Georgian Chkmeruli (Shkmeruli) — Chicken in Garlic Cream Sauce

Chicken in a creamy garlic sauce that will delight you and your family! An amazing dish from Georgian cuisine! Its name comes from the village of Chkmeri, in the mountainous region of Georgia. Golden, juicy chkmeruli chicken (also spelled shkmeruli) in a zesty cream sauce is served right in the pan, along with flatbread for dipping into the sauce. Try it and enjoy this famous Georgian classic!

AnnaAuthor avatar
Recipe author

Composition / ingredients

Servings:
Translation table of volumetric measures
Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe
By weight of the composition:
Proteins 41 % 14 g
Fats 56 % 19 g
Carbohydrates 3 % 1 g
243 kcal
GI: 100 / 0 / 0

Cooking method

Cooking time: 40 min
  1. Step 1:

    Step 1

    Gather the ingredients you'll need.

  2. Step 2:

    Step 2

    Rinse the whole chicken under cold running water. Cut it open along the breast.

  3. Step 3:

    Step 3

    Flatten it out (spatchcock), cover it with plastic wrap, and pound it well with a mallet.

  4. Step 4:

    Step 4

    A cast-iron skillet or another heavy-bottomed pan works best for frying. Melt the butter in the pan and lay the chicken in it.

  5. Step 5:

    Step 5

    The chicken should cook under a weight. To do this, I rigged up a simple setup: I set a heatproof plate on the chicken and put a water-filled pot on top as the weight.

  6. Step 6:

    Step 6

    Fry the chicken over medium heat under the weight for 15 minutes on one side. Then flip it and fry for another 10 minutes. Lower the heat and cook for 20 more minutes, still under the weight, turning the chicken over now and then.

  7. Step 7:

    Step 7

    While the chicken fries, make the sauce. Chop the cilantro and mince the garlic.

  8. Step 8:

    Step 8

    Combine the garlic with the chopped cilantro, add salt and pepper, and grind it all together in a mortar.

  9. Step 9:

    Step 9

    Then add the cream and water and stir. The sauce is ready.

  10. Step 10:

    Step 10

    Now check the chicken for doneness. Pierce it with a fork — if the juices run pink, keep cooking.

  11. Step 11:

    Step 11

    Once the chicken is golden and cooked through, pour the sauce over it.

  12. Step 12:

    Step 12

    Cover and let it simmer for 10–15 minutes.

  13. Step 13:

    Step 13

    And that's it — our chkmeruli chicken is ready! Time to serve it up! Garnish with fresh herbs before bringing it to the table.

  14. Step 14:

    Step 14

    Enjoy!

Caloric content of the products possible in the composition of the dish

  • Category I chicken - 238  kcal/100g
  • Category II chicken - 159  kcal/100g
  • Chicken, skinless meat - 241  kcal/100g
  • Young chicken - 140  kcal/100g
  • Buttermilk - 36  kcal/100g
  • Cream 20% fat - 300  kcal/100g
  • Cream 10% fat - 120  kcal/100g
  • Cream - 300  kcal/100g
  • Garlic - 143  kcal/100g
  • Dried ground cilantro - 216  kcal/100g
  • Coriander - 25  kcal/100g
  • Cilantro - 25  kcal/100g
  • Butter 82% - 734  kcal/100g
  • Amateur unsalted butter - 709  kcal/100g
  • Unsalted peasant butter - 661  kcal/100g
  • Salted peasant butter - 652  kcal/100g
  • Clarified butter - 869  kcal/100g
  • Salt - 0  kcal/100g
  • Water - 0  kcal/100g
  • Allspice - 263  kcal/100g

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