Boneless skinless chicken thighs make this easy kapama chicken with a rich cinnamon scented tomato sauce quick to the table. It’s so very delicious!
Not that I’ve ever made it before but New York Times Cooking says that the traditional Greek version would be made with a whole chicken, cut into its typical pieces. But, of course, bone-in chicken takes much longer to cook so if you are looking for a weeknight dish, starting with boneless chicken is ideal.
It's also a great make-ahead dish because it just gets better the next day! We liked it the first night but loved it even more as leftovers.
Easy Chicken Kapama
This recipe is adapted from one on New York Times Cooking. It calls for ground cinnamon as well as two cinnamon sticks and it needs both for a more authentic Greek flavor. Serve it over buttered egg noodles or orzo.
Ingredients
1 lb 12 oz or 800g boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Ground cayenne
Ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (15 oz or 425g) can tomato puree
2 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon sugar
2-3 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves only
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
For garnish:
2 tablespoons fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley and oregano, roughly chopped
For serving:
Buttered egg noodles or orzo
Grated kefalotyri cheese or Parmesan
Crushed red pepper, optional
Method
Season the chicken thighs well on both sides with salt, black pepper, cayenne and a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. Cut them into three or four pieces each.
In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil over medium flame. Working in batches to avoid overcrowding, cook the chicken until it is lightly browned on both sides.
Remove to a plate as you cook each batch. The chicken will not be cooked through at this point but, worry not, it will finish cooking in the sauce.
Slice the onion and garlic thinly.
Add them to the skillet and cook until the onion is soft and translucent.
Stir in the tomato puree, tomato paste and water equal to half of the tomato puree can. This also helps rinse the can so you are sure to use all of the puree. Stir well.
Add in the cinnamon sticks and leave to cook for a few minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices that have collected on the plate, stir to coat with the sauce and bring to a simmer.
Turn heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the flavors meld, stirring occasionally, 20-30 minutes. Add in the fresh oregano leaves, the spoon of sugar and crushed red pepper, if using, stir well.
Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary.
Serve the chicken over buttered egg noodles or orzo, spooning the tomato sauce on top. Top with the fresh herbs and grated cheese.
Enjoy!
Welcome to the 11th edition of Alphabet Challenge 2026, brought to you by the letter K. Many thanks to Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm for organizing and creating the challenge. Check out all the K recipes below:
- Baby Kale Salad with Steak and Citrus Vinaigrette from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Brown Sugar and Ketchup Pork Chops from Blogghetti
- Easy Chicken Kapama from Food Lust People Love
- Individual No Bake Key Lime Pies from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
- Kabocha Methi Garlic Rolls from Magical Ingredients
- Kachhe Kele Ke Kofte from Mayuri’s Jikoni
- Kahlua and Cream: Brown Cow Cocktail from Jolene’s Recipe Journal
- Kielbasa Pasta Medley (Sicilian Medley) from A Messy Kitchen
- Kohlrabi Pasta from Mildly Indian
- Kondakadalai Sundal / Chickpeas Sundal from Sneha’s Recipe
I. Italian Sausage Stuffed Mini Peppers - this post!
K. Easy Chicken Kapama - this post!
To check out the Alphabet Challenges for 2024 and 2025, click here.
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