Tender delicious Chicken Kare-Kare in sweet and creamy peanut sauce. This version of Kare-Kare is easier to make because chicken requires less cooking time compared to beef. If you are badly craving for Kare-Kare and want it the soonest possible or if you're strictly on a no red meat diet, then this recipe is what you need.
Chicken Kare-Kare, my favorite food during college days. It was not the typical Kare-kare you normally find in most restaurants. It was rich, creamy and sweet. I always had to order a second cup of rice every time I ate it, extending my measly lunch budget just little (of course extra rice means extra soft drinks too).
Today I attempted to recreate that dish. I don't know what else Manang put in her Kare-Kare but since I ate this for two straight days and there was no "umay" factor, I think I might have come close to her recipe. There could be more to it but I am perfectly happy with how this turned out.
A few tips when making Kare Kare from scratch
- Boiling the vegetables separately with salted water helps to retain the color and retains the crunchy texture of the vegetables.
- You can substitute the vegetable broth with chicken broth if preferred.
- Use all-natural peanut butter. It just tastes better, as in taste like freshly ground peanuts.
- Substitute for toasted rice flour: dilute 3 teaspoons cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water. This will just thicken the sauce but will not have the smoky flavor from the toasted rice flour.
- Lessen the amount of sugar if you're using sweetened peanut butter.
- Annatto powder can also be used for this recipe. Add it to a warm broth and stir until liquid changes to orange color. Strain the powdered seeds out before adding using.
Watch the video on How to Make Creamy Chicken Kare-Kare
More chicken recipes
More Filipino Chicken recipes for your weekly menu!
Chicken Menudo
Chicken Binagoongan
Chicken Sinigang
Chicken Afritada
Chicken Puchero
Juicy Lechon Manok-Filipino Roasted Chicken
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Complete Recipe
Creamy Chicken Kare-Kare
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons rice flour (preferably toasted)
- 1 tablespoon annatto seeds
- 1 tablespoon oil for cooking
- 4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 1 onion (sliced)
- 900 grams / 2 pounds chicken (cut into pieces)
- 2 ½ cups vegetable broth (from the boiled veggies)
- ½ cup evaporated milk
- ½ cup natural peanut butter (unsweetened)
- 3 teaspoons fish sauce (optional)
- 3 teaspoons white sugar (add more if preferred)
- bagoong-alamang (to serve, I used Barrio Fiesta)
Kare-Kare Vegetables
- 3 cups water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 medium-size eggplant (sliced diagonally)
- bunch of long green beans or sitaw (cut into 3 inches)
- bunch of pechay or bok choy
Instructions
Cook the Kare-Kare Vegetables (green and crisp)
- To make an ice bath, combine ice cubes and water in a bowl. Set aside.
- Meanwhile, add vegetables to a pot with salted boiling water. Cook the vegetables starting with the sitaw (long green beans). Simmer for 2 minutes then add the eggplant and pechay. Simmer for another 2 minutes, with the lid on. Immediately remove from pot and transfer all vegetables to the prepared ice bath. Once cooled, transfer to a plate. Set aside.
How to cook Chicken Kare-Kare from scratch.
- Pour rice flour in a pan over medium heat. Dry-roast, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes until aromatic (toasted rice aroma).
- Heat oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the annatto seeds. Stir until the oil takes on a deep golden color, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove seeds and discard.
- Add garlic and onions. Stir-fry until translucent. Add chicken pieces. Cover pot with lid and cook chicken for 10 minutes. Pour broth. Cover with lid and cook for 20 minutes until chicken is fork-tender.
- Add rice flour and peanut butter. Stir until well combined. Simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened. Pour evaporated milk, fish sauce, and sugar. Cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off heat. Top with the cooked vegetables. Serve with rice and bagoong-alamang. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes and Tips:
- You can substitute the vegetable broth with chicken broth if preferred.
- Use all-natural peanut butter. It just tastes better.
- Substitute for toasted rice flour: dilute 3 teaspoons cornstarch in 2 tablespoons water. This will just thicken the sauce but will not have the smoky flavor from the toasted rice flour.
- Lessen the amount of sugar if you're using sweetened peanut butter.
- Annatto powder can also be used for this recipe. Add it to a warm broth and stir until the liquid changes to orange color. Strain the powdered seeds out before adding use.
- How to Make Chicken Kare Kare Using ready Mix: Skip the steps for the rice flour and annatto seeds. Saute garlic, onion, and chicken. Pour broth and add kare kare mix. Once it starts to boil, add peanut butter. Cook until the chicken is tender. Pour evaporated milk and sugar. Cook until sauce thickens.
- Nutrition - bagoong-alamang is not included in the calculation.
Leah Anne Orlanda says
You make me crave sooooo bad. ? Any sub for anato seeds?
Mella says
Use kare-kare mix. It has both annatto color and rice flour as a thickener.
Carmela Arong says
Hi! If I doubled the amount of the chicken, do I double the rest of the ingredients? I want to make this today and have leftovers for at least 2 more meals.
Thanks
Mella says
Yes, except for the glutinous rice flour. Just add 1 tbsp more, so total should be 3 tbsp.