Chicken tapa marinated in soy sauce, lemon juice, and fresh garlic. Serve with garlic fried rice and sunny side up eggs for a delicious morning treat!
If you love the tangy and savory flavors of tapa, this chicken version needs to be on your cooking list! Marinated in the same mixture of soy sauce, citrus juice, and copious amounts of garlic, boneless and skinless chicken thigh meat turns out equally delicious and full-flavored as its beef counterpart.
Not only is it just as tasty, but chicken tapa is also more budget-friendly and a great alternative if you’re refraining from red meat.
Ingredients for Chicken Tapa
- Lemon or calamansi juice-tenderizes the meat and adds a tangy taste
- Soy sauce-acts as a brining agent and boosts umami flavors
- Fresh minced garlic-brings another layer of flavor; substitute 1 tablespoon of garlic powder if fresh cloves are not available
- Sugar-balances the acidic component with a hint of sweetness; helps caramelize the meat
- Salt-rounds up the salty flavor and acts as a brining agent along with the soy sauce
- Pepper-adds a kick of heat
- Chicken-breast tends to get dry quickly; use boneless, skinless thigh meat for more fat and flavor
Tips on How to Make Chicken Tapa
- Chicken breasts tend to overcook and dry out quickly. Use boneless, skinless chicken leg or thigh meat for best flavor and texture.
- Due to the acids in the marinade, it’s best to use non-reactive material for marinating such as a plastic, stainless steel or glass bowl.
- The recipe uses lemon juice but vinegar, pickle juice or wine will work as well.
- I don’t recommend marinating longer than overnight as the acids in the lemon juice will denature the meat, turning it mushy. I find an average of 4 to 6 hours (or overnight at best) of marination enough to impart desired flavors.
- If you want to freeze the tapa for future use, drain the chicken from the liquid and store in resealable bags or airtight containers.
- The tapa can be pan-fried on the stove or grilled over hot coals until lightly browned and cooked through.
- For food safety, use a thermometer to accurately gauge doneness. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the meat; the safe internal temperature for cooked chicken is 165 Fahrenheit (75° Celsius).
How to Serve Tapa
As with tocino and longganisa, tapa is best served with garlic fried and sunny side eggs for a delicious all-day breakfast meal. To complete the delicious experience, the hearty combo is usually enjoyed alongside condiments such as tomato salad, spicy vinegar or atchara.
Ingredients
- 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thigh or leg meat
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1 head garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a non-reactive bowl, combine soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir until sugar and salt are dissolved.
- Add chicken and massage to fully coat with marinade. Keep overnight in the refrigerator to cure. Drain meat from marinade.
- In a wide pan over medium heat, heat about 2 tablespoons oil. Add chicken in a single layer and cook, turning on sides as needed, until meat is lightly browned and cooked through.
- Remove from pan and cut into serving portions. Serve hot.
Nutrition Information
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Raylene Lacaman says
Hi! I know that the recipe calls for marinating overnight or for several hours. I’d like to cook this recipe tonight for my family…I plan on marinating for 30-40 minutes. Should I still try this recipe or leave for a time when I can marinate overnight?
Lalaine Manalo says
Thirty minutes to an hour should be ok. You actually don’t want to over-marinate this tapa as the acids will break down the meat and turn it mushy. 🙂 Enjoy!
Josephine Haslett says
Hi the method and ingredients is the same as adobo. I have not cook it yet. Does it taste like adobo?
Lalaine Manalo says
Adobo uses vinegar and the chicken tapa has lemon juice. They’re both tangy and savory but not quite the same in taste 🙂
Josephine says
Thank you Lalaine for immediate reply, I will cook it tonight, I live in UK and my husband love pinoy food. Xx
Lalaine Manalo says
Happy cooking!
Jael Generoso says
thanks for this another delicious recipe. this is my go to meal when I don’t have enough time to prep and cook because you can just take it out of the freezer and cook it.
Lalaine says
Thank you so much, Jael, for your feedback. That’s why I like to double this recipe, it’s perfect when you want dinner in a hurry 🙂
Raquel A. Noriega says
Hi Lalaine! My first recipe our of your very helpful and informative blog! My fiancé and friends love it! I did too! Keep on posting new and exciting dishes!
Heather says
Yummy! This was so delicious, Lalaine! I was a bit afraid of the amount of garlic but the marinating mellowed the flavour and we didn’t find it overpowering at all. I used bone in skin-on thighs and just scored the meat and skin a bit to let the marinade permeate. Because of the cut I used, I also pan-seared and then added the marinade and baked at 375 until done and used the marinade/sauce for serving over rice. This is very simple but tastes like it took some work! Also, it uses ingredients often already on hand, which is a huge bonus! Thank you for posting this wonderful recipe 🙂
Chris Meteya says
MMM MMM MMMMMMM! That dish looks scumpulicious! I’d love to try this recipe out sometime
Rosemary says
I have tried Pinacbet and chicken adobo. They wee excellent. So easy to follow menu. I LOVE IT!!!!