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Chicken mechado with vegetables in a brown bowl.
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Quick and Easy Chicken Mechado With Tomato Sauce

Craving a hearty Filipino comfort food? Discover our simple yet flavorful chicken mechado recipe that will have you coming back for seconds in no time!
Course Chicken
Cuisine Philippine
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 380.7kcal
Author Jocelyn | JOZmahal
Cost $20

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

  1. Marinate your chicken meat in soy sauce before cooking it for a richer flavor. 
  2. Serve mechado over steamed white rice or freshly baked bread rolls on the side.
  3. You can customize this recipe by adding other vegetables, like green peas or mushrooms, if you prefer.
  4. You can make chicken mechado using fresh tomatoes instead of canned tomato sauce.
  5. 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.