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Tavuk Sote - Turkish Chicken Sauté

Turkish chicken dish with a tomato sauce served in a bowl and a fork inside it.
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Turkish Tavuk Sote is a quick, easy, and budget-friendly one-pan dish made with chicken pieces, peppers, and a rich tomato-based sauce. Perfect for a busy weeknight dinner, it pairs beautifully with rice, bread, or salad.

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 600 grams chicken thighs, diced
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1/2 tablespoon red pepper paste (read note 1)
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced (read note 2)
  • 1 green bell pepper, diced (read note 2)
  • 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tomato, diced
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons paprika
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 cup hot water
  • Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat olive oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the diced chicken and fry until lightly golden, stirring occasionally. Do not cover the pan—this is important to prevent the chicken from steaming instead of frying. If your pan isn’t large enough, fry the chicken in 2-3 batches. Once the chicken is lightly golden, transfer it to a plate.
  2. Reduce the heat to medium and, in the same pan, add the diced onion. Cook until translucent, stirring occasionally.
  3. Stir in the red pepper paste and tomato paste, cooking for about a minute until well incorporated.
  4. Add the diced peppers and cook for a few minutes until slightly softened. Then, add the garlic and tomatoes, stirring to combine. Cook for another few minutes.
  5. Return the cooked chicken to the pan and season with paprika, salt, and pepper. Stir everything together.
  6. Pour in hot water, stir well, and bring to a boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat, and let it simmer for about 10 minutes.
  7. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve warm.

Notes

  1. If you can’t find pepper paste (biber salçası), increase the amount of paprika. Use 2 teaspoons of paprika instead of 1 1/2 teaspoons.
  2. If you have access to a Turkish market and can find Turkish peppers: For green peppers, use 2-3 çarliston biber or sivri biber (be aware that sivri biber can be quite spicy!). For red peppers, use 1-2 kapya biber (Romano red pepper).
  3. If you want your tavuk sote to be spicy, add pul biber (Turkish red pepper flakes). We prefer sprinkling it over the dish while eating for an extra kick.
  4. Serve it with bulgur pilav or Turkish rice pilav and a salad like
  5. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. When reheating, you may need to add a little extra water to prevent it from drying out and to refresh the flavors. Avoid reheating chicken more than once to ensure food safety and maintain its quality.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://www.giverecipe.com/tavuk-sote-turkish-chicken-saute/