Chicken Tinola
Chicken Tinola or just Tinola is 100% Filipino dish. You will not find anything like it from our neighboring Asian countries or even around the globe. I would say that next to Adobo, Tinola is the most favorite dish in every Filipino household commonly served for lunch or dinner…with rice of course.
Put simply, Tinola is a chicken soup with lots of ginger and goodness in it. It is no wonder that every time I feel that I am about to get sick or when it is getting too cold for me, I would crave for this dish. It is some kind of a comfort food I guess…keeps you warm and healthy from all the good stuff in it. 
I was actually surprised (and feeling proud) that Armin liked Tinola the first time he tried it. He likes ginger, really like a lot! Which is good because I like it too!!! Sometimes he would actually request for it himself and, of course, I would happily oblige. But I have to put in some extra ginger or there will be war! It is like a contest on who gets to find more ginger strips from the soup bowl…or the fastest!
I was also surprised that he likes ‘sayote’ or chayote squash which is a typical ingredient of Tinola along with chili/pepper leaves. Unripe papaya is also commonly used instead of chayote squash. I actually planted chili peppers just so I can have access to the leaves for cooking Tinola because, sadly, it is not sold in our local Asian food store, but that is fine we like chili peppers too so its all good, almost nothing goes to waste from the plant then..hehe.
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Chicken Tinola
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 big cloves garlic - - minced
- 1 medium onion - - coarsely chopped
- 1 thumb ginger root - - cut into strips
- 1 pound chicken - - cut into serving pieces
- 2-3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 3 cups water
- 1 chayote - - cut into wedges
- 1 cup chili leaves - or pepper leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a pot, saute garlic, onion and ginger in oil until tender.
- Add in the chicken pieces and fish sauce. Cover and let simmer for 5-10 minutes under medium low fire. Liquids will usually come out from chicken.
- Add water and bring to boil. Let it simmer for 20 minutes.
- Add the chayote and let it cook for 5 minutes or until it becomes soft.
- Add more fish sauce or salt if needed.
- Lastly, mix in the chili or pepper leaves before turning off the heat.
[…] Some of his favorites are Tocino, Adobo, Chicken Curry and Tinola. […]
Hi I like your recipe easy to follow and understand, I want to make pandesal ( I don’t cook or. bake) did look website for recipe OMG my husband can’t believe it he said you can bake !!! Pandesal was so good , perfect soft fluffy then I did cook Chicken Tinola so good so inspire me to cook or bake more because all your recipes TY so much do you have recipe books I can buy I would like to buy please
Hi Minkou, glad you liked the recipes. I will let you know when I have a recipe book out. But if you sign-up to my newsletter you will receive a link to download a free eCookbook…
Another great Filipino comfort food. I like your recipe because it keeps it simple. Braising the chicken pieces on the sauteed ginger, onion, garlic and fish sauce is what makes the chicken aromatic and the broth flavorful. Most Filipinos eat this with a fish sauce and chili dipping. I think that is the best way of eating it. However in our family, each one of us makes our own dipping sauce. My Dad makes a paste of Coleman English mustard and dabs the chicken, I make a coarse sea salt and sesame oil mix and drip the chicken with the oil and put a grain or two of the salt, my wife dips it in prepared ginger oil, and my brother just put fish sauce and tabasco. I guess it is to each his own when it comes to savoring the food you’re eating.
Wow! Sounds like you and your family knows how to enjoy your food! I love that!