Looking for a 30-minute quick and delicious meal to serve your family for dinner tonight? Look no further than this popular Filipino dish, pieces of chicken stewed in tomato sauce with vegetables. It's the perfect meal to make for all busy home cooks! Our step-by-step chicken mechado recipe will impress your family with its amazing taste and minimal effort.
If you love another tomato-based dish, please try our Beef Mechado, Beef Caldereta, and Chicken Afritada recipes.
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What Is Chicken Mechado
Chicken Mechado is a popular Filipino comfort food that showcases the perfect blend of Spanish and Filipino influences.
It's a hearty chicken stew with tender chicken pieces cooked in a rich tomato-based sauce infused with various spices and flavors. Imagine succulent chicken simmered until it becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender, swimming in a tangy and savory sauce.
This dish is bursting with flavors from garlic, onions, bell peppers, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, and lemon juice.
One of the best things about Chicken Mechado is its versatility. You can customize it according to your preferences by adding vegetables with bright colors, like carrots, potatoes, and green or red bell peppers.
Ingredients
- Cooking oil: My preference is olive oil, but you can use any oil you usually cook with.
- Aromatics: Garlic cloves and Onion
- Chicken meat like thighs or breasts
- Tomato sauce
- Chicken broth: You can substitute chicken bouillon with a cup of water.
- Soy sauce
- Lemon juice: Adds an extra layer of flavor.
- Sugar (optional): Adding some sugar to this tomato-based recipe helps balance the acidity and gives this chicken recipe extra sweetness.
- Black Peppercorns: This is optional. You can use freshly ground peppercorns. I like the little spice I get when I bite into a peppercorn. 🙂
- Bay Leaf or Laurel Leaf: Give the dish an extra aromatic touch.
- Vegetables:
- Medium Potatoes (red or yellow)
- Carrots
- Green Bell Peppers or Red Bell Peppers
- Salt and Black Pepper to taste
See the recipe card below for exact quantities of ingredients for mechado.
Step-by-Step Instructions
STEP 1: Start by heating two tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add minced cloves of garlic. Saute garlic and onions until the onions turn translucent.
STEP 2: Add chicken meat and brown them evenly on all sides.
STEP 3: Pour tomato sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, black peppercorns, and bay leaves into the pot, stirring well to combine flavors.
STEP 4: Add peeled potatoes and sliced carrots. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to low, and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are fork-tender. Add the green or sliced red bell pepper with two minutes time of cooking left. The steam will help cook the bell peppers. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
See the recipe card below for exact cooking instructions for mechado.
Tips and Variations
- Marinate your chicken meat in soy sauce before cooking it for a richer flavor.
- Serve this scrumptious mechado over steamed white rice or freshly baked bread rolls on the side—it's perfect for mopping up that delicious tomato sauce!
- You can customize this recipe by adding other vegetables, like green peas or mushrooms, if you prefer.
- Alternatively, you can make chicken mechado using fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomato sauce.
- Add a bit of lemon zest for an extra flavor. This is optional and not a traditional way of making this chicken mechado, but my personal take is that it helps bring all the flavors together.
I'm so excited to share this quick and easy Filipino favorite recipe for Chicken Mechado with you, and I hope you will try this out. It is so simple to make, yet delicious; your whole family would love it! This is kid-tested and approved!
Other Types of Mechado
- Beef Mechado: If you're craving the rich flavors of mechado but prefer red meat, beef mechado is an excellent alternative. Just replace the chicken with tender cuts of beef like chuck or sirloin and let them simmer away in that luscious tomato-based sauce. The result? A hearty and comforting dish that will make your taste buds sing!
- Pork Mechado: Why not give pork mechado a whirl for all our pork lovers? Swap out the chicken for succulent and tasty pork shoulder or belly pieces, and let it soak up all those amazing flavors as it cooks low and slow. The combination of tangy tomatoes, soy sauce, and spices melds beautifully with juicy chunks of pork – trust us, it's finger-licking good!
- Tofu Mechado: Calling all vegetarians and veggie enthusiasts! Tofu can work wonders as a substitute for chicken in this traditional Filipino dish. Opt for firm tofu cubes instead, which will absorb all those delicious flavors like their meat counterparts. You'll be amazed at how well tofu complements the tangy tomato sauce while providing a protein-packed meal with less fat.
- Mushroom Mechado: Looking to add an earthy twist to your mechado? Mushrooms are here to save the day and would make for a healthy alternative! Whether you choose button mushrooms, portobellos, or shiitake mushrooms (for an extra umami punch), they infuse your dish with incredible depth and texture. Plus, they are always a hit among both vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
- Seafood Mechado: Want to venture into uncharted territory? Why not explore the realm of seafood mechado? Shrimp, fish fillets, or a mix can take this Filipino classic to new heights. Their delicate flavors meld beautifully with the tangy sauce, creating a delightful balance that will leave you craving more.
Remember, these substitutions are just a starting point – feel free to get creative and experiment with your favorite proteins or veggies to make mechado truly your own!
Storage
- First things first, let's talk about containers. When storing chicken mechado, using an airtight container is key. This helps maintain freshness and prevents unwanted odors from seeping in or out. You can opt for glass or plastic containers with secure lids – ensure they're clean and dry before using them.
- When portioning out your leftover mechado for storage, consider dividing it into smaller portions. This way, you won't have to defrost the entire batch if you only need a bit at a time. It also allows for more flexibility when planning meals throughout the week.
- If you prefer freezing your mechado for longer-term storage (which works great!), make sure it has cooled down completely before popping it in the freezer. Hot food causes condensation, which can lead to freezer burn and affect the taste and texture of your dish.
- Labeling is another essential step in keeping track of your stored mechado. Trust us; nothing is worse than opening up a container only to realize you have no idea what it is or how long it's been sitting there! Write down the date on each container so that you can easily keep tabs on their freshness.
Want more recipes? Go to recipe index to see other gourmet recipes sorted by category!
FAQ
Chicken mechado is a flavorful Filipino dish made with tender pieces of chicken simmered in a rich tomato-based sauce. It's typically served with vegetables like potatoes and bell peppers.
Not necessarily! While the dish can have a slightly tangy taste from the tomatoes, it's not traditionally spicy. However, feel free to add some chili flakes or hot sauce to give it an extra kick! My favorite is using Hot Giardiniera to make this dish spicy!
A: Absolutely! While chicken is the most common protein for mechado, you can experiment with beef or pork. Just keep in mind that different meats may require varying cooking times.
The cooking time will depend on your chicken pieces' size and preferred tenderness. On average, it takes around 30-40 minutes for the flavors to meld together perfectly.
Definitely! Many believe the flavors become even more enhanced when left to marinate overnight in the fridge. Just reheat gently before serving.
A: Steamed white rice if you want to go the traditional route. Otherwise, mechado would go great with toasted garlic bread, tortilla wrap, or Naan bread.
Other Filipino Favorite Recipes
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What To Serve With Chicken Mechado
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Chicken Mechado:
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📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Olive Oil extra virgin
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 medium Onion sliced
- 1.5 pounds Chicken skinless & boneless chicken thighs
- 8 ounce Tomato Sauce canned
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- ¼ cup Soy Sauce regular or low-sodium
- 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
- 1 teaspoon Sugar granulated
- ¼ teaspoon Black Peppercorns
- 3 dried Bay Leaves
- 2 medium Potatoes peeled and quartered
- 2 Carrots peeled and sliced
- ½ whole Bell Peppers ½ each of red or green (sliced)
- Salt and Pepper to tase
Instructions
- Start by heating two tablespoons of oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add minced cloves of garlic. Saute garlic and onions until the onions turn translucent.2 tablespoon Olive Oil, 3 cloves Garlic, 1 medium Onion
- Add chicken meat and brown them evenly on all sides.1.5 pounds Chicken
- Pour tomato sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce, lemon juice, sugar, black peppercorns, and bay leaves into the pot, stirring well to combine flavors.8 ounce Tomato Sauce, 1 cup Chicken Broth, ¼ cup Soy Sauce, 2 tablespoon Lemon Juice, 1 teaspoon Sugar, ¼ teaspoon Black Peppercorns, 3 dried Bay Leaves
- Add peeled potatoes and sliced carrots. Cover the pot with a lid, reduce heat to low, and let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes until the chicken is cooked and the vegetables are fork-tender. Add the green or sliced red bell pepper with two minutes time of cooking left. The steam will help cook the bell peppers. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.2 medium Potatoes, 2 Carrots, ½ whole Bell Peppers, Salt and Pepper
Notes
- Marinate your chicken meat in soy sauce before cooking it for a richer flavor.
- Serve mechado over steamed white rice or freshly baked bread rolls on the side.
- You can customize this recipe by adding other vegetables, like green peas or mushrooms, if you prefer.
- You can make chicken mechado using fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomato sauce.
- Add a bit of lemon zest for an extra flavor. This is optional and not a traditional way of making this chicken mechado, but my personal take is that it helps bring all the flavors together.
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