Among the popular Filipino stews, chicken afritada is one of my favorite childhood dishes from the Philippines. This type of Filipino chicken stew is made up of various chicken parts, carrots, potatoes, and bell peppers simmered in a tomato-based sauce.
While there are many ways to make this classic Filipino dish, I have turned this traditional chicken stew into a delicious, healthy, game-changer one-pot meal. It is now one of my go-to recipes whenever I am craving for something hearty and comforting.
I was exhausted one day, and I wanted to make a comforting meal without having to deal with a lot of pots after a long day. That day, my easy one pot chicken afritada recipe was born. The rice is perfectly seasoned and cooked in a delicious sauce, and the chicken pieces are tender and juicy. The vegetables made the dish more wholesome and nutritious too!
What is chicken afritada?
This popular Filipino dish is a tomato-based sauce chicken stew that is usually served with rice. Chicken afritada is one of the many chicken stews in the Philippines that also includes chicken adobo and chicken kaldereta. You can also make beef or pork afritada, but chicken is the most common protein used in this dish.
Loaded with vegetables like green, red bell pepper, and carrots, this afritada chicken recipe boasts a flavorful, hearty, and filling meal that the whole family will love. Chicken afritada or afritadang manok in Tagalog is usually served at family gatherings and special occasions. However, this dish is so good and easy to make, you will want to cook it more often at home.
History
The word “afritada” came from the Spanish word “fritada” which means fried. It refers to the first step of the preparation, where the chicken is pan-fried before stewing in the sauce. My chicken afritada recipe does that for you in one cooking pot to make the dish more authentic.
What I love about this chicken afritada recipe
- One pot – Less mess to clean up after cooking.
- Healthy and nutritious – Loaded with basic vegetables.
- Delicious – Full of flavor. My whole family devoured it.
- Great leftovers – The leftovers taste awesome the next day, so it’s great for meal prep for the week ahead.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Skinless bone-in chicken thighs – Feel free to use any cuts of chicken. Skin or no skin. Chicken drumsticks or chicken breast have worked well in the past, but I prefer thighs.
- Canned tomatoes – You can use tomato sauce – it’s traditional. However, I used plum tomatoes as it has very low sodium.
- Water – You can use chicken stock, chicken broth, or better yet, a chicken bouillon cube for added flavor.
- Jasmine rice – Any white rice, but brown rice would work as well.
- Red and green bell peppers – Add great flavor and vibrant color to this dish.
- Carrot – For a touch of sweetness and crunch.
- Shallot – You can sub for medium size onion.
- Garlic – Everything is better with garlic!
- Bay leaf – Essential
- Fish sauce and soy sauce – The umami in this dish. Sub tamari for my gluten-free friends.
Optional Ingredients
- green olives
- potatoes
- fresh tomatoes
- green peas
- hot dogs
- tomato sauce
- tomato paste
Equipment
- Large saucepan with a lid
- Wooden spoon
- Knife
- Cutting board
How to make one-pot chicken afritada
- Prep your ingredients. This happens fast, so have your mise en place ready.
- Brown your chicken on each side. Make sure you get great color.
- Remove the chicken.
- Saute your shallot and garlic.
- Saute and lightly toast the rice.
- Add the tomatoes and break them up into tiny chunks.
- Add the water and all the vegetables, fish sauce, soy sauce, and bay leaves.
- Let it come to a boil, and add back the chicken and all the juices to the pan. Do not stir. Cover with a lid and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
- Open the lid, check the corner and check to see if the rice is ready and the sauce has reduced.
How to store and reheat chicken afritada
- Store in an airtight container. It should be good in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave for 1 minute or a frying pan for 3-5 minutes. I prefer the frying pan. I like to get the rice crispy.
One-Pot Chicken Afritada
This popular Filipino dish, Chicken Afritada, is one of my favorite childhood dishes from the Philippines. I have turned this traditional chicken stew into a delicious, healthy, game-changer one-pot meal. It is absolutely to die for.
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 2-4 1x
Ingredients
5–6 skinless bone-in chicken thighs
1 can (398ml) tomatoes
1 cup of water
1.5 cups of jasmine rice
1 red bell pepper
1 green bell pepper
1 large carrot
1 shallot
5 cloves minced garlic
5 bay leaves
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1 tsp of black pepper
1 tsp of salt
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients. Roughly chop your bell peppers and carrots. Mince the garlic and slice your shallot.
- Trim your chicken thighs and remove the chicken skin. Season chicken with salt and pepper on each side.
- In your skillet, on medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoon of neutral oil.
- Start browning your chicken. make sure you get a good light brown color.
- Remove the chicken thighs and set them aside.
- Add and sauté garlic and shallot for 2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the rice, and saute for 3 minutes until the rice is a little toasted and covered with oil.
- Add the can of tomatoes and break up the tomatoes into tiny chunks.
- Add 1 cup of water and the rest of the vegetables (carrots and bell peppers) to the pan.
- Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, and bay leaves. Mix until well combined.
- Let it come to a boil, and add back the chicken and all the juices to the pan. Do not stir. Cover with a lid and simmer on low for 15 minutes.
- Open the lid, check the corner and check to see if the rice is ready and the sauce has reduced.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
* Brown your chicken well.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: mains
- Method: braising
- Cuisine: filipino
Keywords: chicken afritada, afritadang manok, filipino chicken afritada, afritada, chicken afritada recipe
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