Go Back Email Link
–+ servings
Chicken Pochero (Pocherong Manok)

Chicken Pochero (Pocherong Manok)

Chicken Pochero transforms humble ingredients into nobility: bone-in chicken and chorizo simmered in tomato broth until tender, complemented by golden-fried saba bananas, creamy garbanzo beans, and fresh vegetables. This Filipino-Spanish stew marries Colonial influence with indigenous ingredients, delivering comfort in every spoonful.
What is Pochero?
Pochero, also known as Putsero or Pocherong Manok in Filipino, comes from the Spanish word "puchero" meaning stewpot. This hearty Filipino-Spanish fusion dish represents our country's colonial heritage while celebrating local ingredients. It's a complete meal-in-one featuring tender chicken, vegetables, and Spanish chorizo in a rich tomato-based broth.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Filipino
Servings 6
Calories 483 kcal
Difficulty Medium

Ingredients
 

For the Base

  • 3 pounds chicken pieces manok - preferably bone-in
  • ¼ cup cooking oil langis
  • 1 large onion sibuyas, thinly sliced
  • 4 cloves garlic bawang, minced
  • 1 cup tomato sauce sarsa ng kamatis
  • 3 cups chicken broth or water sabaw ng manok
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce patis

Vegetables and Add-ins

  • 3 ripe saba bananas saging na saba, halved
  • 2 medium potatoes patatas, quartered
  • 2 chorizo de Bilbao sliced diagonally
  • 1 cup garbanzo beans garbanzos
  • 12 green beans sitaw, trimmed
  • ½ Chinese cabbage repolyo, cut into wedges
  • 1 bunch pechay separated leaves
  • 2 medium carrots karot, chunked
  • Salt and pepper to taste asin at paminta

Instructions
 

  • Begin by cleaning all your chicken pieces well and patting them dry with paper towels (linisin at patuyuin ang manok). Gather and prepare all your ingredients before starting. Slice your onions thinly (hiwain ng manipis ang sibuyas), mince the garlic (dikdikin ang bawang), and cut all vegetables into uniform 2-inch pieces (hiwain ang mga gulay ng pantay-pantay, mga 2 pulgada ang haba).
  • Heat your cooking oil in a large pot over medium heat (180°C/350°F). Once hot, fry your saba bananas until they turn golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side (iprito ang saging na saba hanggang maging golden brown). Remove the bananas and set aside. In the same oil, fry your potato chunks until lightly browned (iprito ang patatas hanggang magkulay brown), about 5 minutes, then set aside.
  • Lower the heat to medium (160°C/320°F) and in the same pot, sauté your minced garlic until fragrant (igisa ang bawang hanggang mabango), about 30 seconds. Add your sliced onions and cook until they become translucent (igisa ang sibuyas hanggang maging malinaw), about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add your chicken pieces to the pot and brown them slightly on all sides (igisa ang manok hanggang magkulay brown), about 3-4 minutes per side. Pour in your fish sauce and let it cook for 2 minutes (ibuhos ang patis at lutuin ng 2 minuto).
  • Add your tomato sauce and chicken broth to the pot (ibuhos ang sarsa ng kamatis at sabaw ng manok). Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to low (140°C/285°F). Cover the pot and let it simmer until the chicken becomes tender and reaches an internal temperature of 75°C/165°F (pakuluan hanggang lumambot ang manok), about 20-25 minutes.
  • Once the chicken is tender, add your potatoes and chorizo to the pot (ilagay ang patatas at chorizo). Cook for 5 minutes, then add your garbanzo beans and carrots (ilagay ang garbanzos at carrot). Cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Return your fried saba bananas to the pot (ibalik ang pritong saging). Add your cabbage and green beans (ilagay ang repolyo at sitaw), cooking for 2 minutes. Finally, add your pechay and cook just until the leaves wilt (ilagay ang pechay hanggang malanta lang ang dahon), about 1 minute.
  • Taste your stew and season with salt and pepper as needed (timplahan ng asin at paminta). Let everything rest for 10 minutes before serving (palamiguhin ng 10 minuto bago ihain) to allow the flavors to blend together perfectly.
  • Serve your pochero hot with steamed white rice (ihain ang pochero nang mainit kasama ang kanin). Place small dishes of patis on the table for those who want to add more saltiness to their portions (maglagay ng patis sa mesa para sa gustong dagdagan ang alat).
  • For storage (para sa pag-iimbak), let the pochero cool completely before transferring to an airtight container. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. When reheating (para sa muling paginit), warm it gently over medium heat (160°C/320°F) or in the microwave, making sure the chicken reaches 75°C/165°F for food safety. Add a little water or broth if the sauce becomes too thick.
  • Remember that the vegetables should maintain some crispness, this is a sign of a well-cooked pochero. The chicken should be very tender but still holding its shape (malaman pero malambot ang manok), and the bananas should be soft but not mushy (malambot ang saging pero hindi sobrang lata).

Tips from Lola's Kitchen

  • Use bone-in chicken pieces for richer broth (mas malinamnam na sabaw)
  • Pre-frying bananas and potatoes helps them maintain shape
  • Add vegetables in order of cooking time needed
  • Let the stew rest for 10 minutes before serving to allow flavors to meld
  • Save the leafy vegetables for last to maintain their crisp texture
 

Nutrition

Calories: 483kcalCarbohydrates: 12gProtein: 33gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 7gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 16gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 116mgSodium: 781mgPotassium: 581mgFiber: 3gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 600IUVitamin C: 9mgCalcium: 60mgIron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!