Chicken Tocino marinaded in pineapple juice, ketchup, and spices. It’s perfectly sweet and garlicky and delicious as an all-day breakfast meal.
What better way to break our fast than a hearty silog plate? Runny yolks, garlic-studded fried rice, sweet and salty cured meats…mmm, mmm, mmm! Best way to start the day, any day.
“Silog”, for the uninitiated, is the colloquial term used to describe a classic Filipino breakfast made up of fried rice (sinangag), sunny side up eggs (itlog), and meat of choice such as beef tapa (tapsilog), longganisa (longsilog) pork tocino (tosilog), and daing na bangus (bangsilog).
Chicken tocino might be confusing for those who are not familiar with the Filipino food culture as tocino technically means pork or more specifically, the belly part of the pig.
In the Philippines, however, the term tocino is associated with the process of preserving meat in sugar, salt, and spices and includes any type of protein cured in this type of marinade.
Tocino Seasonings
My pork tocino recipe is marinaded in a simple mix of sugar, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and red food coloring. For this chicken version, I kicked up the flavor by adding pineapple juice for a tangy taste and banana ketchup for color.
Tips on How to Make Chicken Tocino
- Although you can use chicken breast, I recommend boneless leg or thigh meat as their extra fat keeps these cuts moist and juicy.
- Do not marinate longer than overnight as the acidity of the pineapple juice might denature the proteins and turn the meat mushy.
- To store for future use, transfer into resealable bags or airtight containers and freeze for up to 2 months. To ensure even cooking, thaw in the refrigerate completely before frying.
- To cook, place the marinated chicken in a wide pan with about 1 cup of water. Over medium heat, bring to a boil. Cover, lower heat and simmer until meat is fully cooked and liquid is mostly absorbed. Add about a tablespoon of oil and cook, stirring regularly, until nicely browned and caramelized.
How to Serve Chicken Tocino
- Serve with garlic fried rice and sunny side up eggs for a hearty breakfast.
- Sandwich in warm loaves of pandesal for a filling midday snack.
- Cut into bite-sized pieces, skewer with bamboo sticks, and grill over hot coals until cooked through and nicely charred for fun party food.
- Add to stir-fried noodles or fried rice for a quick lunch.
Chicken Tocino
Ingredients
- 1 cup pineapple juice
- 1/4 cup banana ketchup
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 2 pounds chicken thigh or leg meat, boneless and skinless
- 1 cup water
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine pineapple juice, ketchup, sugar, garlic powder, and salt, Stir until well distributed.
- Add chicken and massage meat with curing mixture until evenly colored. Transfer to a covered container or ziplock bag and refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight to cure.
- In a pan over medium heat, add chicken including marinade and enough water to cover.
- Bring to a boil. Lower heat, cover and simmer until meat is tender and cooked through, adding more water in 1/2 cup increments as needed.
- When the meat is cooked through and liquid is mostly absorbed, add oil. Continue to cook, stirring regularly, until chicken is nicely browned and caramelized. Serve hot.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
How will it last mam?
Just transfer it to a resealable bag or airtight container and store in the freezer. It should last for up to 3 months 🙂
Hi! Can I use Heinz catsup intead of banana ketchup?
Yes, you can. Just adjust the sweetness with additional sugar as banana catsup is sweeter than tomato ketchup 🙂
Im making 8lbs of this for class and I was wondering, can I cook this in a pot, or should the meat be laying flat on a pan?
A wide, shallow pan is best but can cook it in a pot if you don’t have a pan to fit a large batch. Just make sure to stir regularly when the oil is added so the chicken will brown and caramelize evenly.
Hi,
Can I use UFC tamis anghang ketchup? Thanks!
Yes, you can but it will just be a little spicy 🙂
Hi,
Can i use UFC tamis anghang ketchup?
I just made this and it’s lovely!
I removed the chicken from the pot and then reduced the liquid before adding it back in, as it seemed to take too long otherwise.
I had it with scrambled egg and look forward to trying with garlic rice tomorrow!
Thanks for sharing the recipes!
Thanks, Emy! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe!
can i use orange juice instead of pineapple?
Hello Sam,
Yes, you can. There would be a slight change in flavor but it should be fine.
thank you. i tried making this using the juice from canned pineapples. the taste is right and exactly what i was looking for thank you, but the taste was so mild maybe the pineapple juice i used wasn’t tart enough or maybe because i heated it for a bit before using it as a marinade. either way, i grew up loving tocino and i miss it. I want to make it knowing what’s in it so, really, thank you.
Hi Sam,
The juice of canned pineapples has very light flavor. In fact, if you compare it with regular pineapple juice, you’ll find that the packing liquid is very clear in color. Try making this with real pineapple juice for best taste 🙂
yeah thats what i figured where it went wrong.. ill make it again with stronger tasting puncb from the juice…. happy holidays
Happy holidays, Sam!
Can i use chicken breast instead?
Yes, you can. I have to say, though, I really prefer thigh meat here as breasts tend to cook dry.
I just made some and want to freeze them. Do I freeze them as is complete with marinade or throw the marinade away?
This is the second time I’ve made your recipe and oh so yummy.
Thank you!
I tried your recipe and it was the perfect marinate! Tastes so good! Thank you!
You’re welcome. 🙂
My girlfriend doesn’t eat pork but we are trying to cook Tocino with the chicken. I noticed you didn’t include the Tocino Marinating Mix in your ingredients. Can we also use the Tocino marinating mix with the chicken as well?
Hello Chris
With tocino marinating mix, did you mean a commercial one you buy packaged from the store like Mama Sita’s?
This tocino does not use that kind of mix as we are using from scratch ingredients. If you are going to add the marinating mix, you have to adjust all the ingredients listed in the recipe as the marinating mix is already a seasoning. I hope this helps. Let me know if there is anything else I can help you with.
I tried this recipe but I used chicken leg meat because that’s the only available chicken meat I found in my fridge. I’m so amazed with how it turned out thank you so much for the recipe
My Filipino husband loves eating tocino once or twice a week and buying the little small packages for $5 adds up so decided to find a recipe to make at home to save money. Does this freeze well? Could I make 2-3 extra batches and let it freeze in the marinade? Thanks!
Hi,
Can i use pirk loin because i dont have chicken thigh in my fridge and my daughter is asking me to make it for them tonite?
Thanks, love your recipes
I love your blog! I tried this recipe tonight and it paired well with your suam na mais recipe! 🙂 I just replaced the pineapple juice with lemon juice & banana ketchup with tomato ketchup, though when I was cooking it, I had to add more sugar because I was smelling the sourness more than the sweetness. Turned out quite well. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Thanks for the feedback. I’ve never tried using lemon juice and tomato sauce but it’s something to keep in mind when I run out of supplies, which is often 🙂
Homemade tocino! yey!I tried it last night and it turned out really well. No more unknown ingredients. 😀 Thanks for sharing Ms. Lalaine.
How do I make banana ketchup. I am thinking I am going to blend a banana in tomato ketcup (though this might be wrong) Please advise because I know I will not be getting that in the grocery.
Hi Catherine
No, please don’t add bananas. If you are using tomato ketchup, just add a bit more sugar as banana ketchup tends to be more sweet than tart. I add the banana ketchup primarily for color, to get that red hue, you can omit it altogether if you like.
Let me know how it turns. I am here to help 🙂
Thank you Lalaine, great idea! We’ll do just that for an ever ready breakfast viand 🙂 . And i’m on the watch for more 🙂 . God bless.
🙂
This is fantastic! Just tried it this morning and we all ‘over ate’ but without worries or feeling of guilt for serving this to your family coz no nitrates/nitrites used. Awesome! Now it’s in my ‘to go’ list. Thanks a lot.
Hello Charming
I am glad you enjoyed the recipe. Yes, homemade always better as we can control what goes in our food. I often make two or three batches of this chicken tocino, portion them in ziplock bags and freeze them for the mornings I want tosilog. They keep well in the freezer for a good couple of months. 🙂
With or without marinade when freezing. Sorry for emailing you twice for the same question. Did not see Charmings question.
Thanks
I freeze it with the marinade 🙂
Even if I tend to overeat when served with anything ‘silog, I still love this very Pinoy food. And of course, homemade is still the better and healthier choice than store-bought. 🙂
Hi Edel
Me, too! I always eat more than I should when it comes to rice and tocino or tapa. Yes, homemade is always better and healthier. And cheaper, as well. 🙂
I find your recipes very interesting and I love all of them including your comments about your life growing up. It seems like I have known you forever. Excellent job. Please continue sending me your ever loved recipes.
Hello Lily
Thank you so much for your kind words. I know my propensity to talk too much and I try to restrain myself at times so not to bore everyone with my chit chat. 🙂