Chicken Pochero

Chicken Pochero recipe is a comforting all-in-one meal that perfectly balances savory and subtle sweetness. Tender chicken simmered in a rich tomato-based broth filled with colorful vegetables and saba bananas creating a unique dish that’s both hearty and nourishing.

Pochero Chicken Recipe History

Filipino Pochero is a dish that was adapted from the Spanish “Puchero” which means ‘stew pot’ or ‘earthen pot’ the name reflecting the dish’s origin as a one-pot meal. The Spanish Puchero was usually a slow cooked dish made of beef or pork, potatoes, chickpeas, and vegetables. It was designed to be filling and economical. The Filipino adoption is made using local taste and preferences. Its distinguishing factors being the use of tomato sauce, saba bananas for natural sweetness, and whatever available leafy greens you have on hand. These additions make for a harmonious mix of sweet, savory, and mildly tangy flavors. You’ll often see this recipe recreated during family lunches, dinner, or rainy, days

How to Cook Pochero Chicken? Simply season the chicken, fry these until lightly browned then set aside. You’ll want to only cook this until lightly colored to break down some of the fats. These will be cooked further during the simmering stage. Fry the vegetables like carrots and potatoes before setting these aside. Make the sauce base by cooking the aromatics, adding in the seasonings like fish sauce, tomato sauce, pepper, and chicken cube. Add back the chicken, some water to simmer for a few minutes just to further cook the chicken. After, add in the cooked potatoes, carrots, and any leafy greens or softer vegetables you want to add.

What is the Difference between Chicken Afritada, Chicken Tinola, and Chicken Pochero? 

The biggest difference lies in the sauce base, key ingredients and flavor profile. 

• Afritada is a hearty dish with a slightly sweet, savory tomato-based sauce with the key ingredients being potatoes, carrots, tomato sauce, bell peppers and chicken. 
• Tinola, is a soup based dish with a soothing and refreshingly light and gingery flavor. Its key ingredients being ginger, green papaya or chayote, malunggay or chili leaves, and chicken.
• Pochero is another tomato based dish, but is often seen as a lighter flavored dish compared to afritada. It’s savory with a hint of sweetness made of tomato sauce, saba bananas, potatoes, cabbage or any leafy greens, and chicken.

Simple Chicken Pochero Recipe Ingredients List

• Chicken – you can choose any cut of the chicken, just the leg, breast, or thighs, or the whole chicken chopped up.
• Salt and Pepper – for seasoning.
• Semi-ripe/ Saba bananas – you want it not as ripe so that it will hold its shape better and avoid being too mushy.
• Potatoes, Carrot, and Green Beans – for color and texture.
• Garlic and Onions – aromatics that help enhance the flavor of the dish.
• Tomatoes and Tomato Sauce – for a slightly savory, tangy flavor.
• Fish sauce – to taste.
• Chicken cube – strengthens the overall flavor of the dish.
• Water – for simmering.
• Pork n’ Beans – adds an interesting texture and flavor.
• Pechay – or cabbage or bokshoy, adding fiber to complete the meal.
• Oil – for sauteing.

Pocherong Manok Recipe

Ingredients 

• 1 ½ kilo chicken
• Salt for seasoning
• 4 to 5 pieces semi-ripe/ saba bananas ( sliced thickly )
• 2 medium potatoes ( sliced thickly )
• 1 small carrot ( sliced thickly )
• 5 cloves garlic ( minced )
• 1 medium onion ( sliced )
• 3 small tomatoes ( sliced )
• Fish sauce to taste
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• Black pepper to taste
• 1 chicken cube ( optional )
• 2 cups water ( add more if needed )
• 8 to 10 pieces green beans ( chopped )
• 1 can Pork n’ Beans
• Pechay ( or cabbage or bok choy )
• Oil for sauteing

Steps :

1. Season the cleaned chicken with salt. Set aside to marinade. In a pan, add a bit of oil and fry the bananas until lightly browned. Set aside.

2. Fry the potatoes in the same pan until lightly browned. Set aside. Saute the carrots until browned and set aside.

3. In the same pan, sear the chicken until lightly browned. Do these in batches. Once browned, set aside and repeat for the next batch.

4. Saute in garlic until aromatic. Add in onions and saute for a bit before adding the tomatoes. Cook until the tomatoes are soft enough to crush.

5. Season with fish sauce. Let the aroma of fish sauce evaporate. Then add the tomato sauce, chicken, black pepper, and chicken cube. Saute for a minute.

6. Pour in water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes at medium-low heat. Stir often. 

7. Add in green beans, fried bananas, potatoes, carrots, and pork n’ beans. Mix well. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add in pechay and cook until the leaves wilt.

Questions :

• What is Chicken Pochero Recipe Ilonggo Style ?

It’s a similar recipe. The Illonggo style does not include tomato sauce in its list of ingredients. Focusing on the natural sweetness of the bananas and savory flavors of the aromatics, seasonings, sometimes with the addition of chorizo.

• Chicken Pochero Calories

There are more or less 400 calories per serving depending on the ratio of meat to vegetables.

• Additional ingredients 

• Chicken Pochero with Evaporated Milk – add a subtle creaminess into the dish by pouring in a 1 or half a can of evaporated milk. Make sure to season with more salt and pepper if needed.
• Cheesy Chicken Caldereta – when cooking the leafy greens, add in chunks of your favorite cheese, mix together or cover and let these cook together for a minute or so just until the leaves wilt.
• You can also choose to use other meats like fish for “Fish Pochero Recipe“, frying these before adding it similarly to the chicken.
• Another popular option is the “Beef Pochero Recipe“, using beef chunks. The smaller these are, the faster it is to cook. Usually an inch might take 30 minutes to 1 hour to tenderize. Bigger ones might take an hour or more/
• For an interesting meaty twist, make “Pork and Chicken Pochero” ( “Chicken and Pork Pochero“) by cooking the seasoned pork chunks first, cooking until most of the fats have melted before using the oils that melted to cook the chicken and the vegetables after. Following the steps listed.

Try our other similar Pochero Manok Recipes :

Paraan ng Pagluluto ng Pochero

Mga Sangkap :

• 1 ½ kilo ng manok
• Asin panpalasa
• 4 o 5 piraso ng hindi pang hinog na siging / saba bananas ( hiniwa ng makapal )
• 2 patatas ( hiniwa ng makapal )
• 1 karot ( hiniwa ng makapal )
• 5 butil ng bawang ( tinadtad )
• 1 sibuyas ( hiniwa )
• 3 kamatis ( hiniwa )
• Patis panlasa
• 1 tasa tomato sauce
• Paminta panlasa
• 1 chicken cube ( opsyonal )
• 2 tasa ng tubig ( dagdagan kung kinakailangan )
• 8 o 10 piraso ng sitaw ( hiniwa )
• 1 lata ng Pork n’ Beans
• Pechay ( o repolyo o bok choy )
• Mantika pang luto

Paano Lutuin :

1. I-season ng asin ang nilinis na manok. Itabi. Sa kawali, uminit ng konting matika at iprito ang mga saging hanggang mag kayumanggi. Itabi.
2. Iprito ang mga patatas sa parehong kawali hanggang mag kayumanggi at itabi. Ulitin para sa mga karot at itabi.
3. Sa parehong kawali, lutuin ang mga manok hanggang mag kayumanggi. Lutuin ng mag batches. Pag nag kayumanggi na itabi at ulitin sa susunod na batch.
4. Lutuin ang mga bawang hanggang bumango. Haluan ng mga sibuyas at lutuin ng konti bago haluan ng kamatis. Lutuin hanggang lumambot ang mga kamatis.
5. Timplahan ng patis. Pasingawin ang amoy ng patis. Pagkatapos, haluan ng tomato sauce, linuting manok, paminta, at chicken cube. Lutuin ng 1 minuto.
6. Buhusan ng tubig bago takpan at pakuluan ng 15 minuto sa mababang init. Haluin paminsan minsan.
7. Haluan ng sitaw, prinitong saging, patatas, karot, at pork n’ beans. Lutuin ng 2 o 3 minuto. Haluan ng pechay at lutuin hanggang lumanta ang mga dahon nito.