Tavuk Sote (Turkish Chicken Sauté)

Tavuk Sote (Turkish Chicken Sauté) is a wholesome, simple and healthy chicken dish full of Mediterranean flavours. This delightful dish ticks all the boxes for the ideal weekday meal. All you need is a large pan or wok and watch how juicy chicken, loads of veggies, and spices quickly come together.

Jump to:

• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients and Substitutes
• Step-by-Step Instructions
• Related Recipes
• Top Tip From the Chef
• Tavuk Sote (Turkish Chicken Sauté)

Tavuk Sote delivers flavour, simplicity, and a healthy balance of protein and veggies. Just like my all-time favourites such as this Chicken Stir Fry Noodles and Guvec (Turkish Lamb Casserole). It's hard to find a simpler chicken dinner than this flavoursome Tavuk Sote dish.

Why This Recipe Works

• Tavuk Sote is a simple and delicious dish that is also incredibly easy to make. 

• You can turn out a variety of delicious variations with a few added ingredients such as courgettes, aubergines or peas. 

• It freezes beautifully, you can freeze the leftovers for up to three months so is perfect for batch cooking.

• This chicken dish is low in fat, high in protein and is easy on the budget.

• It can easily be prepared ahead of time and reheated. Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to five days.

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Chicken - I use boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces in this recipe. You can use chicken thighs if you prefer. If your chicken is frozen, make sure to defrost or thaw it before using it.

• Mushrooms - Chestnut mushrooms work great in this chicken dish as they tend to hold their shape much better than other mushrooms when cooked and retain their meaty bite. Alternatively, you can use white button mushrooms or cremini mushrooms.

• Red Peppers - You can use Romano peppers or bell peppers as well as yellow or orange peppers.

• Green peppers - I prefer using Turkish green peppers for this dish. They are one of the most popular peppers used in Turkish cuisine. They are usually mild but some of them can be quite hot. You can replace them with bell pepper or Spanish Padron peppers.

• Tomatoes - Use the best tomatoes you can find (like plum tomatoes).

• Tomato paste - It is the staple of Turkish cooking. It adds an umami flavour to the dishes as well as a bright red colour. You can find it in Turkish or Middle Eastern shops. You can also buy it from Amazon .

• Garlic - Fresh garlic is a great flavouring that adds sweetness and nuttiness to dishes. Thinly slice them before adding them to the dish. I use two large or three small fresh garlic cloves for this recipe.

• Olive oil - I use a good quality olive oil to achieve the best flavour. You can substitute it with butter.

• Spices - Adjust the amount to your taste and add your other favourite spices if you prefer.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Making Tavuk Sote (Turkish Chicken Sauté) is very easy and to achieve the best results, you need to follow a few simple steps:

Put a large wok or a frying pan on medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the pan is hot, sear the chicken pieces until slightly browned.

Set them aside on a plate. Avoid overcrowding the pan, do it in batches if necessary. 

Add the rest of the olive oil to the pan, sauté the mushrooms and stir in the garlic before adding the peppers.

Sauté the peppers for a few minutes and then stir in the tomato paste.

Add the tomatoes, paprika, salt, thyme or oregano and water, and give them a good stir.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook it on medium heat for 10 minutes, until the chicken pieces are thoroughly cooked.

Related Recipes

For more delicious quick&easy recipes why not try:

• Ezme Salad (Acili Ezme)

• Menemen (Turkish Scrambled Eggs)

• Mushroom Rice (Mushroom Pilau)

• Sac Kavurma (Turkish Lamb Sauté)

• Barbunya (Turkish Style Borlotti Beans)

• Chicken and Chorizo Pasta

• Chorizo and Prawn Pasta

• Pasta With Green Sauce

• Bulgur Pilavi (Turkish Bulgur Pilaf)

• Baked Prawns (Karides Guvec)

• Classic Moules Mariniere (Mussels Marinara)

• Et Sote

Top Tip From the Chef

You can half the amount of the oil to make it more healthy if you want to. Just make sure you use a nonstick pan to avoid the chicken and vegetables sticking to the bottom of the pan.

I hope you enjoy the process of making this delicious Turkish chicken dish as much as you enjoy eating it!🙂

Bon appétit! / Afiyet Olsun!

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.

FOOD SAFETY

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with a high smoking points to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.

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