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    Home » Recipes » Filipino

    Chicken Afritada Recipe

    Published: Mar 14, 2021 · Updated: Dec 26, 2023 by Saif Odeh with 10 Comments

    Jump to Recipe

    Chicken Afritada is a Filipino tomato-based stew dish that is mixed with potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, and green peas. It is commonly made on special occasions which are best served with white rice.

    A Filipino chicken afritada recipe mixed with carrots, potatoes, green peas, bell pepper and tomato sauce in a plate bowl
    Jump to:
    • Afritada vs Calderata vs Menudo?
    • Recipe Ingredient
    • Step by Step Instruction
    • Recipe Faqs
    • Recommended Filipino Recipes to Try
    • 📋 Recipe Card
    • 💬 Comments

    While living in the Philippines, I have eaten many kinds of tomato-based sauce dishes that are delicious. The first time I tried this dish was in a Filipino carinderias- a small eatery place for local residents, which is a common dish they serve in their store. Also, this dish is made during an important event like Christmas, Fiesta or Family gathering.

    I love tomato-based stew dish, and this is one local dish that I enjoyed eating it. It has full of vegetables which makes it healthier and nutritious. Also, the bell pepper adds a nice aroma to the stew. With this recipe, you don't even need to marinate or serve other side dishes, except rice, since it has everything we need.

    In my experience, if you tried afritada, you will know that they are different than Menudo and caldereta, which are all tomato sauce-based dishes.

    Afritada vs Calderata vs Menudo?

    To me, it is even confusing to tell the difference since they all use similar ingredients. For example, they all use potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and tomato paste/ sauce in their dishes.

    Thankfully, my Uncle from the Philippines, who is an expert in cooking, managed to explain everything. And here is what makes it different from afritada:

    Calderata: Their sauce is a bit thicker since they use liver spread and/ or shredded cheese. And it more common to use pork, goat or beef than chicken as their protein.

    Menudo: This is a stew dish which is similar to Afritada. However, what make's it different is that pork meat and pork liver are more common than chicken. Also, some likes to add garbanzo beans and raisin in this recipe.

    Now you know the differences, I am sure this ease your confusion about how to make a Chicken Afritada recipe.

    Recipe Ingredient

    Here are the important ingredients that I use to make my Chicken Afritada Recipe:

    Recipe ingredients of Chicken Afritada recipe includes potatoes, carrots, bell pepper, water, vegetable oil, garlic, onion, chicken legs, green peas, fish sauce, tomato sauce & paste and bouillon cube.

    MEATS: I am using chicken drumsticks since I like meat with bones and they are moister than the breast.

    VEGETABLES: The vegetables I use include Bell pepper, green peas, potatoes, and carrots.

    CONDIMENT: To add a nice flavor to the stew, I add fish sauce and chicken bouillon cube. This will make the afritada flavorful and tastier. The bouillon cube or stock cube is found in any grocery store. Also, if you don't like fish sauce, you can instead switch to soy sauce.

    SAUCE: To make the stewed red, I add tomato sauce and tomato paste. If you prefer to use either one of them, that is fine.

    Step by Step Instruction

    In some recipes, when they cook Chicken Afritada, they marinate it first with soy sauce. But, to me, I just skip that part.

    Step 1
    Step 2
    Step 3
    Step 4

    Firstly, I saute the potatoes, carrots, and bell pepper in a separate pan. I just half cook them since the rest will be done through simmering in the pot. In the same pan, I browned the chicken on both sides before I transfer all of them into a plate. And then I set aside.

    Step 5
    Step 6
    Step 7
    Step 8

    Now in a separate cooking pot, I add garlic & onion and the browned chicken. I add the tomato sauce, tomato paste, water, fish sauce, and bouillon cubes. Let it boil or simmer for 25 minutes.

    Step 9
    Step 10

    Lastly, I added the half-cooked potatoes, carrots, and green peas to let simmer for 10 minutes or less. And then I add the bell pepper. The bell pepper should be the last to be added since they cooked faster. Once done, serve with white rice.

    A Filipino chicken afritada recipe mixed with carrots, potatoes, green peas, bell pepper and tomato sauce in a plate bowl

    Recipe Faqs

    1. Why is my afritada sauce thicker?

    If this happened, it could be because you add more tomato paste and less water. I will suggest you pour an additional 1 cup of water. However, some don't mind having their sauce as thick as Calderata

    2. Can I make this recipe without tomato sauce?

    Yes, you can use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce. Just add 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and you can have a nice red stew.

    3. Can I use other meats in this recipe?

    Like Calderata, you can use beef or goat. However, you will have to simmer a bit longer since the meat doesn't get tender that fast. I will suggest you boil them in a separate pan or use a pressure cooker before you will start mixing them with the sauce and vegetables.

    4. What can I serve my chicken afritada recipe with?

    Usually, serving with white rice is enough since it already has vegetables, stew soup, and chicken as a protein. However, in fiesta and family gatherings, where we serve many foods, we kinda like to add other side dishes to one plate. 
    To me, I like to serve with a crispy spring roll called Vegetable lumpia and my Filipino noodle called Pancit Sotanghon Guisado 

    5. Can I store in the fridge for other days?

    Yes, you can keep it in the fridge for maximum of 5 days to prevent spoiling the food.

    Recommended Filipino Recipes to Try

    If you love this dish, here are other delicious Filipino food recipes with chicken as my ingredient:

    • Chicken Adobo with Potatoes
    • Beef Bistek Tagalog
    • Filipino Chop Suey

    📋 Recipe Card

    Chicken Afritada Recipe

    Saif Odeh
    Chicken Afritada is a Filipino stew dish mixed with potatoes, green peas, carrots, bell pepper and tomato sauce. It is best serve with white rice.
    4.74 from 26 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Cook Time 50 minutes mins
    Total Time 1 hour hr
    Course Poultry and Chicken Recipes
    Cuisine Filipino
    Servings 6
    Calories 364 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 6 pieces of chicken drumstick
    • 2 small potatoes
    • 1 medium carrot
    • 1 medium bell pepper
    • 1 cup of green peas
    • 3 cup of water
    • 1 cup of tomato sauce
    • 1 teaspoon of tomato paste
    • 2 tablespoon of fish sauce
    • ½ cup of chopped onion
    • 2 teaspoon of minced garlic
    • 1 bouillon cubes
    • 5 tablespoon of vegetable oil

    Instructions
     

    • In a pan, add 2 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once hot, add potatoes and carrots.
    • Stir and let it sauté until they are partially cooked.. Remove and transfer into the plate. Set aside.
    • Add chopped Bell Pepper, and continue stirring for a minutes. Do not overcook the bell pepper. Remove and transfer into a plate.
    • Add one tablespoon of vegetable oil and then add the chicken drumstick.
    • Make sure you brown the chicken on both side before removing and transferring into the plate.
    • In a separate cooking pot, add two tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once hot, add chopped onion and garlic. Stir to mix till it turns transparent
    • Add the browned chicken drumstick. Stir to mix for few minutes
    • Pour tomato sauce, tomato paste and water into the pot. Stir to combine
    • Once it started to boil, add fish sauce and the bouillon cubes. Covered the pot with the lid and let it simmer for 25 minutes.
    • Add the green peas and the half cooked potatoes, and carrots. Continue simmering for additional 10 minutes.
    • Lastly, add the bell pepper and continue cooking for 3 minutes before turning off the heat.

    Notes

    If you can either use tomato paste or tomato sauce. You don't have to add both.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1gCalories: 364kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 26gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 15gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 700mgFiber: 4gSugar: 6g
    Keyword chicken afritada, chicken afritada recipe, filipino afritada
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      4.74 from 26 votes (26 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. David

      March 15, 2021 at 10:30 am

      Delicious looking chicken dish! Always like to find new ways to prepare this basic food. And I'm not very familiar with food from Filipino cooking so this was informative.

      Reply
      • Saif

        March 18, 2021 at 8:41 am

        Thanks David. This Tomato stew Filipino recipe is delicious and flavorful. They blend well with rice.

        Reply
    2. Danielle Wolter

      March 15, 2021 at 10:46 am

      This sounds absolutely incredible! I am just loving all the bold flavors and is perfect for a cold day 🙂

      Reply
    3. Kay

      March 15, 2021 at 11:15 am

      The chicken legs cooked beautifully and the sauce was so moreish! Will be making this again and again for sure!

      Reply
      • Saif

        March 18, 2021 at 8:40 am

        Yay!!! Thanks for your comment Kay. I appreciate it.

        Reply
    4. Aimee Mars

      March 15, 2021 at 1:22 pm

      This looks amazing and the flavor combination sounds delicious. I'm adding this to next week's meal plan!

      Reply
      • Saif

        March 18, 2021 at 8:39 am

        Thanks Aimee. I am sure you will love my afritada recipe.

        Reply
    5. Sue

      March 15, 2021 at 1:24 pm

      I am always looking for a new way to make chicken, and this sauce is calling my name! Thank you!

      Reply
    6. Michelle

      March 15, 2021 at 2:32 pm

      Love all of the fresh ingredients in this stew and it's so warm and comforting.

      Reply
      • Saif

        March 18, 2021 at 8:39 am

        Thank you Michelle

        Reply

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    Hello everyone! This is Saif and his mother Chelly. We are Jordanian-Filipino family that love to cook and share delicious Halal Friendly Filipino, Asian, Middle Eastern and other foods from around the world. 

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