Satsivi is the dish a Georgian New Year is unthinkable without: poached chicken or turkey covered in a thick cold sauce of walnuts, broth, garlic and spices. The name comes from the Georgian word "tsivi", meaning "cold" — the dish is served chilled, and overnight in the fridge the sauce soaks into the meat and becomes especially delicious. Here's how to make real satsivi at home.
When satsivi is eaten
Traditionally satsivi is made for New Year and Christmas. In late December walnut prices at Tbilisi markets rise noticeably, and families argue about whose satsivi is best. It's also served at weddings, anniversaries and other big feasts, and restaurants offer it year-round.
Chicken or turkey
In western Georgia, especially Samegrelo and Guria, turkey is the classic — birds are fattened specially for New Year. In Tbilisi and eastern Georgia chicken is more common. Both are authentic: turkey gives a richer broth and firmer meat, chicken is more tender and quicker.
Ingredients (6–8 servings)
For the bird
- chicken — 1 whole (1.5–2 kg), or turkey 3–4 kg;
- onion — 1;
- carrot — 1 (optional);
- bay leaves — 2;
- black peppercorns — a few;
- salt.
For the walnut sauce
- shelled walnuts — 500 g;
- garlic — 6–8 cloves;
- onions — 2 (optional; some families leave them out);
- chicken broth — 700–900 ml;
- ground coriander seed — 2 tsp;
- utskho suneli (blue fenugreek) — 1 tsp;
- dried marigold (Imeretian saffron) — 1 tsp;
- ground cinnamon — a pinch;
- ground cloves — a pinch;
- hot red pepper — to taste;
- wine vinegar — 2–3 tbsp (or pomegranate juice);
- salt.
Method
1. Poach the bird
Put the chicken in a pot, cover with cold water, bring to the boil and skim. Add the onion, carrot, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt. Simmer until cooked: about 1 hour for chicken, 2–2.5 hours for turkey.
Remove the bird and be sure to keep the broth — it's the base of the sauce.
2. Brown the bird (optional)
Many cooks brush the poached chicken with fat from the broth and roast it for 15–20 minutes until golden. It's optional but adds flavour.
3. Make the walnut base
Pass the walnuts and garlic through a meat grinder 2–3 times, or blitz in a powerful blender until the walnut oil starts to release. This matters: the finer the grind, the smoother and silkier the sauce.
4. Make the sauce
- If using onion, chop finely and soften in a little broth or fat, then sieve or purée.
- Put the walnut paste in a bowl and gradually, a ladle at a time, pour in warm broth, stirring constantly. Aim for the consistency of thin sour cream — it thickens as it cools.
- Add the coriander, utskho suneli, marigold, cinnamon, cloves, hot pepper, salt and vinegar.
- Transfer to a pan and warm over very low heat for 5–10 minutes without a rolling boil, or the walnuts release their oil and the sauce splits.
5. Combine
Cut the bird into portions (on the bone, as is traditional, or boneless for convenience). Arrange in a deep dish and pour over the sauce so the meat is fully covered.
6. Rest
Cool and refrigerate for at least 6–8 hours, ideally overnight. Satsivi is served cold.
Tips for great satsivi
- Use fresh walnuts. Rancid nuts ruin the dish — taste them first.
- Warm, not hot, broth, added gradually.
- Don't boil the sauce hard.
- Marigold gives the characteristic yellow tint and gentle spice; it's sold at any Georgian market.
- If walnut oil rises to the surface, spoon it off and drizzle it over the dish when serving — it looks beautiful.
Satsivi vs bazhe
Bazhe is a walnut sauce without broth — thicker and simpler: walnuts, garlic, spices, water and vinegar. It's served with fried chicken, fish or vegetables. Satsivi is both sauce and dish: the walnut base is thinned with broth and warmed. There's also fish satsivi and aubergine satsivi for fasting days.
What to serve with it
Serve satsivi cold with ghomi (thick cornmeal porridge), mchadi or fresh shoti bread. Dipping bread in the sauce is normal, even expected. On the New Year table satsivi sits alongside gozinaki, khachapuri, pkhali and churchkhela.
Wine: an amber Kakhetian white (rkatsiteli or kisi) works well; with turkey, a light red such as ojaleshi is also good.
Storage
Satsivi keeps 3–4 days in the fridge and is even better on day two. Don't freeze it — the walnut sauce loses its texture.
Where to try it in Georgia
Many traditional restaurants in Tbilisi, Kutaisi and Zugdidi serve satsivi. December and January are the best time, when it's made fresh for the holidays. If you're invited to a Georgian home for New Year, satsivi is almost guaranteed.
In short
Satsivi is a celebration on a plate: tender poultry in a thick walnut sauce with broth, garlic, coriander and marigold. Grind the nuts finely, thin with warm broth, don't boil the sauce and let the dish rest overnight. That's the satsivi every Georgian remembers from childhood.
