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Turkish Chicken & Rice (Tavuk Kapama) Menu

I'm preparing a complete Turkish family meal featuring the classic dish, Tavuk Kapama – baked chicken with rice in the oven. I’ll also show you how to make Domatesli Şehriye Çorbası (tomato orzo soup) using leftover chicken broth, simple homemade dinner rolls, and a refreshing shepherd's salad.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 1 hour
Course Main Course, Soup
Cuisine Turkish
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

For the Turkish Chicken & Rice (Tavuk Kapama):

  • 1 whole chicken excluding the breast or 7-8 drumsticks
  • 1 medium onion quarter
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp peppercorns
  • Salt to taste

Rice:

  • 2+1/2 cups rice soaked in warm salty water for 30 minutes to 2 hours
  • 1 medium onion diced
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1+1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 3+3/4 cups chicken broth or mix of water and broth

Yeast Rolls:

  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 20 gr fresh yeast or active dry yeast if preferred
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1-2 cups siyez wheat flour optional, for extra flavor
  • 2 tbsp olive oil

Tomato Vermicelli Soup:

  • 1+1/2 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 large tomato grated (or up to 3 if you preferred a more tomato-heavy soup)
  • 1 liter chicken broth
  • 1 cup vermicelli pasta or orzo pasta
  • Salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 handful chopped parsley optional, for the garnish

Shepherd Salad:

  • 1 medium size cucumber sliced
  • 2 big tomatoes chopped
  • 1 green pepper chopped 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • Salt to taste

Instructions
 

Dinner rolls are very easy to make

  • In a mixing bowl, combine water, milk, sugar, yeast
  • Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to activate the yeast. Then, add:
  • all-purpose flour, siyez or whole what flour, olive oil, salt
  • Always add the last 1/2 to 1 cup flour gradually since the amount the flour can take water can change depending on the type.
  • Knead the dough until it’s smooth and elastic. Cover and let it rise until doubled. Shape the dough into small balls.
  • Place them on a greased baking tray or in a round non-stick pan with some space between them, so they can rise and remain soft as they bake. Allow them to rest and rise for about 30-45 minutes. If you're short on time, you can place them in a warm oven preheated to 70°C (158°F) for faster rising.
  • Preheat the oven to 200C. Brush the tops op the bread rolls with water and bake until golden for about 25 minutes.

TAVUK KAPAMA (Chicken Kapama)

  • For the Tavuk Kapama (Turkish Chicken and Rice), use a whole chicken (excluding the breast) for a more flavorful broth. Cut the chicken into parts if desired (or simply use chicken drumsticks.).
  • Place the chicken pieces in a pressure cooker or a regular pot with water, adding:
  • 2-3 bay leaves, 1 tsp peppercorns, 1 onion, quartered, Salt to taste
  • Cook the chicken for about 15 minutes on medium pressure in a pressure cooker, or simmer it in a regular pot until the chicken is tender. Let the pressure cooker naturally release.
  • Take out the chicken pieces from the broth and set aside to use in the chicken kapama dish. We will also be using the broth for the rice.

Preparing the Rice:

  • Soak 1 cup of rice in warm salty water for at least 30 minutes to 2 hours for a fluffy texture.
  • Heat a pan and sauté 1 diced onion in a mix of vegetable oil and olive oil. After a couple of minutes, add the soaked and drained rice to the pan and stir it for a few minutes. Season the rice with:
  • black pepper, all spice, sugar and salt
  • Add 2 tbsp of butter and stir until it melts. Transfer the rice to your baking dish, and then arrange the cooked chicken pieces on top, skin side up.
  • Baking the Turkish Chicken & Rice (Tavuk Kapama):
  • For every cup of rice, you’ll need 1 and 1/2 cups of chicken broth. Since we're using 2 and 1/2 cups of rice in this recipe, add 3 and 3/4 cups of the chicken broth to the rice and chicken in the baking dish.
  • Assembling Tavuk Chicken Kapama
  • Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) and bake the chicken and rice for about 30-35 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the chicken is beautifully browned and tender.

"Domatesli Şehriye Çorbası" Tomato Orzo Soup:

  • For the tomato soup, start by sautéing 2 tbsp of tomato paste in a bit of vegetable and olive oil. Add 1 grated tomato (or up to 3, depending on how tomato-heavy you like your soup).
  • After the tomatoes break down into a sauce, add the leftover chicken broth from the Tavuk Kapama recipe and more water if needed. Season with salt and black pepper.
  • Add 1 cup of vermicelli or orzo pasta and cook until the pasta is soft. Turn off the heat and let the soup rest for about 10-15 minutes. As a final touch, add a handful of chopped parsley for freshness.

Shepherd Salad:

  • To complete the meal, prepare a fresh shepherd salad by slicing 1 cucumber, 2 tomatoes, and 1 green pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice, and season with salt to taste. If you want to elevate the flavor also you can also add a sprinkle of sumac or drizzle pomegranate molasses over the top.

Video

Keyword baked chicken, chicken, chicken menu, chicken rice, tomato pasta soup