Chicken Bistek
Even just the description of bistek can be mouthwatering for many– a quality cut of beef made zesty and savory as it is cooked in lemon, soy sauce and onions. It’s no wonder this Filipino dish is among the most popular, and is a safe choice for when you are not sure what your guests’ food preferences are. However, the use of beef may be hindering some from making this classic. So why not try it another way– with some healthy, affordable white meat? That’s where our Chicken Bistek comes in!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Filipino Chicken Bistek – the name is said to be derived from the Spanish word “bistec” meaning beef steak. But the Bistek recipe we have now is Pinoy through and through, known as the Filipino way to make a perfect beef steak. As the name implies, we make this with thin slices of beef. Then we also use a soy sauce and lemon marinade, and fry the marinated beef with onions.
But instead of red meat, boneless chicken thighs take center stage in this savory stew. For Chicken Bistek, we marinate the white meat in garlic, salt, lemon, and soy sauce. These help bring a ton of flavor to the tender meat. And as seen in the original version, onions cut into rings add a delightful crunch to our stew. Meanwhile, this stew is a simple one, while bringing a whole lot of flavor. There is a hint of sweetness from sugar to contrast the saltiness of our garlic and ground black pepper. Putting this all together makes for the perfect savory white meat recipe!
How to Cook Chicken Bistek
Make sure to prepare your marinade and chicken the night before. We will need to let these sit together for one night before we can begin frying!
- Marinate the chicken – Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well. Add the chicken. Make sure that the chicken is completely coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl. Refrigerate overnight.
- Fry the chicken – Separate the chicken from the remaining marinade. Note: make sure to let most of the liquid drip-off. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok. Afterwards, fry the chicken for 2 minutes per side. Remove from the wok. Set it aside.
- Saute and simmer until tender – Heat the remaining cooking oil. Sauté the garlic and around ½ of the total amount of onions. Next, add the chicken once the onion softens. Continue cooking for 30 seconds. Pour the remaining marinade and 1 cup water. Let it boil. Adjust the heat to a simmer, cover the wok, and continue cooking for 35 minutes. Note: add more water as needed.
- Add the onions – Add the remaining onions. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Season it – Add the sugar and season with salt and ground black pepper.
- Serve with rice – Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve. Share and enjoy!
How to Store Chicken Bistek
Do you have an airtight container? If so, take this, and just transfer your leftover Chicken Bistek inside. If this is still hot, wait for this to cool down to room temperature. Then you may cover the container, and place this in the fridge. We can expect the shelf life to now be at 3 days because of our method of storage!
Ingredients in Chicken Bistek
Thankfully, even if it is a marinated dish, Chicken Bistek does not require that long a list of ingredients. We use quite a simple marinade for this. As for the meat, it’s important that we use chicken breast specifically for a more immense flavor.
-
- Boneless chicken breast – This part of the chicken is not just rich, but also satisfyingly tender!
-
- Garlic – To create depth, as well as a strong savor.
-
- Onion – We want a nice crunch in our bistek, which is where the onions come in!
-
- Sugar – Since we use a ton of salty components for this, sugar is a great way to create some contrast in the flavor.
-
- Water – For boiling our ingredients.
-
- Cooking oil – To make sure our food is all cooked and safe for eating!
-
- Salt – For seasoning the meat and stew properly.
-
- Ground black pepper – To add a hint of spice.
Marinade Ingredients
-
- Soy sauce – This is necessary as it helps bring some balance to the flavor of the marinade.
-
- Lemon – For a stronger flavor and acidity, we will use some lemon!
-
- Salt – And this is perfect for helping the marinade penetrate the chicken.
-
- Garlic – For a bit of richness in flavor.
What to Serve with Chicken Bistek
Not sure what to pair with your Chicken Bistek yet? You can never go wrong with having the following:
- Rice – This helps balance the flavor of your meal. And another appropriate side dish would be some
- Easy Chicken Caesar Salad – Tasty but definitely not overpowering, our salad recipe is great to have with your meaty dish.
- Chopsuey Stir Fry – chicken goes well with hearty veggies. This chop suey version is one of my favorites .
Recommended Recipes to Try
There are even more recipes you can turn to when you are feeling like spending a bit less, while wanting something satisfyingly flavorful. Just give our Panlasang Pinoy recipes a try, and type “chicken” in the search bar above! And if you need help with any part in making this Chicken Bistek, simply place your queries in the comments section below.
Watch How to Cook Chicken Bistek
Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag us on Instagram at @panlasangpinoy or hashtag #panlasangpinoy so we can see your creations!
Chicken Bistek
Ingredients
Instructions
- Combine the marinade ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well.¾ cup soy sauce, 1 piece lemon, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the chicken. Make sure that the chicken is completely coated with the marinade. Cover the bowl. Refrigerate overnight.2 lbs boneless chicken breast
- Separate the chicken from the remaining marinade. Note: make sure to let most of the liquid drip-off.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a wok. Fry the chicken for 2 minutes per side. Remove from the wok. Set it aside.¼ cup cooking oil
- Heat the remaining cooking oil. Sauté the garlic and around ½ of the total amount of onions.3 cloves garlic, 3 pieces onion
- Add the chicken once the onion softens. Continue cooking for 30 seconds.
- Pour the remaining marinade and 1 cup water. Let it boil. Adjust the heat to a simmer, cover the wok, and continue cooking for 35 minutes. Note: add more water as needed.1 cup water
- Add the remaining onions. Cook for 2 minutes.3 pieces onion
- Add the sugar and season with salt and ground black pepper.½ teaspoon sugar, Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve.
- Share and enjoy!
Notes
- Boneless chicken thigh – Make sure your oil is hot before you start cooking up the chicken!
- Garlic – This is a hard ingredient to replace, but you could also try using garlic powder if you’ve run out of actual garlic.
- Onion – Red onions are best, but feel free to use yellow or white ones if unavailable.
- Sugar – Other than white sugar, you could even try this recipe with brown sugar or coconut sugar.
- Lemon – Alternatively, you could use calamansi or lime in the place of the lemon.
Nutrition Information
Leave a Comment