Chakhokhbili

Name: Chakhokhbili
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 4 plates
Cuisine: Georgian
Ingredients: 1.2 kg Chicken, whole bird jointed into 8, or bone-in thighs, skin on; 3 large Onion, thinly sliced; 30 g Butter, optional, if the chicken is lean; 800 g Tomato, ripe, skinned and chopped, or two tins of chopped tomatoes; 4 clove Garlic, crushed; 1 piece Fresh chilli, red, finely chopped, seeds to taste; 0.5 tsp Fenugreek, ground; blue fenugreek if you have it; 1 tsp Ground coriander; 100 ml White wine; 1.5 tsp Salt; 1 tsp Black pepper; 40 g Coriander, fresh, roughly chopped; 20 g Basil, purple basil if possible, torn; 20 g Parsley, chopped

ჩახოხბილი

Georgian chicken stewed in its own juices with onions, tomatoes and a late shower of coriander, basil and parsley.

Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: ჩახოხბილი.

Start cooking

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 1 hr
Rest: None
Total: 1 hr 20 min
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Mild
Cost: Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price

Know it before you cook it

About

Chakhokhbili is chicken braised with a great deal of onion and tomato, finished with handfuls of fresh herbs. What makes it Georgian is the method and the herbs: the chicken pieces are dry-fried first in a hot pan without oil until they brown and release fat, then onions go in, then tomatoes, and the pot cooks without added liquid until the sauce is thick and the chicken is falling from the bone. Coriander, purple basil and parsley go in at the very end in quantities that look excessive. Garlic, chilli and a pinch of fenugreek round it out. It is best with fresh summer tomatoes but tinned work from October to June.

What you'll need

14 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.

0 of 14 ready

4 servings

Ingredients
Herbs

Ingredients

Servings

Ingredients

Chicken, whole bird jointed into 8, or bone-in thighs, skin on1.2 kg
Onion, thinly sliced3 large
Butter, optional, if the chicken is lean30 g
Tomato, ripe, skinned and chopped, or two tins of chopped tomatoes800 g
Garlic, crushed4 clove
Fresh chilli, red, finely chopped, seeds to taste1
Fenugreek, ground; blue fenugreek if you have it2½ ml
Ground coriander4.9 ml
White wine (optional)100 ml
Salt7.4 ml
Black pepper4.9 ml

Herbs

Coriander, fresh, roughly chopped40 g
Basil, purple basil if possible, torn20 g
Parsley, chopped20 g

Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.

Steps

Step 1
Pat the chicken dry and season with salt. Heat a heavy casserole over high heat with no oil and put in the chicken skin down. Fry, turning, until browned and the fat has rendered, 10 to 12 minutes. Add butter only if the pan stays dry.
12 min
Tip: Dry-frying is the traditional step. It concentrates the chicken flavour.
Step 2
Lower the heat, add the onions and cook in the chicken fat, stirring, until soft and golden, 15 minutes. Add the wine if using and let it bubble away.
17 min
Step 3
Add the tomatoes, half the garlic, the chilli, ground coriander, fenugreek and pepper. Cover and simmer very gently, without adding water, for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce is thick.
30 min
Watch: If it threatens to catch, add a splash of water, but the dish should cook in its own juices.
Step 4
Take the lid off for the last 10 minutes to reduce if the sauce is thin. Taste for salt.
10 min
Step 5
Off the heat, stir in the remaining garlic and all the herbs. Cover for 2 minutes so they wilt into the sauce.
2 min
Step 6
Serve from the pot with plenty of bread. Boiled potatoes or mchadi cornbread alongside are both normal.

Nutrition

Per serving · estimate

Calories: 666 kcal
Protein: 97.1 g
Carbs: 22.1 g
Fat: 17.7 g
Saturated fat: 6.9 g
Fibre: 5.4 g
Sugar: 10.5 g
Sodium: 926 mg

Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.

Allergens

Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.

Milk

Gluten-free
Nut-free

Adapt this recipe

The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.

Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 13 November.

Substitutions

Chicken → Pheasant or guinea fowl
Pheasant is the original. Guinea fowl is between the two and easier to buy.

Tips

Skin the fresh tomatoes by scoring and dropping into boiling water for 30 seconds. Skins curl into unpleasant ribbons otherwise.
Add the herbs off the heat. Cooked coriander loses what you bought it for.
A tablespoon of tkemali or pomegranate molasses stirred in at the end gives the sourness of the older versions.

History & culture

Home cooking across Georgia and a fixture of the supra when there are guests to feed. Eaten with bread or with shoti from the bakery to mop the sauce, and often with mchadi cornbread. Georgians make it in summer when the herbs and tomatoes are at their best, and in winter with what they have.

The name comes from khokhobi, pheasant, which is what the dish was originally made with by hunters. Chicken replaced pheasant as farm birds became normal. Tomatoes are a late addition, 19th century; earlier versions were soured with tkemali plum or pomegranate.

Traditional

Provenance: Editorial adaptation.

Questions about this recipe

Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.

How long does Chakhokhbili take?

1 hr 20 min all in — 20 min prep, 1 hr cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.

How many does it serve?

The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.

How hard is it?

Easy.

How spicy is it?

Mild.

What allergens should I watch?

This recipe is labelled for Milk. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.

Does it fit a diet?

The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Nut-free.

7 more questions

What does it cost to cook?

Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.

What equipment do I need?

Dutch oven, Chef's knife.

How much salt do I put in?

The recipe lists Salt at 1½ tsp.

What can I use instead?

Chicken → Pheasant or guinea fowl. Pheasant is the original. Guinea fowl is between the two and easier to buy.

What should I watch for?

If it threatens to catch, add a splash of water, but the dish should cook in its own juices.

Any tips from this recipe?

Skin the fresh tomatoes by scoring and dropping into boiling water for 30 seconds. Skins curl into unpleasant ribbons otherwise. Add the herbs off the heat. Cooked coriander loses what you bought it for. A tablespoon of tkemali or pomegranate molasses stirred in at the end gives the sourness of the older versions.

Can I use an air fryer?

This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.