Name: Greek Chicken Stifado with Pearl Onions
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Greek
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds, skin removed and cut into pieces; 2 bags frozen pearl onions, about 24-32 ounces total; 2 teaspoons salt, or to taste; Black pepper, to taste; 1 teaspoon dried oregano; 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional; 3-4 tablespoons olive oil; 1 cinnamon stick; 2 bay leaves; 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice; Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish; Crumbled feta cheese, for serving, optional; 28 ounces canned tomatoes, pureed; 4 garlic cloves, grated; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1 teaspoon honey or sugar; 1 cup chicken broth or water; 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

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Greek Chicken Stifado with Pearl Onions

Yield: serves 5-6

This Greek Chicken Stifado with Pearl Onions is a cozy one-pan dinner made with tender chicken pieces, sweet pearl onions, and a rich tomato sauce flavored with garlic, oregano, cinnamon, and bay leaves. It’s inspired by classic Greek stifado and makes the perfect comfort food served with pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread.

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, about 3 pounds, skin removed and cut into pieces
2 bags frozen pearl onions, about 24-32 ounces total
2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
3-4 tablespoons olive oil
1 cinnamon stick
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Crumbled feta cheese, for serving, optional

For the Sauce:

28 ounces canned tomatoes, pureed
4 garlic cloves, grated
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon honey or sugar
1 cup chicken broth or water
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 425 °F, 220 °C.

Place the frozen pearl onions in a 9 by 13-inch baking pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and season lightly with a pinch of salt. Roast for 15-20 minutes, or until they begin to soften and develop a little color around the edges. This step helps caramelize the onions slightly and deepens their flavor.

Remove the pan from the oven and add the chicken pieces.

Drizzle with the remaining olive oil and season with salt, pepper, oregano, and crushed red pepper flakes, if using.

In a bowl or blender, combine the pureed tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, honey, chicken broth, and red wine vinegar. Mix until smooth.

Pour the tomato sauce over the chicken and pearl onions.

Add the cinnamon stick, bay leaves, and ground allspice.

Toss everything together so that the chicken and onions are coated in the sauce.

Cover the pan with a large piece of crumpled parchment paper and foil.

Bake covered on the center rack for 45 minutes.

Remove the parchment paper and gently stir everything together.

Reduce the oven temperature to 400 °F, 200 °C.

Return the pan to the oven and bake uncovered for 45-60 minutes, or until the chicken is tender, the pearl onions are soft, and the sauce has thickened.

Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed.

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and serve with feta cheese, pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or toasted bread.

Notes

Frozen pearl onions do not need to be thawed before baking.

For even more flavor, roast the frozen pearl onions for 15-20 minutes before adding the chicken and sauce. This helps soften them and lightly caramelizes them, creating a richer, sweeter stifado.

For a deeper traditional stifado flavor, add 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice along with the cinnamon stick and bay leaves.

I tested this recipe with both 15 ounces and 28 ounces of tomato sauce. The 15-ounce version was absolutely delicious and produced a thicker, richer sauce. If you prefer a saucier stifado with extra sauce for serving over pasta, rice, or potatoes, use the full 28 ounces.

If the sauce thickens too much while baking, add a splash of water or chicken broth.

For extra sweetness, add 1 teaspoon honey to the sauce. This balances the acidity of the tomatoes and complements the pearl onions beautifully.

This dish tastes even better the next day once the flavors have had time to develop.

Serve with hilopites, orzo, rice, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes, or crusty bread.

Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

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Greek Chicken Stifado with Pearl Onions

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