Description
Chicken Afritada is a popular Filipino stew featuring tender chicken pieces simmered in a savory tomato sauce with vegetables like potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and green peas. This hearty and comforting dish is enhanced with soy sauce, garlic, onion, and optional slices of hotdog for added flavor. It's typically served with steamed rice, perfect for a family meal.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut into serving pieces
- 4 ounces chicken liver
- 3 hotdogs sliced diagonally (optional)
- 2 potatoes quartered
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 bell peppers sliced
- 1 yellow onion chopped
- 5 dried bay leaves
- ¾ cups green peas
- 5 cloves garlic chopped
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 8 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 piece Chicken Broth Cube
- ½ cup cheddar cheese grated
- Fish sauce and ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup cooking oil
Instructions
- Pan-fry the vegetables: Heat the cooking oil in a wok. Pan-fry the quartered potatoes and diced carrots until they develop a light brown crust, approximately 3 to 4 minutes, then set them aside.
- Cook the chicken livers: Reduce the oil in the wok to about 3 tablespoons, then pan-fry the chicken livers for 30 seconds on each side. Remove them from the wok and set aside.
- Sauté onion, garlic, and chicken: In the same wok, sauté the chopped onion and garlic until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Add the chicken pieces and continue sautéing until the chicken turns light brown on the outside.
- Add soy sauce and hotdogs: Pour the soy sauce into the wok and cook for 30 seconds to infuse flavor. Add the sliced hotdogs and cook them for 1 minute.
- Add tomato sauce and boil: Pour in the tomato sauce and add 1 cup of water. Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Simmer with livers and bay leaves: Add the cooked chicken livers and dried bay leaves to the pot, reduce heat, and let it simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender and flavors meld.
- Add vegetables and combine: Add green peas and sliced bell peppers, cooking for 2 minutes. Then, incorporate the fried potatoes and carrots, stirring gently to combine.
- Season and finish: Season with the Chicken Broth Cube, stirring and cooking for another minute. Adjust seasoning to taste using fish sauce and ground black pepper. Finally, top with grated cheddar cheese to melt slightly.
- Serve: Transfer the Chicken Afritada to a serving plate and serve hot, ideally with steamed white rice. Enjoy your flavorful and comforting meal!
Notes
- Hotdogs are optional and can be omitted for a more traditional version.
- You can substitute chicken broth cube with other seasoning cubes or fresh broth.
- Adjust fish sauce and pepper according to your preferred taste.
- Cheddar cheese topping adds a creamy texture but can be skipped if desired.
- Use fresh vegetables for best flavor and texture.
- This dish pairs excellently with steamed rice for a complete meal.
