Chicken Tabaka – Crispy Georgian Pan-Pressed Chicken with Garlic Sauce

👉 Chicken tabaka (წიწილა ტაბაკა, tsitsila tabaka) is one of Georgia’s most famous dishes: a young chicken flattened, pressed under a heavy weight and fried in butter until the skin is deep golden and crackling. It is served with a sharp raw garlic sauce and tangy tkemali. The name comes from tapa, the heavy Georgian pan with a lid that presses the chicken flat.

You need only a few ingredients – the secret is the weight, which keeps the whole chicken in contact with the hot pan so every part gets crispy.

How to Make Chicken Tabaka

1. Open the chicken. Place the chicken breast-side up and cut along the breastbone with a sharp knife or kitchen scissors. Open it out like a book.
2. Flatten it. Turn it skin-side up, cover with plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet or heavy pan until it is evenly flat. Tuck the wing tips behind.
3. Season. Pat dry and rub all over with salt, pepper and khmeli suneli. Leave for 15 minutes (or up to a day in the fridge).
4. Fry under a weight. Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy pan over medium heat. Lay the chicken in skin-side down. Cover with a plate or lid and put something heavy on top – a pot filled with water works well. Cook for 15–18 minutes, until the skin is deep golden.
5. Flip and finish. Turn the chicken, press again and cook for 12–15 minutes more, until the juices run clear (74°C/165°F in the thickest part).
6. Make the garlic sauce. Crush the garlic with a pinch of salt into a paste, then stir in the cold water.
7. Serve. Brush the hot chicken with some of the garlic sauce, sprinkle with cilantro and serve with the rest of the sauce and tkemali.

Tips for the Best Chicken Tabaka

• Choose a small bird. A chicken of 800 g–1.1 kg cooks evenly before the skin burns.
• Use real weight. A cast-iron pan or a pot of water on top makes the skin crisp everywhere.
• Medium heat, not high. Butter burns easily; medium heat gives golden skin and cooked meat.
• Dry skin = crispy skin. Pat the chicken very dry before seasoning.

Chicken Tabaka FAQ

What does “tabaka” mean?
It comes from tapa, a heavy Georgian frying pan with a weighted lid used to press the chicken.

What sauce goes with chicken tabaka?
Traditionally a simple garlic-water sauce (niortskali) and sour plum tkemali. Spicy ajika is also popular.

Can I make it in the oven?
Brown it in the pan under a weight first, then finish at 200°C (390°F) for 15 minutes.

👉 More Georgian chicken dishes: Shkmeruli, Chakhokhbili and Chicken satsivi.