Tavuk Kapama Recipe (Turkish Chicken and Rice)

This Tavuk Kapama recipe is proof that you don’t need much to feed a whole family well. Chicken simmered until tender, buttery basmati rice underneath, and the whole thing finished in the oven until golden. It costs under $20 and it feeds everyone at the table.

“Kapama” means covered or closed in Turkish — the chicken is laid over the rice and the whole pot goes into the oven together, so the rice drinks up all that chicken broth while it bakes. It’s simple, generous food, and it’s exactly the kind of dish Turkish home cooks have been making for generations.

Why You’ll Love This Tavuk Kapama Recipe

• Feeds a family for under $20
• One pot — the rice cooks in the chicken broth
• Simple ingredients you probably already have
• Perfect for sharing at the table
• Naturally gluten free

Tavuk Kapama Recipe (Turkish Chicken and Rice)

Recipe by Burak BerkelCourse: DinnerCuisine: TurkishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Cooking time

1

hour 

5

minutes

Calories

520

kcal

Ingredients

• 7 chicken drumsticks

• 4 cups basmati rice

• 3 yellow onions (2 whole for the broth, 1 cubed)

• 3–4 green onions, sliced

• 3–4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
  

• ½ cup butter
  

• 6 cups chicken broth (from simmering the chicken)

• Salt to taste

Directions

• Simmer the chicken
  Place the drumsticks in a pot, cover with water, add salt and 2 whole yellow onions. Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer for 25 minutes. Save the broth — it’s the entire flavor base of this dish.
• Soak the rice
  Rinse the basmati rice thoroughly, cover with hot water and let it rest for 15 minutes. Drain well.
• Build the base
  Melt the butter in an oven-safe pot. Add the cubed yellow onion, sliced green onions and roughly chopped garlic. Cook until softened, then stir in the drained rice.
• Assemble
  Lay the simmered chicken on top of the rice and pour over 6 cups of the reserved chicken broth.
• Bake
  Transfer the pot to the oven and bake for 40 minutes, until the chicken is golden and the rice has absorbed all the broth.
• Serve straight from the pot. Afiyet olsun! 🍽️

Recipe Video

Notes

• Don’t throw away the broth. The liquid from simmering the chicken with onions is what gives this Tavuk Kapama recipe all its flavor. Plain water or store-bought broth won’t come close.
  Soak the rice. Fifteen minutes in hot water gives you separate, fluffy grains instead of a sticky mass.
  Serve it family style. Put the pot in the middle of the table. That’s how it’s meant to be eaten.
• Storage: Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat covered with a splash of broth so the rice doesn’t dry out.