Azerbaijani Poultry Dishes

There are a lot of wonderful chicken dishes in Azerbaijan, for those looking for something hearty that doesn’t include red meat. Some Azerbaijani poultry dishes have many variations, so keep your eyes peeled for “toyuq”, which means chicken in Azerbaijani. Even very traditional dishes that are most commonly made with red meat, like chigirtma and dolma, can often be found with chicken.

Chicken qovurma

With hearty chicken and potatoes stewed in tomato and pepper sauce, this is a dish for a cold day. Since everything is cooked over low heat for a long time, the meat and potatoes are nice and tender.

Chicken chigirtma

Onions are fried, mixed with seasonings, before chicken and tomatoes are added to the frying pan. Once the chicken is a bit fried, then eggs are added, to make a thick dish similar to a quiche (but without the crust). There are tons of different ways to make chigirtma, with different ingredients, but the main idea of cooking everything together in a pan stays the same.

Chicken kebab

It’s hard to go wrong with chicken roasted over hot coals. Check out chicken kebabs with added seasoning, like chop shish, or just go for a classic kebab and let the natural flavors shine.

Tabaka

This dish is common throughout the region, and features a whole chicken roasted under a large weight or screw press. With the added weight, the spices and seasonings used become much more vivid and the chicken stays juicy. Also popular as fast food, tabaka can be found in many restaurants.

Chicken levengi

One of the most favorite dishes in Azerbaijani cuisine, chicken levengi is made of whole roasted chickens stuffed with a special filling. The filling is made of fried onions, walnuts, and dried fruits, and then put inside the chicken. The whole dish is roasted in a tandoor clay oven, to give it an especially rich flavor and aroma. When the chicken is coated in a rich paste of tamarind sauce or cherry-plum sauce, it will be extra tasty.