Turkish Chicken Stew with Peppers and Zucchini Recipe
This chicken and vegetable stew is a homestyle dish that in Turkey often lands on the weekday table when you need to quickly feed the whole family. The meat simmers in a tomato and pepper sauce with zucchini, making the dish light yet filling. The flavors are a bit like lecsó, but with a distinctly Turkish spice accent.
A quick, family-friendly Turkish-style one-pot meal where chicken and vegetables simmer in a fragrant tomato and pepper sauce. It’s light yet satisfying, easy to scale up, and uses everyday ingredients with a Turkish spice twist.
Chef's tips
Cut the vegetables into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly and the stew has a nice texture. Don’t skip briefly toasting the spices in oil—it deepens their flavor and gives the sauce a richer, more aromatic taste. If you have time, let the stew rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving; the flavors meld and the sauce thickens slightly.
How to serve
Serve in deep bowls with rice or bulgur on the side and plenty of fresh bread. Add a spoonful of thick yogurt or plain Greek yogurt on top and finish with extra chopped parsley or a few chili flakes for those who like it hot.
Ingredients
- chicken breast boneless, skinless - 600 g
- onion large - 1 piece
- red bell pepper - 1 piece
- green bell pepper - 1 piece
- zucchini medium - 1 piece
- chopped canned tomatoes 1 can - 400 g
- tomato paste - 1 tablespoon
- garlic - 3 cloves
- sweet paprika powder - 1.5 teaspoons
- hot paprika powder or less, if you prefer it milder - 0.5 teaspoons
- ground cumin - 0.5 teaspoons
- vegetable oil for frying - 2 tablespoons
- salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- parsley chopped, for serving - 2 tablespoons
- water for the sauce, if needed - 150 ml
Preparation
- Wash the chicken breast, pat dry with paper towels, and cut into bite-sized cubes, about 2 cm.
- Peel the onion and dice finely. Remove the seeds and cores from the peppers and cut them into strips or larger cubes. Wash the zucchini, trim the ends, and cut into half-moons or cubes. Finely chop the garlic.
- Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a wide pot or deep frying pan. Add the chicken and fry for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until the pieces turn white on all sides and are lightly browned.
- Add the onion to the chicken and fry for another 3–4 minutes, until softened. If the bottom starts to catch, reduce the heat.
- Add the peppers and fry for 5 minutes, stirring, until they start to soften. Then add the zucchini and fry for another 3–4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, sweet paprika, hot paprika, and cumin. Fry for about 30 seconds, stirring vigorously, until the spices become very fragrant.
- Add the tomato paste, stir, and fry for 1 more minute. Then pour in the canned tomatoes and about 100–150 ml of water to get a medium-thick sauce.
- Season the stew with salt and pepper and stir. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 15–20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the chicken is fully cooked through. The sauce should thicken slightly.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning with more salt, pepper, or a little extra hot paprika if needed. Before serving, sprinkle the dish with chopped parsley.
Storage
Gulasz dobrze się odgrzewa, a nawet zyskuje na smaku następnego dnia. Możesz go zamrozić w porcjach na 2–3 miesiące; przy podgrzewaniu dodaj odrobinę wody, jeśli sos zrobił się zbyt gęsty.
