Chicken Igado Recipe
Chicken Igado (Igadong Manok) is an innovative adaptation of the classic Ilocano dish that traditionally uses pork. This version features julienned chicken breast, liver, heart, and gizzard, simmered in a distinctive red sauce made with soy sauce, vinegar, annatto powder, and banana ketchup. The dish showcases the Filipino talent for transforming humble ingredients into a sophisticated meal, balancing savory, tangy, and umami flavors while offering a healthier alternative to its pork-based predecessor. Each bite delivers a harmony of tender meat and offal, crisp bell peppers, and aromatic garlic and onions, all unified by its signature rich sauce that's perfect over steamed rice.
Equipment
- Large pot [Malaking kaldero] For boiling innards
- Sharp knife [Matalas na kutsilyo] For julienning meat and vegetables
- Cutting board (chopping board) For prep work
- Heavy-Bottom Pan or Wok (Kawali) For sautéing and final cooking
- Strainer [Salaan] For draining boiled innards
- Measuring cups and spoons (Panukat) For accurate measurements
- Wooden spoon (sandok na kahoy) For stirring without scratching the pan
Ingredients
For the Meat:
- 1 kg skinless chicken breast fillet julienned
- 500 g chicken liver sliced in strips (atay ng manok, hiniwa ng manipis)
- 500 g combined chicken heart and gizzard puso at balunbalunan ng manok
For the Sauce:
- ⅓ cup soy sauce toyo
- ⅓ cup white vinegar suka
- 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns pamintang buo
- 2 pieces bay leaves dahon ng laurel
- 1 pack annatto powder atsuete powder
- ½ cup banana ketchup
- 1 chicken cube
Aromatics and Vegetables:
- 3 cloves garlic crushed (bawang, dinurog)
- 1 medium onion thinly sliced (sibuyas, hiniwa ng manipis)
- 1 red bell pepper julienned (pulang bell pepper, hiniwa ng pahaba)
- Fish sauce patis or asin to taste
Instructions
- Start by bringing a pot of water to boil and add 1 tablespoon each of salt and vinegar. This will help remove any strong odors from the innards. While waiting for the water to boil, slice your chicken breast into thin strips.
- Once the water is boiling, add the chicken liver. Cook it for only 5-7 minutes - liver cooks quickly and will become tough if overcooked. Remove the liver with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- Add the chicken heart and gizzard to the same pot of boiling water. Lower the heat to medium-low and let them simmer for 1 hour until tender. You can check tenderness by piercing with a fork - they should be easy to cut. Once done, remove them from the water and let cool.
- While the heart and gizzard are cooling, crush your garlic and slice your onion and red bell pepper into thin strips. When the innards are cool enough to handle, slice them all into thin strips similar in size to your chicken breast pieces.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add your crushed garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add your sliced onions and cook until they become clear, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add your sliced chicken breast to the pan. Stir-fry for 5 minutes until the chicken changes color from pink to white. Add 1 cup of water and a Knorr chicken cube. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 10 minutes.
- Now add your sliced heart, gizzard, soy sauce, vinegar, whole peppercorns, and bay leaves. Let everything simmer together for 5 minutes. Add your sliced liver and annatto powder, stirring until the sauce turns a rich red color. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 more minutes.
- When you notice the sauce starting to thicken, add your sliced red bell pepper. Stir in the banana ketchup. Taste the sauce and add fish sauce or salt if needed. Let everything cook together for 2-3 more minutes just until the bell peppers are crisp-tender.
- Turn off the heat and let the dish rest for 5 minutes before serving. This helps the flavors settle. Serve your Chicken Igado hot over freshly steamed rice. For extra flavor, serve with calamansi halves on the side that people can squeeze over their portion.
Tips from Lola's Kitchen
- Cutting Technique: Slice meat against the grain for maximum tenderness
- Removing Innard Odor: Add ginger slices to the boiling water for extra odor removal
- Color Enhancement: Bloom annatto seeds in hot oil before adding for deeper red color
- Sauce Consistency: If too thick, add water gradually; if too thin, simmer longer
- Flavor Building: Let dish rest for 15 minutes before serving for flavors to meld
Nutrition
Calories: 320kcalCarbohydrates: 8gProtein: 51gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 394mgSodium: 780mgPotassium: 897mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 9927IUVitamin C: 43mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 9mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!