Pinaupong Manok, which means "seated chicken," is a Filipino-style dish steamed on a bed of rock salt. It's moist, tender, and delicious to the bone!
G returned from his Jujitsu class just before noon today and found me bending and contorting every which way, trying to take a decent shot of this pinaupong manok. He took one look at my roasted chicken with its legs up in the air and said, "That is one weird-looking bird." Well, Smartypants, if you've spent the last two hours sitting and sweating on rock salt, you won't be looking too swell either.
And then, of course, we had the chicken for lunch, and he couldn't stop raving about how moist and flavorful it was, how the meat was so tender and delicious. Ha! Justice for my little winged friend.
In the mood for more chicken recipes? Try this Crispy Soy Chicken Chowking copycat or this Fried chicken a la Max's.
What is Pinaupong Manok sa Asin
Pinaupong manok is a Filipino dish wherein a whole chicken is seated upright on a banana-lined bed of salt and steam-cooked in a palayok or clay pot until tender and flavorful. This is the old method of "roasting", with the build-up of heat in the tightly lidded earthenware creating an oven-like environment that cooks the chicken in its juices.
Ingredient notes
The ingredients are few and simple: whole chicken, preferably spring for quick cooking and tender results. Classic seasonings and aromatics to infuse flavor include pepper, garlic, onions, and lemongrass. Feel free to experiment with your choice of herbs and spices, such as rosemary, thyme, paprika, ginger, or tamarind leaves. Coarse rock salt and banana leaves create the bed for stovetop roasting.
How to Make Filipino-style Roast Chicken
- Make the rub. Process the garlic in a food processor or blender until it's pureed, then combine it with the pepper.
- Prepare the chicken. Under cold running water, rinse the chicken and pat it dry to ensure the seasonings adhere. Generously rub inside and outside with the garlic and pepper mixture and marinate for about 30 minutes for maximum flavor.
- Stuff the chicken. As the chicken should be sitting upright to cook evenly, peel and level off one side of a whole onion, then insert it into the cavity after the lemongrass. The onion not only boosts flavor but also helps balance the chicken, allowing it to "sit" upright.
- Prepare the pot. Use a thick-bottomed pot with a tight-fitting lid. The pot should be deep enough for the chicken to sit upright without touching the lid and wide enough to prevent the chicken from touching or sticking to the sides. Layer coarse salt and cover with banana leaves. The amount of rock salt will vary depending on the pot's width; have the bed of salt about 1 ½ to 2 inches deep.
- Arrange the chicken in the pot in a sitting position. Do not add water or liquids; the chicken will cook in its juices while the bed of salt will prevent it from burning at the bottom. Cover the pot with the lid.
- Cook on medium-low heat. Cooking time depends on the size and weight of the chicken. You can use a meat thermometer to gauge doneness. Insert the thermometer in the thickest part of the chicken; it should read 165°F. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving to keep the juices sealed in.
Cook's tip
Limit opening the lid during cooking, so the steam doesn't escape, and to maintain a steady temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between pinaupong manok and oven-roasted chicken?
Pinaupong manok is cooked slowly from the steam that builds up inside the tightly lidded pot over the stovetop. The latter is cooked in dry heat in the oven.
Is it necessary to use banana leaves?
The leaves not only line the pot to prevent the chicken from sticking to the salt bed, but also add aroma. While they're highly recommended, you can use parchment paper as an alternative if you can't find them.
How long does pinaupong chicken take to cook?
Cooking time varies from 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of the bird. You can check for indicators such as juices that run clear when pierced, but the best method for checking doneness is using a thermometer. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the chicken; it should read 165°F.
Serving suggestions and storage instructions
Give this Filipino "roast" chicken a try for dinner tonight. It's so easy to make; you'll be amazed at how it turns out super moist, tender, and flavorful with hardly any effort.
- Chop it up and serve with sinangag (fried garlic rice), steamed or coconut rice, and calamansi-soy sauce for dipping. Delicious to the bone talaga!
- Transfer leftovers to a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up 2 months.
- Reheat leftovers in a dry skillet, turning them over to warm evenly, until they reach 165°F. Alternatively, warm in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes or in the microwave at 2- to 3-minute intervals until thoroughly heated through.
- You can use leftovers for Chinese chicken salad, sotanghon soup, chicken salad sandwiches, or chicken sisig.
More chicken recipes
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (about 4 to 5 pounds)
- 1 head garlic peeled
- 1 teaspoon pepper freshly ground
- rock salt
- 2 stalks lemongrass
- 1 large onion
Dipping Sauce
- fish sauce or soy sauce to taste
- calamansi juice
Equipment
- heavy bottomed pot with tight-fitting lid clay pot
Instructions
- Remove the gizzards and any internal organs inside the chicken's cavity. Under cold running water, rinse chicken well. Thoroughly dry the chicken inside and out.
- In a food processor, pulse garlic until smooth. In a small bowl, combine pureed garlic and pepper.
- Generously rub the chicken inside and out with rock salt. Massage the chicken inside and out with the garlic and pepper mixture. Let stand for about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Remove and discard the dark green layers of the lemongrass until you get to the lighter green part. With a knife, cut into lengths that will fit inside the chicken's cavity. Using the back of the knife, pound ends of lemongrass to release flavor.
- Peel the onion and cut one end to level.
- Stuff lemongrass into the chicken cavity. Insert onion with cut side facing outwards.
- In a large, thick-bottomed pot, add rock salt to about 1 ½ to 2 inches deep. Line banana leaves on top of the salt.
- Position chicken on an upright, "sitting" position on banana leaves.
- Cover pot with a tight-fitting lid. Over medium heat, cook chicken for about 1 ½ to 2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 165 F.
- Gently lift chicken from pot and arrange on a serving platter. Serve hot with dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
- In a bowl, combine lemon juice and fish sauce or soy sauce to taste.
Notes
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.”
Gen says
i like the taste..thanks for the recipe..pero bakit po kaya hindi man lang nag brown ung niluto ko?
1 kilo po ung chicken ,more than 1 hr po naluto. tas ang rub ko po ay garlic,salt,pepper at rosemary lng po.
Lbrto says
Hi! Can I replace palayok with a pressure cooker? Thanks!
Joe Man Daragat says
Thank you for the detailed and simple recipe, I loved the outcome and my girlfriend's parents loved it as well. ubos ang sinaing kong kanin. thanks a lot and god bless u always.