Greek Main Courses
Bourani me Kotopoulo Recipe (Epirus Chicken with Leeks and Rice)
Μπουράνι με κοτόπουλο boo-RAH-nee meh koh-TOH-poo-loh · Bourani me kotopoulo
In short
Bourani me kotopoulo is a traditional dish from Epirus of chicken cooked together with a generous quantity of leeks, spring onions, dill and rice in one pot, a lighter, greener style of Greek one-pot cooking built around spring vegetables rather than a tomato base.
Bourani belongs to a genuinely distinct family of Greek one-pot dishes, built around a heavy quantity of spring greens, leeks especially, rather than the tomato base that defines so much of Greek home cooking, and Epirus, with its cooler climate and strong tradition of leek and wild green cookery, is where this style is most at home.
Adding chicken turns what is otherwise a simpler vegetable and rice dish into a genuine one-pot main, the chicken poaching gently among the leeks and rice and picking up their sweetness as everything cooks down together.
The whole dish stays pale and green rather than red, finished with plenty of fresh dill and a good squeeze of lemon, giving it a genuinely lighter, fresher character than most braised Greek chicken dishes.
Key preparation steps
- Soften a large quantity of leeks and spring onions.
- Add chicken pieces and rice.
- Simmer gently in one pot until everything is tender.
- Finish with fresh dill and lemon.
The leeks
Bourani depends on a genuinely generous quantity of leeks, sliced and washed well to remove any grit, cooked down slowly in olive oil with spring onions until soft and sweet, forming the real base and bulk of the whole dish rather than a background vegetable.
Adding the chicken and rice
Nestle bone-in chicken pieces into the softened leeks, then add rice and enough hot water or stock to come partway up everything. Simmer gently, covered, for around forty minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender, stirring occasionally so nothing catches on the bottom.
Finishing
Stir through a generous amount of chopped fresh dill and a good squeeze of lemon just before serving, which keeps the dish's character genuinely fresh and green rather than heavy, and taste for seasoning one final time.
Tips from my kitchen
Wash the leeks thoroughly
Grit hides between the layers, and there is nowhere for it to go once everything is simmering together in one pot.
Let the leeks cook down properly before adding the chicken
This is what builds the dish's real sweetness. Rushing this stage leaves a thinner, less developed base.
Finish with the dill and lemon at the very end
Adding them earlier loses their fresh, bright character over the simmering time.
Bourani me Kotopoulo Recipe (Epirus Chicken with Leeks and Rice)
Μπουράνι με κοτόπουλο · by Kalliopi Andreou · updated 2026-07-31
- Prep
- 25m
- Cook
- 50m
- Total
- 1h 15m
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Ingredients
Method
- Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pot. Add the leeks and spring onions and cook over a medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until soft and sweet.
- Season the chicken thighs and nestle them into the leeks.
- Add the rice and hot water or stock. Season and bring to a simmer.
- Cover and cook gently for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and the rice is tender.
- Stir through most of the chopped dill and lemon juice.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve hot, scattered with the remaining dill.
Nutrition, per 1 portion
- Calories
- 462
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 24 g
- Sat fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
These figures are calculated estimates based on the ingredients listed, not laboratory analysis. Actual values vary with brands, cuts and portion size.
Frequently asked questions about Bourani me kotopoulo
What does bourani mean?
It refers to a style of Greek one-pot cooking built around a generous quantity of spring greens, particularly leeks, rather than a tomato base, strongly associated with Epirus in northern Greece.
Can bourani be made without chicken?
Yes, a simpler vegetarian version made from just leeks, spring onions and rice is equally traditional. Adding chicken turns it into a heartier one-pot main.
What makes bourani different from other Greek chicken and rice dishes?
Its heavy reliance on leeks rather than tomato gives it a genuinely paler, greener, fresher character than most braised Greek chicken dishes, finished with plenty of dill and lemon rather than a rich sauce.
