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
- ¼ cup banana ketchup
- ½ 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 ½ 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!