
October 2, 2023
Always need chicken recipes
I substituted boneless thighs and breasts and adjusted the cooking time accordingly. Worked well.
January 11, 2023
Wow
I loved this recipe! Wouldn't change a thing!
February 7, 2025
Easy and Tatsy
The tomato paste adds a depth of flavor- but I added more. Mint is key. Add it late so it gives the dish color and brightness. I served with orzo and roasted broccoli.
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Delish! Very interesting flavors and the sauce is realy good. I used boneless breast meat and cooked the whole thing for 10 minutes longer. Really good!