Chef Dimitra
Bourdeto Kerkyra (Μπουρδέτο Κέρκυρας)
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Thessaloniki Politiko Kotopoulo Kokkinisto (Κοτόπουλο Κοκκινιστό)
Created by
Thessaloniki's weeknight red chicken, browned hard first, then simmered with tomato, wine and cinnamon until the sauce turns glossy enough for hilopites.
Soups & Stews
Greek
Weeknight
Comfort Food
Budget Friendly
20 min
Active Time
1 hr 10 min cook•1 hr 30 min total
Yield4 to 6 servings
Thessaloniki Politiko kotopoulo kokkinisto is the red chicken of the weekday table: bone-in pieces, onion, tomato, wine, and a quiet stick of cinnamon. It is not a plain tomato stew. The spice gives it its Constantinopolitan address, and the bone gives the sauce its body.
One method decides the whole pot. Brown the chicken properly, in batches, until the pot has dark gold marks and the oil smells roasted. Then the tomato has something to hold. Skip that and the sauce tastes flat, like tomato poured over boiled meat. Good olive oil, and patience.
I serve it with hilopites when I want the northern table, with rice when the day has been long, and with fried potatoes when nobody wants to pretend restraint. The region is the dish's surname, so this is the Thessaloniki-Politiko line of kokkinisto, cinnamon-scented and practical, the kind of food that keeps a house fed on a Tuesday.
Kokkinisto means "reddened" and names a Greek cooking method: meat browned first, then simmered in tomato until the sauce darkens. In Thessaloniki's Politiki kitchens, shaped by families from Constantinople and Asia Minor after 1922, cinnamon and allspice stayed close to meat and tomato, not only to sweets. Chicken became the budget-friendly weeknight version of the same red-braised family that also includes beef, rabbit, and rooster.
The technique, the tradition, and the story behind every dish.
Discover Culinary ExplorerIngredients
bone-in chicken pieces
Quantity
1.4kg
thighs and drumsticks preferred
fine sea salt
Quantity
10g
freshly ground black pepper
Quantity
1/2 teaspoon
extra virgin olive oil
Quantity
60ml
yellow onions
Quantity
2 medium, about 300g
finely chopped
garlic cloves
Quantity
3
finely chopped
dry red wine
Quantity
150ml
ripe tomatoes
Quantity
500g
grated, or use 400g good canned crushed tomatoes
tomato paste (peltes)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
cinnamon stick
Quantity
1 small
bay leaf
Quantity
1
ground allspice
Quantity
1/4 teaspoon
hot water or light chicken stock
Quantity
250ml
sugar (optional)
Quantity
1 teaspoon
only if the tomatoes are sharp
flat-leaf parsley (optional)
Quantity
2 tablespoons
chopped
hilopites, rice, or fried potatoes
Quantity
500g
for serving
| Ingredient | Quantity |
|---|---|
| bone-in chicken piecesthighs and drumsticks preferred | 1.4kg |
| fine sea salt | 10g |
| freshly ground black pepper | 1/2 teaspoon |
| extra virgin olive oil | 60ml |
| yellow onionsfinely chopped | 2 medium, about 300g |
| garlic clovesfinely chopped | 3 |
| dry red wine | 150ml |
| ripe tomatoesgrated, or use 400g good canned crushed tomatoes | 500g |
| tomato paste (peltes) | 2 tablespoons |
| cinnamon stick | 1 small |
| bay leaf | 1 |
| ground allspice | 1/4 teaspoon |
| hot water or light chicken stock | 250ml |
| sugar (optional)only if the tomatoes are sharp | 1 teaspoon |
| flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped | 2 tablespoons |
| hilopites, rice, or fried potatoesfor serving | 500g |
Equipment Needed
- •wide heavy pot or Dutch oven, 28cm
- •box grater for fresh tomatoes
- •tongs for turning the chicken
Instructions
- 1
Season the chicken
Pat the chicken very dry and season it all over with the salt and pepper. Let it stand while you chop the onions. Dry skin and dry flesh brown properly; wet chicken spits, steams, and gives you a thin sauce before the pot has even begun.
- 2
Brown in batches
Warm the olive oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in two batches, 4 to 5 minutes per side, until the edges are deep gold and the pot has browned bits on the bottom. This is the step that decides kokkinisto. The sauce must taste of browned chicken, not boiled chicken wearing tomato.
Do not crowd the pot. If the pieces touch too tightly, they give off water and the browning stops. - 3
Soften the onion
Lift the chicken to a plate. Lower the heat to medium, add the onions to the same oil, and cook 8 to 10 minutes, scraping the pot, until sweet and pale gold. Add the garlic for the last minute, just until it smells warm, not browned.
- 4
Build the sauce
Stir in the tomato paste and cook it for 1 minute so it darkens a little. Pour in the wine and scrape up everything stuck to the bottom. Add the grated tomatoes, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, allspice, and hot water or stock. If the tomatoes are hard and sour, add the sugar. If they are ripe, leave it out.
- 5
Simmer gently
Return the chicken and any juices to the pot, skin side up if the skin is on. Bring the sauce to a lively bubble, then lower the heat, cover partly, and simmer 45 to 55 minutes, turning the pieces once. The chicken is done when it pulls easily at the joint and the sauce has thickened to a red gloss.
- 6
Finish the pot
Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaf. Taste the sauce and correct the salt. Let the pot rest off the heat for 10 minutes so the oil rises and the sauce settles. Scatter parsley over the top if you like it. Serve with hilopites, rice, or fried potatoes, because kokkinisto without something to catch the sauce is poor planning.
Chef Tips
- •Use bone-in thighs and drumsticks if you can. Breast meat cooks faster but gives very little back to the sauce, and kokkinisto depends on the sauce.
- •Fresh summer tomatoes are best, grated on the large holes until only the skin is left in your hand. In winter, use good canned crushed tomatoes. The calendar tells the truth.
- •The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon, not dry like a ragout. If it tightens too much before the chicken is tender, add a splash of hot water and keep it gentle.
- •Leftovers are excellent the next day. Pull the meat from the bone and fold it through hilopites or thick macaroni, with a little grated kefalotyri if your table takes cheese.
Advance Preparation
- •Season the chicken up to 12 hours ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Bring it out 20 minutes before cooking.
- •The kokkinisto can be cooked 1 day ahead and reheated gently with a splash of water. The sauce deepens overnight.
- •If serving with rice or hilopites, cook them just before serving so they can take the sauce properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nutrition Information
1 serving (about 450g)
Calories
630 calories
Total Fat
20 g
Saturated Fat
4 g
Trans Fat
0 g
Unsaturated Fat
14 g
Cholesterol
105 mg
Sodium
1010 mg
Total Carbohydrates
77 g
Dietary Fiber
5 g
Sugars
9 g
Protein
35 g
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