Name: Chakhokhbili: Georgian Chicken Stew with Herbs and Tomatoes
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 1 h 5 min
Total time: 1 h 35 min
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 1,200 g boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, cut into large pieces about 5 cm; keep skin attached to each piece; 600 g yellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced; 750 g ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped with their juice; 20 g garlic, finely minced; 7 g fine salt, divided: 2 g for the chicken and 5 g for the stew; 3 g ground coriander seed; 1 g ground black pepper; 20 g fresh cilantro leaves, chopped; 15 g fresh basil, chopped; 15 g flat-leaf parsley, chopped

A bowl of Chakhokhbili sits on the right side of a pale table, leaving open space to the left; chicken, tomato sauce and herbs are visible.

Yield6 servings

Serving sizeone-sixth of the complete stew, with chicken and sauce

DifficultyIntermediate

Dietary notesContains chicken; no dairy or gluten-containing ingredient is listed, subject to product labels and cross-contact

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The dish

About Chakhokhbili: Georgian Chicken Stew with Herbs and Tomatoes

Chakhokhbili gently cooks skin-on chicken with onion, ripe tomatoes, garlic and fresh herbs until the meat is tender and the sauce is rich. This measured home version lets the chicken release its own fat and juices in a covered pot, so it needs no added oil or water. It serves six and is best brought to the table hot.

Chakhokhbili is a Georgian chicken stew built around meat, tomatoes and onions. Georgian recipes vary: some use rendered chicken fat alone, while household versions may add oil, butter or a little water. Garlic, coriander, pepper and fresh herbs are familiar additions, though the exact mix varies. This version keeps the chicken skin on so it releases fat and stays moist as the onion and tomato cook down around it.

A folk tale mentions pheasant and links the dish name to the founding of Tbilisi. This is folklore, not established history; chicken is the most common meat used today. This recipe presents Chakhokhbili as a Georgian dish without assigning it an exclusive provincial origin.

Fresh cilantro leaves, basil and parsley brighten the tomato-rich sauce near the end. The finished stew should be moist and spoonable, with tender chicken pieces and enough reduced tomato sauce to coat them. Serve it hot, with bread or ghomi on the side if you like; neither accompaniment is included in the ingredient list or nutrition estimate.

Cook the dish

Ingredients

Chakhokhbili: a Georgian chicken stew with tomato and fresh herbs

Chicken and vegetables

1,200 gboneless, skin-on chicken thighs, cut into large pieces about 5 cm; keep skin attached to each piece
600 gyellow onions, peeled and thinly sliced
750 gripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped with their juice
20 ggarlic, finely minced

Salt, spices and herbs

7 gfine salt, divided: 2 g for the chicken and 5 g for the stew
3 gground coriander seed
1 gground black pepper
20 gfresh cilantro leaves, chopped
15 gfresh basil, chopped
15 gflat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

Prepare and season the chicken. Pat the chicken dry without rinsing it. Cut it into pieces about 5 cm across, keeping skin attached to every piece. Season with 2 g salt. Prepare the onions, tomatoes, garlic and herbs.
Gently render the chicken. Arrange the chicken skin-side down in a cold, heavy pot. Cover and set over low to medium-low heat. Cook gently for 20–25 minutes, turning once, until the skin releases fat and the pieces have begun to cook through. Do not add oil or water.
Soften the onions in the rendered fat. Add the sliced onions and stir to coat them with the chicken juices. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, then uncover and stir for about 5 minutes more, until the onions are soft and lightly golden.
Add the tomatoes and seasonings. Stir in the tomatoes and their juice, garlic, ground coriander, black pepper and remaining 5 g salt. Scrape the bottom of the pot and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
Simmer until tender and safe to eat. Partly cover and simmer gently for about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened. Check the thickest chicken pieces with a food thermometer; they must reach 74 °C. Continue simmering if needed. If unusually dry tomatoes leave the pot short of liquid, add a small splash of tomato juice.
Finish with herbs and rest. Fold in the cilantro, basil and parsley. Simmer uncovered for 2–3 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave the pot to rest for 5 minutes before serving hot.

Serving, storage and substitutions

Serve Chakhokhbili hot as a main dish. Bread or ghomi may be offered alongside, but they are separate from this recipe and its nutrition estimate. The thick tomato sauce should cling to the chicken rather than pool like a soup.

Transfer leftovers to shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep them at 4 °C or below and use within 3–4 days. Reheat leftovers throughout to 74 °C. For best texture, warm the chicken gently so it stays moist; add a spoonful of water only when reheating if the chilled sauce has become too thick.

Use ripe, juicy tomatoes so the stew makes enough sauce without added water. This measured version leaves out butter, wine, bay leaf, hot pepper and ajika; other Georgian home recipes may include some of them. Keep the chicken skin attached for this rendering method. Boneless skinless chicken does not behave the same way and would need a different approach.

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

If the chicken is not releasing fat, lower the heat and keep the pot covered so the pieces cook gently in their own juices. If the onions begin to stick, stir and add a small splash of tomato juice. If the sauce is still thin once the chicken is tender, uncover the pot and simmer briefly, turning the pieces carefully. Do not rely on time alone: verify 74 °C in the thickest pieces.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: one-sixth of the complete Chakhokhbili
Calories: approximately 514 kcal
Carbohydrates: 17 g
Protein: 36 g
Fat: 34 g
Fibre: about 4 g
Sodium: approximately 635 mg

Allergens and food safety

The listed ingredients contain chicken and do not include a major declared allergen. No dairy or gluten-containing ingredient is listed. Check packaged spices and other products for label statements and possible cross-contact.

Do not rinse raw chicken. Keep raw poultry, its juices and used utensils separate from ready-to-eat foods, then wash hands and surfaces. Cook every chicken piece to 74 °C, measured in its thickest part with a food thermometer. Cool leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours, refrigerate at 4 °C or below, use within 3–4 days and reheat throughout to 74 °C.

To finish

The chicken should be tender, with its skin still on the pieces, and the tomato-onion sauce should be thick enough to coat it.
Fold in the fresh herbs near the end and serve the stew hot, with bread or ghomi separately if desired.