Chicken Stewed in Tomato Garlic and Cinnamon- Kota Kapama is a delicious dish that can feed a crowd, perfect for entertaining, holidays, or just a regular Sunday dinner.
The recipe is part of my collection of Entrees, where you can find an abundance of recipes to suit your needs.
Try this Easy Potato And Meat Stew recipe, or Peas And Chicken Stew. Learn how to fry chicken like your grandma used to do it with No Breaded Fried Chicken Thighs.
Roasted Pork In Garlic Tomato Sauce is a great recipe for a scromptious dinner and this article with 17 Easy Meals to Make When You Are Stuck at Home is all you need for times when you are under the weather.
If you are looking for more chicken breast recipes this 10 Bone-In Chicken Breast Recipes is a great article to save.
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This is one of these recipes that I have always loved. It comes from Greece, and it is also known as Kota Kapama, chicken stewed in garlic, tomato sauce, and cinnamon. The hidden ingredient in the tasty sauce is cinnamon, and it makes chicken taste like a party.
What meat to use
Beef, chicken, pork, or lamb are all suitable for this dish. A touch of cinnamon intensifies the savory aroma and adds a subtle richness to the meat.
It won't taste like cinnamon, but it will add a layer of flavor to the dish. Your guests will wonder what your secret ingredient is. My recipe uses cinnamon sticks, and I think I like it better than using cinnamon powder. I found that the flavor of the sauce is more subtle with the cinnamon sticks.
Ingredients you will need
- Chicken cut into pieces: Sometimes, I use chicken breast, sometimes thighs, and sometimes, I just cut a chicken in pieces and use legs, breasts, and thighs with the bone in.
- Onion and garlic
- Canned tomatoes: You can use any canned tomatoes you like. I used peeled tomatoes in tomato juice and crushed them for this dish, but tomato sauce or diced tomatoes are great in this dish.
- Cinnamon sticks: I prefer the cinnamon sticks as they bring the flavor to the dish without overpowering it.
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Butter
- Chicken stock or white wine(optional): The recipe is made in different ways, with either chicken stock, red wine, or white wine, so you have options.
How to make this dish
Start with the chicken. It needs to be seasoned with salt and pepper and browned on each side in a skillet with butter.
Cook the chicken in batches, and do not overcrowd the pan. When I took pictures of the dish, I used chicken breast as I was trying to cook a fast dinner. However, you can make this dish using a whole chicken, cut in pieces, or your favorite parts of the bird(only legs, only thighs, etc.).
As soon as the chicken is browned on each side, remove it from the skillet and set it aside. I
Cook the onions with the garlic. In the same skillet, add onions and garlic and cook them until lightly caramelized. Supervise the skillet, and stir once in a while so the onions and, especially, the garlic do not burn.
Add the rest of the ingredients. Add the can of tomatoes with juice, cinnamon sticks, and chicken stock or white wine. The white wine is a personal preference, but you can skip it and add chicken stock instead of just water. Most recipes out there that are traditional use wine in the recipes quite often.
Return the chicken to the pan and simmer everything together. When the sauce comes to a boil, add the chicken, ensuring that each piece is covered in the sauce. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer for another 30 minutes, season with salt and pepper again, and serve.
What to serve with this dish
The dish can be served with white or brown rice, orzo, or regular pasta. Even potatoes, like mashed potatoes or roasted ones, would be great as well.
If you prefer to skip the rice or pasta but prefer bread, serve it with a good crusty one, like this easy-to-make no-knead bread. It is to die for, especially when you dip that bread into the sauce! Yum!
It is a great recipe to feed a crowd and looks awesome as a centerpiece if you have a party. A real winner in my book!
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📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Tomato Chicken Stew (Kota Kapama)
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken breast or thighs cut into pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 large onion finely chopped
- 1 garlic head finely chopped
- 2 pounds canned tomatoes Use crushed tomatoes, or diced
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- ½ cup chicken stock or dry white wine
Instructions
- Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Melt butter in a large skillet.
- Add chicken and brown it on all sides turning it once in a while.
- Brown a few pieces at a time. When all are done, set aside.
- Add onions and garlic in the butter, stirring until onions are lightly browned.
- Add tomatoes from the can with their juice, cinnamon sticks, chicken stock, or wine with more salt and pepper if needed.
- When sauce comes to a boil, add the chicken, ensuring that each piece is covered in the sauce.
- Cover and reduce heat.
- Simmer for another 30 minutes, remove chicken to a platter and spoon the sauce over it.
- Serve.
Notes
- You can use chicken breast, chicken thighs or chicken legs. The chicken could be boneless or not, skinless or not. If you use pieces that have the skin on, brown them with the skin down first.
Rachael says
Love this recipe! I tweaked the recipe a tiny bit at the end by adding 1 tsp of ginger powder, 1/4 cup of honey and 1/2 cup of blanched almonds. We served it with the Bossy Kitchen Lemon Rice and it was to die for!
The Bossy Kitchen says
Wow, honey and blanched almonds, I never thought of adding these two items to the stew! That rice is my favorite too! Also, thank you for your lovely comment!
Glen says
I bet this would be fabulous in the pressure cooker, maybe 8 minutes pressure plus full natural release for chx thighs.
Gabriela says
You are right, that is a great idea!