Our braised Greek Chicken In Tomato Sauce is a rustic, comforting dish with lovely Mediterranean flavors. It’s easy to make and will be your new favorite chicken recipe.
If you love this Braised Greek Chicken In Tomato Sauce, you will also love this Chicken Giouvetsi, Za’atar Chicken and Orzo, or One Pan Chicken Dinner!
Why this recipe sings
What is braising?
Braising (from the French word braiser) is a combination-cooking method in which the food is first sautéed or seared at a high temperature, then finished in a covered pot at a lower temperature, usually in the oven but also on the stovetop, with some broth or sauce. It is an ideal method for cooking tougher, more affordable cuts of meat. Think French beef bourguignon, coq au vin etc.
Here is what you need
- A whole chicken cut into eight pieces. Another option is using eight chicken thighs. The all dark meat makes a succulent dish without the risk of overcooking the white meat.
- Za’atar. To dry brine the chicken. This warm earthy condiment is traditionally made with ground oregano (origanum syriacum) mixed with roasted sesame seeds, salt, and other spices like sumac. In some variations, thyme or marjoram might substitute for oregano. and corriander, cumin might be added.
- Ripe tomatoes. In the summer use fresh ripe tomatoes, in all other times canned San Marzano tomatoes D.O.P. are the best.
- A green bell pepper cut in strips or diced. I love the bitter sweet flavor of the pepper, it adds another layer of flavor.
- Onion and garlic and extra virgin olive oil.
- Ouzo. Ouzo is an aperitif, flavored with anise or fennel seed, and is exclusively produced in Greece. The flavor reminds liquorice. Substitute with dry white wine.
- Star anise. Its flavor is similar to anise. It is used as a spice in a few Greek and Minor Asia dishes like soutzoukakia. It is widely used in Chinese and Indonesian cuisines.
- Fresh oregano and thyme leaves.
- Sea salt, freshly ground pepper, sugar and chili flakes.
How to make it
Dry brine the chicken
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and massage the za’atar all over the chicken or a mix of coarse sea salt, freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of red chili pepper flakes.
- Refridgerate the chicken uncovered for one to four hours, or overnight, but no more than 24 hours. Take chicken out an hour before cooking to reach room temperature.
Pre heat the oven at 15O°C/ 300°F.
Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels.
Heat an oven-proof thick bottom pot (like a dutch oven) over medium-high heat.
Add some olive oil, let it heat and place two or three pieces of chicken skin side down. Sear for 4 minutes, then turn pieces over and sear on the other side. Transfer to to a platter and repeat process with the rest of the pieces.
In the same dutch oven on medium heat, add the onions. Season with sea salt. Sauté for 2-3 min. Add the garlic. Continue sautéing for 1-2 more minutes.
Add the bell pepper strips, star anise, freshly ground pepper, and a pinch of red pepper flakes and stir.
Carefully add the shot of ouzo. Deglaze the pan and stir to allow alcohol to evaporate for two more minutes.
Stir in the tomatoes and one teaspoon of sugar. Simmer for 2 min.
Return the chicken to the pot with all the juices accumulate on the plate. Throw in some fresh herbs like oregano and thyme. Bring to a boil. Cover tightly and transfer to the oven.
Cook for one hour.
Remove the lid and let the chicken cool in the pot for 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with a sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil on top and fresh herb leaves like oregano and thyme.
Useful tips
- Don’t overcrowd the pot. If you do the chicken will boil instead of sear.
- Avoid moving the chicken around too much while searing, to allow the skin to crisp up nicely.
- Choose the right tomatoes.
- In the summer I use good ripe tomatoes available at farmer’s markets.
- In the winter, I love whole canned San Marzano tomatoes. They are the best canned tomatoes hands down. But they have to be authentic D.O.P. San Marzano.
- There are many imitations available in supermarkets that I always avoid. The key is to read the label and see if they have the D.O.P. seal (Protected Designation of Origin). San Marzano tomatoes are only grown in Valle del Sarno, Italy. They are never diced or cut; they are whole in the can with their precious tomato juice. And finaly, San Marzanos have a stronger taste that is sweeter and less acidic. Good brands available in the US are La Fiammante, Gustarosso, DeLallo, Rega, etc.
Side dishes
- A green leafy salad like our maroulosalata.
- Bread to dip in the sauce like our oregano olive oil loaf.
- A cauliflower-broccoli salad.
- Tzatziki sauce.
- Roasted parmesan potatoes.
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Braised Greek Chicken In Tomato Sauce
Equipment
- oven proof pot dutch oven
Ingredients
- 4 lb chicken cut in 8 pieces
- 2 tablespoons za'atar seasoning
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 onion diced
- 4-5 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1 green bell pepper cut in strips or diced
- 3 cups grated ripe tomatoes skin removed or 28 oz can of Gustarosso San Marzano tomatoes
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 2 star anise
- 1 shot ouzo or dry white wine
- 1-2 fresh oregano sprigs
- 1-2 fresh thyme sprigs
- sea salt
- freshly ground pepper
- chili flakes
Instructions
Brine the chicken
- Place the chicken in a large platter. Sprinkle za'atar seasoning all over. Chill uncovered in the fridge for 1 to 4 hours and preferably overnight, but no longer than 24 hours. When you are ready to cook remove chicken from refrigerator and to reach room temperature, about 30 min to an hour.
Time to cook
- Preheat oven to 150°C / 300*F.
- Heat an oven proof pot (like a Dutch oven) over medium high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add 2-3 pieces of chicken (skin side down). Sear the chicken for 4 minutes, then turn it on the other side for another 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and continue with the rest of the pieces. Work in batches, don't overcrowd the pot, if you do it will boil instead of sear.
- In the same dutch oven in medium heat, add the onions. Season with sea salt. Sauté for 2-3 min. Add the garlic and continue cooking for 1-2 more minutes. Add the peppers, star anise, freshly ground pepper and a pinch of red pepper flakes. Stir.
- Carefully add the shot of ouzo. Deglaze the pan scrapping the sticky bits from the bottom go the pan and stir to allow alcohol to evaporate for two more minutes.
- Return the chicken to the pot with all the accumulated juices. Add some fresh herbs like oregano and thyme. Bring to a boil. Cover tightly and transfer to the oven.
- Cook for one hour.
- Remove the lid and let the chicken cool in the pot for 15 minutes before serving.
Notes
- You can use only thighs and or drumsticks for this recipe. You must adjust cooking times so chicken is not overcooked or worse be under cooked.
- If you use skinless, boneless chicken thighs cook from 35 to 45 min.
Nutrition
Greek food is one of my all-time favorite cuisines and really love your site! I’ve pinned a bunch of recipes already but the recipe and the photos for this one really made my mouth water so I just had to comment. Definitely going to try this recipe this fall or winter!
Thank you so much Carol!
I love braised chicken but have never tried a Greek-style one. It looks and sounds amazing. Bookmarking to try soon, hopefully on the weekend.
What oven temp?
Oops, we missed that when editing! Fix now.
Preheat the oven to 300 F.
Thanks so much, x Jenny
When do you add the tomatoes?
Hi Cathy,
I add them right after the shot of ouzo. It is in the post but somehow the step was left out in the recipe card.
Thanks so much for letting me know! I will fix.
Hope you like the chicken.
x Jenny
FYI-The peppers are not listed under ingredients 🙂
Thank you Joanna! Good catch! I will fix the error asap. x Jenny
How would suggest making this without a Dutch oven??
Hi Brittany,
You can make it on the stovetop. Instead of sticking it in the oven, cook it on medium-low heat on your stove. Or start cooking on the stove and pour the ingredients into an oven-proof deep pan covered with aluminum foil and braise.
Thanks so much! x Jenny
Recipe is excellent, but note, there is no mention of “peppers” in the ingredient list- it’s only mentioned in the picture instructions. It shows green bell pepper strips which I didn’t have but had some mini bell peppers in orange and red so I used those. Also, there is no mention in the recipe print version as to when to add the tomatoes-it’s in the instructions with the pictures only.
Hi Lori, Thank you so much for your notes, you are right! This is one of our first recipes and needs editing and tlc. We will fix it asap.
So glad you liked it!
x Jenny