A chicken pochero recipe made simple and convenient with canned baked beans. Loaded with vegetables and packed with comforting Filipino flavor. This is a perfect ‘stew-in-a-hurry’ kind of dish that you can make any time for your friends and family.
FILIPINO-STYLE POCHERO
What makes the Filipino style Pochero or Puchero distinct from Spain’s version are the saba bananas. Its taste and texture are similar to plantain bananas but are sweeter. A cooking banana is probably the best description for it. And this is true.
In the Philippines, we have many different recipes that uses saba bananas; it can be served (believe it or not) for breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snack. It is prepared and cooked in many different ways––boiled, fried, steamed and even grilled.
EASY CHICKEN POCHERO
For today’s recipe, the bananas are stewed with the chicken together with the potatoes, carrots and other vegetables. It’s traditionally fried before being added to the stew, but to make this simple and one-pot (a.k.a. fewer dishes to wash), I opted to just cook it with the chicken.
This recipe requires less cooking time first because chicken cooks easily compared to other types of meat like beef and pork.
Second, the canned baked beans, are already pre-cooked. It is essentially a substitute for the garbanzos and tomato sauce. It’s a perfect ‘stew-in-a-hurry’ kind of dish that you can make any time for your friends and family.
As with any other Filipino dishes, this is best eaten with rice. Personally, I like putting extra fish sauce as I eat it. Yes, I am that typical ‘Pinoy’.
Cooking Notes:
- Cooking time may vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken pieces.
- All the vegetables in this recipe are recommended but not required.
- For a soupy puchero, add more water. Adjust fish sauce, salt, and pepper as necessary.
Watch the video on How to Make Chicken Pochero with Baked Beans
Chicken Pochero with Canned Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 1 onion (quartered)
- 500 grams / 1 lbs chicken pieces (bone-in)
- 2 cups water (add more if preferred)
- 2 potatoes (sliced)
- 1 carrot (sliced)
- 1 can baked beans
- 4 ripe saba bananas (each cut into two pieces)
- fish sauce (to taste)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- bunch of green beans (ends trimmed, slice into two)
- 1 cabbage (sliced)
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add garlic. Saute until soft and fragrant.
- Add the chicken pieces. Cook until no longer pink. Add fish sauce and let it simmer in the juices for 1 minute. Pour water. Cover with lid and cook for 15-20 minutes. Adjust cooking time if using large pieces of chicken.
- Add carrots, potatoes, onions, and canned baked beans. Continue cooking until the vegetables are half-cooked. Add the saba bananas, sugar. Stir a bit then taste. Season with salt, and pepper to taste. Continue cooking for 2 minutes.
- Add green beans and cabbage. Cover with lid and cook until the vegetables are cook through, about 2-3 minutes.
Recipe Notes & Tips:
- Cooking time may vary depending on the size and thickness of the chicken pieces.
- All the vegetables in this recipe are recommended but not required.
- For a soupy puchero, add more water. Adjust fish sauce, salt, and pepper as necessary.
