Filipino Chicken Pochero
Wow! This authentic Chicken Pochero recipe is a healthy, loaded Filipino stew with fall-off-the-bone chicken, savory tomato-chicken broth, natural sweet plantain banana, chickpeas, and delicious greens. Nutritious, hearty, and comforting.
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Servings: servings
Calories: 214kcal
Equipment
- Dutch Oven or heavy-bottomed pot with Lid
- Wooden spoon
- ladle
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs Chicken Drumsticks or Bone-In Chicken Legs
- 1 tbsp Oil
- 1 Small Onion cut into chunky pieces
- 2 Roma Tomatoes chopped
- 4 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 tbsp Fish Sauce add more or less to your preference
- 8 ounces Tomato Sauce
- 2 cups Chicken Broth
- 2 cups Water
- 1 tsp Whole Peppercorns
- 1 cup Gold Potato cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 Plantain Banana sliced into ½-inch pieces
- 1 can Chickpeas drained and rinsed
- 1 cup Yardlong Beans Chinese long beans, cut into 4-inch pieces (or string beans)
- 2 cups Green Cabbage chopped
- 2 cups Bay Bok Choy
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onion, tomatoes, and garlic. Sauté for 3–5 minutes until soft and fragrant.1 tbsp Oil, 1 Small Onion, 2 Roma Tomatoes, 4 Garlic Cloves
- Sear the chicken: Add chicken skin-side down. Cook for a few minutes until lightly golden.1½ lbs Chicken Drumsticks
- Add the broth: Add fish sauce first. Then, tomato sauce, water, and chicken broth. Add peppercorns.Stir to combine. Add just a little more liquid if the chicken is not covered.Low Simmer: Bring to a gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 35 minutes with a lid on.1 tbsp Fish Sauce, 8 ounces Tomato Sauce, 2 cups Chicken Broth, 2 cups Water, 1 tsp Whole Peppercorns
- Add potato, plantain, and chickpeas. Stir in the yardlong beans or string beans. Cover and low simmer for 10 minutes.1 cup Gold Potato, 1 Plantain Banana, 1 can Chickpeas, 1 cup Yardlong Beans
- Add more greens: Add cabbage and bok choy or mustard greens. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.2 cups Green Cabbage, 2 cups Bay Bok Choy , Salt and Pepper
- Serve: Ladle into bowls, making sure each serving has chicken, vegetables, chickpeas, and plantain. Serve hot with steamed rice on the side.
Notes
For more thick stew, rather than brothy... use less water and remove the lid longer towards the end for reduction. You can add extra tomato sauce if you wish.
- Use bone-in, skin-on chicken.
- This is one of the easiest ways to get a really good, flavor-jammed chicken broth which is needed to flavor the stew. Sear it a little before adding the liquids to enhance the release of the flavor and juices in the chicken.
- Don't boil the chicken aggressively.
- Ew! Boiling the chicken will dry it out! Keep the heat low. A gentle simmer produces tender chicken and gives the broth time to develop. That's how you get the fall-off-the-bone chicken.
- Don't overcook it!
- Add the vegetables in stages.
- Don't throw everything into the pot at the beginning. Potatoes and plantains need more time, while cabbage, beans, and leafy greens cook quickly.
- Don't make brown greens. You want green, greens.
- Don't overcook the plantain.
- You want it tender but still holding its shape. Overcooking can make it fall apart into the broth.
- Taste before adding more fish sauce or salt.
- The broth becomes more concentrated as it cooks, and fish sauce is salty. Taste at the end and adjust if needed.
- Cut the vegetables generously.
- Large, rustic pieces make pochero feel like the hearty family-style meal it is.
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Filipino Chicken Pochero
Amount per Serving
Calories
214
% Daily Value*
Fat
10
g
15
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Trans Fat
0.05
g
Polyunsaturated Fat
2
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Cholesterol
71
mg
24
%
Sodium
798
mg
35
%
Potassium
631
mg
18
%
Carbohydrates
15
g
5
%
Fiber
3
g
13
%
Sugar
4
g
4
%
Protein
17
g
34
%
Vitamin A
528
IU
11
%
Vitamin C
27
mg
33
%
Calcium
51
mg
5
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.