The Muğla recipe documented by Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism calls for a köy tavuğu, or village chicken, and uses both the broth and the fat released during cooking. Its characteristic sourness comes from lemon rather than yogurt or tomato. This home version keeps the same sequence and measures the water, reserved broth and doneness for a standard whole chicken; a mature free-range bird may need longer to become tender.
Muğla Ekşili Tavuk — Recipe Card
Muğla-style chicken with lemon, garlic and chickpeas
Makes 6 servingsUS cup = 240 ml · tablespoon = 15 ml · teaspoon = 5 ml. Cup and weight conversions are approximate. Australian cooks: use a 15 ml measuring tablespoon.
Ingredient quantities and servings are scaled. Cooking times, pan sizes, frying oil depth, and temperatures stay the same; cook larger batches as needed.
Ingredients
How to make Muğla Ekşili Tavuk
Simmer the chicken
Put the whole chicken in a large pot with the cold water and half the salt. Bring just to a boil and skim the foam, then lower to a gentle simmer and partially cover. Cook for 70–90 minutes, turning once, until the thickest breast and inner thigh reach at least 74°C/165°F and the joints move easily.
Reserve the broth and portion the bird
Lift the chicken onto a tray and let it cool just until safe to handle. Strain the broth and reserve 720 ml/3 cups for the sauce; chill the rest promptly for another use. Skim 15 g/1 tablespoon of chicken fat from the surface if using it. Divide the chicken into 6 large bone-in serving pieces.
Brown the pieces
Heat the chicken fat or butter in a wide pan over medium heat. Add the cooked chicken pieces skin-side down and brown for 3–4 minutes, then turn and brown the second side for 2–3 minutes. Work in two batches if the pan is crowded.
Add garlic, broth and chickpeas
Return all chicken pieces to the pan. Scatter over the crushed garlic and chickpeas, pour in the reserved 720 ml/3 cups broth and add the remaining salt. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
Sharpen with lemon
Pour in all the strained lemon juice and simmer for 5 minutes more. The sauce should remain brothy and bright rather than reduce to a glaze. Taste and adjust only the salt; the garlic and lemon should be pronounced.
Finish with black pepper
Check that the chicken is hot throughout, then take the pan off the heat. Sprinkle evenly with black pepper and serve each piece with chickpeas and plenty of the lemon-garlic broth.
Bring this recipe to your kitchen with a printable copy.
Print recipeRecipe from MyTurkishRecipes · https://myturkishrecipes.com/turkish-lemon-garlic-chicken-mugla-eksili-tavuk. Quantities reflect your selected serving scale. Cooking times are estimates; follow the doneness cues.
A few helpful kitchen notes
Regional method
The official Muğla preparation boils the chicken, browns large pieces in its own fat or butter, then briefly simmers them with crushed garlic, broth, cooked chickpeas and lemon juice.
Chicken choice
A mature free-range chicken gives the flavor associated with köy tavuğu but may need 20–40 minutes longer at a gentle simmer. Use tenderness and a 74°C/165°F reading rather than the clock alone.
Using the broth
Reserve 720 ml/3 cups for the finished dish. Cool any extra broth in shallow containers within 2 hours and refrigerate for up to 3–4 days or freeze.
Garlic quantity
A whole head is intentional in the Muğla recipe. Crushing the cloves lets them soften into the broth during the short final simmer.
Lemon balance
Add the juice of both lemons near the end. Boiling it for only 5 minutes preserves the clean sour flavor that defines ekşili tavuk.
Dietary note
The listed base recipe contains no wheat or other gluten ingredient. Use plain butter, chickpeas and spices whose labels meet your needs and account for cross-contact; this is not a certification.
Heat level
No added chili. Black pepper gives gentle warmth; offer pul biber separately if diners want heat rather than changing the lemon-garlic base.
Food safety
Cook the chicken to at least 74°C/165°F in the breast and inner thigh without touching bone. Wash hands and equipment after handling raw poultry, and keep it separate from ready-to-eat foods.
How to store and reheat Muğla Ekşili Tavuk
Refrigerate chicken, chickpeas and broth together in shallow containers within 2 hours at 4°C/40°F or below. Eat within 3–4 days. Reheat only the portion needed to 74°C/165°F, adding a little water if the broth has reduced. Freeze for up to 3 months for best quality and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
Muğla Ekşili Tavuk: questions and answers
Is Muğla Ekşili Tavuk a creamy lemon chicken?
No. The regional dish has a clear chicken broth sharpened with lemon and garlic; it contains no cream, yogurt, egg or flour.
Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole bird?
Yes. Use about 1800 g bone-in, skin-on legs and breasts, simmering each piece until it reaches 74°C/165°F. A whole bird, however, produces a fuller broth.
Can I make it a day ahead?
Yes. Complete the dish, cool it promptly and refrigerate. Reheat gently to 74°C/165°F; add a small squeeze of fresh lemon after reheating only if the sauce needs brightness.
