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Meat, Maghreb and Middle East

Chicken tabaka with vegetables

Chicken tabaka is a free range chicken that's butterflied and cooked under a weight, giving you crispy skin and juicy meat. This recipe serves 4, takes 60 minutes, has a medium difficulty level, and costs €3.40 per serving. The key is keeping steady pressure on the chicken as it cooks and adding the garlic yogurt sauce at the last moment.

Tonight, a chicken tabaka flattened under weight, crispy all over, with a garlic sauce and sautéed vegetables.

Chicken tabaka with vegetables
Total time
1 h
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.40
Calories per person
590 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Chicken tabaka owes everything to cooking under weight. The skin, pressed firmly against the pan, turns golden and crispy while the meat cooks gently and stays juicy. Sautéed baby potatoes and green beans add crunch, and the garlic yogurt sauce with fresh dill cools down every bite.

This is a great dinner when you want something memorable without spending the whole evening in the kitchen. Kids love the crispy skin, adults appreciate the bold garlic sauce. Grab a cast iron pot or some bricks to use as a weight, that's the one technique that really changes the result.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Free range chicken, butterflied by the butcher 1.5 kg

Dairy

  • Butter 40 g
  • Greek yogurt 200 g

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 6 cloves
  • Dill 1 bunch
  • Lemon 1
  • Baby potatoes 600 g
  • Green beans 400 g

Pantry

  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Paprikaoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Lactose

The step by step recipe

  1. Rub the flattened chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, and two crushed garlic cloves.

    Ask your butcher to butterfly and flatten it for you, it saves ten minutes.

  2. Heat the butter and a spoonful of oil in a large pan, place the chicken skin side down and set a weight on top. 25 min

    Keep the heat medium, if it's too high the skin burns before the meat is cooked through.

  3. Flip the chicken, put the weight back on, and keep cooking on the other side. 15 min

    The thigh is done when the juices that run out are perfectly clear.

  4. Sauté the halved baby potatoes in another pan with oil, then add the green beans. 20 min

    Blanch the green beans for three minutes in boiling water, they'll finish tender without burning.

  5. Mix the yogurt with the remaining crushed garlic, dill, and a squeeze of lemon, and serve with the carved chicken.

    Add the garlic to the yogurt at the last moment, it stays fresh and doesn't turn bitter.

Our tips to get it right

  • Take the chicken out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking, it will cook more evenly and the skin will crisp up better.
  • Use a pan wide enough to cover the whole chicken, otherwise the weight won't press down evenly across the surface.
  • Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before carving, the juices settle back into the meat.

The variations

  • Swap the Greek yogurt for thick plain yogurt if you want a lighter sauce texture.
  • For a vegetarian version, apply the same weighted cooking technique to firm tofu blocks marinated in paprika.
  • For a quicker version, ask your butcher to cut the chicken into flat pieces, cooking under weight then takes only 15 minutes per side.

What to serve it with

  • Flatbread for scooping up the sauce
  • A fresh cucumber salad
  • A glass of homemade lemonade

Storage

The chicken and vegetables keep for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container. Keep the yogurt sauce separate and use it within 1 day, it doesn't freeze well. Reheat the chicken in a pan to bring back some crispiness, not in the microwave.

Questions about this dish

Why do you put a weight on the chicken?

The weight presses the skin flat against the pan across its whole surface, so it crisps up evenly. Without it, the chicken curls up and cooks unevenly.

Can you prep chicken tabaka ahead of time?

You can rub the chicken with the spices and garlic the night before and let it marinate in the fridge. Still cook it at the last minute so the skin stays crispy.

Can you substitute the Greek yogurt?

A well drained plain yogurt works too, as long as it's thick. Avoid runny yogurts, they'll make the sauce too thin.

Is this dish kid friendly?

Yes, the crispy skin and tender meat are usually a hit with kids. You can serve the garlic sauce on the side for those who prefer it plain.

How long does it take to make a chicken tabaka with sautéed vegetables?

Count 1 h in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a chicken tabaka with sautéed vegetables?

About 590 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken tabaka with sautéed vegetables cost?

About €3.40 per serving, or €13.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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