Easy Chicken Tocino Made In Just 20 Minutes

If you're craving a dish packed with flavor, this chicken tocino is just what you need. It's tangy and savory with the perfect amount of sweetness and a little bit of spiciness. Not to mention, it's effortless to cook, and it's is made with just a few simple ingredients.

THE BEST CHICKEN TOCINO

If you've never had chicken tocino before, you're missing out. This Filipino marinated chicken recipe is incredibly tender, juicy, and packed with sweet and savory flavor in every bite.

And although it's traditionally eaten for breakfast, this meal is delicious any time of day. 

Filipino recipes have been getting more popular online lately and for a good reason.

But since Filipino restaurants can be a little hard to come by, I wanted to make my own version of this classic chicken recipe that you can make at home!

And, let me tell you, this tocino recipe is a game-changer. The chicken is marinated with delicious flavors and has a little bit of a crunch from the caramelized sauce.  I love eating it with this Instant Pot sushi rice or garlic fried rice for a complete meal.

And the best part about this recipe, it is a proven hit with both kids and adults, so you're sure to keep everyone at the table happy.

Why  This Recipe Works

Versatile. You can enjoy this chicken tocino with some eggs for breakfast, or with some rice for dinner.

Easy to make. All you have to do for this recipe is mix the marinade ingredients and then cook the chicken. It's honestly foolproof and turns out perfect every time.

Authentic. This recipe is super authentic and has all of the flavors you'd expect in a chicken or pork tocino recipe.

Ingredients

I can almost guarantee that you have all of these ingredients in your kitchen already.

The only thing that you might not have on hand is the pineapple juice. But make sure you use it because it is the secret to making this chicken tocino extra tender and getting all the marinade flavors to infuse with the meat.

Anyway, here's what you'll need for this recipe:

• 1 pound chicken breast or thigh cut into cubes
• ⅓ cup pineapple juice
• 3 tablespoon of ketchup
• 3 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 2 tablespoon of chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• ½ tablespoon salt
• ½ tablespoon black pepper
• ⅓ cup of water
• 1 tablespoon oil

By the way, I use some of these same ingredients for my empress chicken recipe and even this adobo pork. So if you're into sweet and savory recipes, you'll want to check those out next!

How To Make Chicken Tocino

This tocino is definitely one of the easiest chicken recipes you can make. It's basically a 3-step process – marinate, boil, and pan-fry.

All in all, it should only take about 15 minutes to cook the chicken once marinated.

And this recipe makes 4 servings, but you can easily double or triple it to feed more people or make sure you have leftovers!

So, without further ado, let's dive into the recipe.

Step 1: Marinate The Chicken

Ok, so you'll want to start this step the night before because the longer the chicken marinates, the better your tocino will taste.

But with that being said, as long as you marinate it for at least 4 hours to cure the meat, it'll still come out fantastic.

Anyway, start by combining your pineapple juice, ketchup, sugar, chili sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Then, give it a nice stir to get everything well incorporated.

After that, add your cubed chicken to the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 4 hours.

Step 2: Boil The Tocino

Once your chicken marinades, you'll want to add it along with the marinade liquid to a saucepan and bring everything to a boil.

Then, add a third cup of water to the pan and let it continue boiling until all the liquid evaporates and your chicken is tender.

Step 3: Cook The Chicken

For frying, first, add your oil to a pan over medium heat and let it heat up. Then sauté your chicken tocino until it's golden brown and caramelized.

Transfer it to a plate and serve with rice, a fried egg, and sliced peppers. And to make it authentic, stir-fry with some garlic fried rice before serving.

Enjoy!

Tips To Make The Best Recipe

• Use chicken thighs for more flavor. Although this recipe works great with chicken breasts, using chicken thighs will keep the chicken extra tender and juicy.
• Marinate the chicken for only a few hours for the best results. The pineapple acidity with affect the texture of the chicken if you marinate it for longer than overnight.
• Only flip the chicken once while cooking it in the frying pan so it cooks evenly and develops a nice golden crust on both sides.

How To Store Chicken Tocino

In the fridge: Store the cooked chicken tocino in an airtight container in the fridge, where they will stay good for up to 5 days.

In the freezer: Transfer the chicken to a freezer-safe bag or container, and you can freeze it for up to 4 months.

Reheating: Put the chicken in an oven-safe dish with a splash of water and cover it with tin foil and bake at around 250°F (120°C) until warm. You can also reheat the chicken on the stovetop with a splash of water, stirring it frequently until it's warmed through.

More Chicken Recipes

By the way, if you enjoyed this chicken recipe, we've got a few other really great ones on the blog too:

• Chicken tempura
• Lemon chicken
• Panko breaded chicken
• Chicken over rice
• Chicken kabobs in the oven

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