The best tasting Chicken Afritada I’ve ever had. Tender chicken, soft carrots and potatoes smothered in a rich and flavorful sauce. The sauce is made of tomatoes, tomato paste, and your favorite Filipino seasonings.
This recipe requires a little bit of effort to cook but it’s so worth it! Nothing complicated, just simple cooking techniques that will make your favorite stew dish amazingly delicious!
Note: Old recipe updated including photos. The video will be up soon!
Chicken Afritada Ingredients
- Chicken – I use 1 whole chicken cut in 14 pieces, bone-in and skin-on. You can also use thighs and legs.
- Fresh Tomatoes – There’s just something about it that makes stews even more delicious. To thicken the sauce and to deepen the reddish color, a couple of tablespoons of tomato-paste is all we need.
- Marinade – marinating the chicken in soy sauce and calamansi (calamondin) or lemon juice is the secret to the best-tasting Chicken Afritada.
- Fish Sauce (Patis) – I just can’t enough of it!
- Vegetables – the classic CBP of course–carrots, potatoes, and bell peppers. You can also add frozen green peas to make it extra festive! Perfect for Christmas Noche Buena or New Year’s Medianoche.
- Liquid – Use water or your favorite meat broth. If using store-bought broths, I recommend using the low-sodium kind.
Where to buy calamansi?
Calamansi is widely available in local wet markets and supermarkets in the Philippines and most Asian countries.
In the U.S., pure calamansi juice is sold in packets and can be found in some Asian/Filipino stores. Amazon also sells pure bottled calamansi juice. Consume immediately once the packet or bottle is opened. My Mama tried freezing leftovers and she said it was good for 3 days.
How to Make the Best Chicken Afritada
Learn the easiest techniques to make your favorite Chicken Afritada. Let’s start, shall we?
- Marinate chicken pieces in soy sauce and calamansi juice/lemon juice for 1 to 2 hours. If I’m cooking this for lunch then I do this first thing in the morning, forget about it for a while then go on with my day.
- Brown the chicken on both sides in hot oil. Do this in batches if the pot is not big enough. I did mine in two batches. This step is crucial in building the best Chicken Afritada flavor.
- Cook and softened the onions, garlic, tomatoes, and seasonings in the. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pot. This will amplify all flavors even more.
- Add back the chicken. Season with black pepper. Use two wooden spoons and gently toss until chicken is coated with all the flavors. Cook for a few minutes until the juices come out–building flavors continues!
- Add the carrots and potatoes. Pour water or chicken broth (low sodium) then cover with a lid. Stew for 20 minutes then remove the lid and continue cooking over medium heat until chicken and vegetables are fork-tender and the sauce has thickened. This would take about 10 to 15 minutes more.
- Add the green and red bell peppers including the green peas if using.
- Taste sauce and adjust salt and pepper to taste. and Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. And it’s done! Serve with rice and enjoy!
Cooking notes:
- Searing Shortcut: Brown only one side of the chicken, preferably the skin side.
- Brighter vegetables: Sear the vegetables in hot oil (before searing chicken) to make the color brighter. I do this if you whenever I have extra time.
- Cooking time: Adjust cooking time if using smaller pieces of chicken. Test doneness after 15 minutes, remove the lid to thicken the sauce just a bit.
- Substitutes: substitute soy sauce with light soy sauce; fresh tomatoes with canned chopped tomatoes
- You can marinate the chicken overnight. Place in a zip bag along with the marinade and massage. Seal tightly.
- Vegetable variations: green peas, garbanzos and I’ve also seen people adding green beans to their Afritada.
- If using chicken broth, use low sodium so the sauce won’t end up being too salty.
- Cut carrots and potatoes in a large size so they can cook together with the meat and won’t get mushy.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
The best tasting Chicken Afritada I've ever had. Tender chicken, soft carrots and potatoes smothered in a rich and flavorful sauce. The sauce is made of tomatoes, tomato paste, and your favorite Filipino seasonings. Serve for lunch or dinner, with rice of course!
Ingredients
- 1 kg / 2 lbs whole chicken cut into pieces, bone-in, and skin-on
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp calamansi juice /lemon juice
- 1 tbsp canola oil or any vegetable oil
- 1 onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 5 tomatoes diced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- fish sauce to taste
- 2 1/3 cup water or low sodium chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 large carrot sliced
- 2 large potatoes halved (quarter large ones)
- red and green bell pepper deseeded, sliced
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Marinate chicken pieces in soy sauce and calamansi juice/lemon juice for 1 to 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat oil in a large pot. Brown the chicken on both sides. Do this in batches if the pot is not big enough. I did mine in two batches. Transfer the chicken pieces on a plate.
- Add onion, garlic. Saute until translucent. Add chopped tomatoes. Cook until softened. Add tomato paste, marinade and fish sauce. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pot.
- Add back the chicken. Season with black pepper. Use two wooden spoons and gently toss until chicken is coated. Cover with lid and cook for 2 to 3 minutes over medium heat.
- Add the carrots and potatoes. Pour water then cover with a lid. Lower the heat when it starts to boil. Cook for 20 minutes then remove the lid and continue cooking over medium heat until chicken and vegetables are fork-tender and the sauce has thickened. This would take about 10 to 15 minutes more.
- Add the green and red bell peppers. Taste sauce and adjust salt and pepper to taste. and Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat. And it’s done! Serve with rice and enjoy!
Notes
- Chicken: You can also use thighs and legs. Bone-in, skin-on.
- Searing Shortcut: Brown only one side of the chicken, preferably the skin side.
- Brighter vegetables: Sear the vegetables in hot oil (before searing chicken) to make the color brighter. Set aside then add back again half-way through cooking.
- Cooking time: Adjust cooking time if using smaller pieces of chicken.
- Substitutes: substitute soy sauce with light soy sauce; fresh tomatoes with canned chopped tomatoes
- You can marinate the chicken overnight. Place in a zip bag along with the marinade and massage. Seal tightly.
- Vegetable variations: green peas, garbanzos and I've also seen people adding green beans to their Afritada.
- If using chicken broth, use low sodium so the sauce won't end up being too salty.
- Cut carrots and potatoes in a large size so they can cook together with the meat and won’t get mushy.
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