Kotopoulo Kapama — Chicken Braised with Cinnamon and Tomato

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Meteora monasteries

📍 Where this dish comes from: Meteora, Thessaly · Meteora monasteries
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Kotopoulo Kapama — Chicken Braised with Cinnamon and Tomato, plated and ready to serve

Kapama is one of the most fragrant and deeply comforting braises in the Greek repertoire — chicken pieces slow-cooked in a tomato sauce perfumed with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice until the sauce is thick, sticky, and extraordinary. The spice combination sounds bold but the result is subtle, layered, and unlike anything else. This is the dish that makes guests ask what is in it and then ask for the recipe immediately.

What You’ll Need

Ingredients for Kotopoulo Kapama — Chicken Braised with Cinnamon and Tomato

Kotopoulo Kapama — Chicken Braised with Cinnamon and Tomato

Kapama is one of the most fragrant and deeply comforting braises in the Greek repertoire — chicken pieces slow-cooked in a tomato sauce perfumed with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice until the sauce is thick, sticky, and extraordinary.
Print Recipe
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Greek
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 465kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 whole chicken (3.5 lbs) cut into pieces, or 8 bone-in thighs and drumsticks
  • 1 large onion finely diced
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • 1 can (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup dry red wine
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 4 whole cloves
  • 4 allspice berries
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and cracked black pepper
  • Fresh parsley and grated graviera or kefalotyri cheese to serve

Instructions

  • Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Brown in olive oil over high heat in a large Dutch oven, skin-side down first, about 4 minutes per side. Remove.
  • Reduce heat to medium. Saute onion until soft and golden, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.
  • Deglaze with red wine, scraping up all browned bits. Add crushed tomatoes, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, bay leaf, and ground cinnamon.
  • Return chicken to pot, nestling pieces into the sauce. The sauce should come halfway up the chicken.
  • Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook on low for 1 hour until chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender.
  • Remove lid for the last 10 minutes to reduce and thicken the sauce. Serve with freshly grated cheese.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 465kcal | Protein: 42g | Fat: 28g | Fiber: 2g
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Cooking Kotopoulo Kapama — Chicken Braised with Cinnamon and Tomato in the kitchen

Health Benefits

  • Bone-in chicken braised low and slow releases collagen and minerals into the sauce, creating a natural gelatin that supports gut integrity and joint health.
  • Cinnamon contains cinnamaldehyde, a compound that improves insulin sensitivity and lowers fasting blood glucose — particularly beneficial for anyone following a ketogenic diet for metabolic reasons.
  • Tomatoes cooked in olive oil for extended time produce extraordinary lycopene bioavailability.

Pairs Well With

  • Tomato-Cucumber Salad with Herb Oil
  • Tzatziki Cauliflower Rice
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