Authentic Turkish chicken and bulgur bake (güveç) 🇹🇷

This Turkish chicken güveç is an oven-baked dish with seared chicken, bulgur, and an aromatic sauce made with peppers, aubergines, and dates.

About Turkish Güveç

Origins:
Güveç refers to a traditional Turkish stew and the earthenware pot in which it is cooked. Slow-cooking meats and vegetables in clay vessels has its roots in the nomadic cultures of Central Asia. As these groups settled in Anatolia, they adapted to local ingredients and developed new techniques, eventually shaping güveç into the dish it is today. Regional versions include chicken and bulgur güveç, which is commonly made in western and central Turkey.

This recipe:
This version of chicken güveç is adapted from the TV series “Turkish Delights with Allegra McEvedy” (2012), in which British chef and food writer Allegra McEvedy explores Turkey’s regional cuisines. After visiting İznik in northwestern Turkey, she recreated an authentic güveç, combining chicken, bulgur, vegetables, spices, and dates, staying true to the local flavours.

Ingredients for Turkish Chicken and Bulgur Bake (guvec)

• chicken – Use chicken legs, drumsticks, thighs, or a mix of thighs and breasts for more flavour.
• bulgur – Choose medium-coarse or coarse bulgur for better texture.
• sausages – Choose a firm, spicy variety such as traditional Turkish sujuk or Spanish chorizo.
• vegetables – Aubergines, bell peppers (red and green), chilli pepper of your choice, onion, garlic.
• dates – Use soft dried dates, pitted and chopped.
• tomato concentrate – Tomato paste or puree.
• vinegar – Use red wine vinegar.
• pomegranate molasses – If you can’t find pomegranate molasses, use 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar mixed with 1 teaspoon of honey as a substitute; it won’t be identical, but it gives a similar sweet-sour depth.
• chicken stock – Homemade, or chicken cube or powder.
• olive oil – Use extra virgin olive oil for cooking.
• spices – Cinnamon, cumin seeds, and star anise.
• herbs – Use thyme and parsley.

How to make Turkish Chicken and Bulgur Bake

I made the sauce using a regular pot and then transferred everything to a baking dish before putting it in the oven. The best way to make this dish is in a wide, shallow Dutch oven, which can be used both on the hob and in the oven.

Prepare the chicken

• Rub the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, then place them skin-side down in hot oil. Don’t turn them. Just let the skin brown properly — about 5 to 7 minutes — until it’s deep golden.
• Once browned, take the chicken out and cover it.

Cook the vegetables

• In the same pan, add the onions and garlic. Let them soften for about 5 minutes.
• Finely chop the sausages. Add it to the pan and cook it with the onions for a few more minutes.
• Peel the aubergine and dice it into small cubes. Do the same with both peppers, and chop the chilli. Add all the vegetables to the pan and cook for around 10 minutes, stirring often.

Finish the sauce and bake

• Add all the spices (cinnamon, cumin seeds, and star anise) and mix well. Stir in the bulgur at the end.
• Pour in the chicken stock and add the vinegar, pomegranate molasses, chopped dates and tomato paste. Give everything a good stir and let it simmer for 10 minutes. It will finish cooking in the oven.

• If you’re using a separate baking dish, now’s the time to transfer the sauce.
• Pour the sauce with bulgur and vegetables into the baking dish. Nestle the chicken pieces on top, skin-side up, not covered by the sauce.
• If you’ve been cooking in an ovenproof dish from the start, just add the chicken and cover.
• Bake at 200°C for 25–30 minutes. In the last 5 minutes, remove the foil and return it to the oven so the skin can crisp up even more.

Serving Turkish chicken and bulgur bake

While güveç is often served straight from the baking dish, I plated it individually, spooning the bulgur and vegetables onto each plate and placing a chicken thigh on top. A side of plain yoghurt, sliced cucumber, or a simple shepherd’s salad works well, and warm flatbreads or mini pittas are great for mopping up the sauce.

Full Recipe