Chicken Menudo

It was raining hard in the Philippines the first time I made Chicken Menudo. Some chicken thighs were already deboned and ready to cook, and I did not want to leave the house just to buy pork. That was when I decided to make the menudo with chicken instead.

I kept the rest close to my pork menudo, with potato, carrot, hotdogs, tomato sauce, and that little bit of liver flavor in the sauce. I also added red and green bell peppers near the end for some color and a little crunch.

You only need 20 to 30 minutes to marinate the chicken in soy sauce and calamansi juice. While that is happening, you can already fry the potatoes, carrots, and hotdogs, then cook the chicken in the same pan.

What is Chicken Menudo?

Chicken Menudo is a Filipino tomato-based stew made with chicken, potatoes, carrots, hotdogs, and bell peppers. This version is based on my pork menudo, but I use boneless chicken thighs instead of pork and liver spread instead of pork liver. The liver spread blends into the sauce, so you still get that mild liver flavor without pieces of liver in the dish.

Everything is cut into small pieces so you get a little chicken, potato, carrot, and hotdog in the same spoonful. The chicken stays tender, the potatoes and carrots soften in the sauce, and the bell peppers go in near the end so they still have a little bite. This is the kind of dish that goes really well with hot rice because you want some of that tomato sauce with every spoonful.

Why This Chicken Menudo Recipe Works

• Use boneless chicken thighs – They stay tender while the sauce simmers and the potatoes and carrots finish cooking.
• Cook the tomato paste before adding water – Give it a minute or two with the chicken. That short cook takes away the raw taste.

Chicken Menudo Ingredients

• Boneless chicken thighs – Buy them boneless to save time, or debone bone-in thighs yourself like I did the first time.
• Soy sauce – Regular soy sauce is fine for the marinade.
• Calamansi juice – Lemon juice works well when you cannot find calamansi.
• Potato and carrot – Dice them small so they cook through in the sauce.
• Hotdogs – Slice them on a diagonal so they brown quickly in the pan.
• Garlic and onion – Let the garlic turn light golden before the onion goes in.
• Tomato paste – This gives us the tomato base without adding a lot of extra liquid.
• Dried bay leaves – Take them out before serving.
• Liver spread – One tablespoon from a small can is enough for this pot.
• Red and green bell peppers (optional) – Both go in near the end, after the potatoes and carrots are tender.
• Sugar – Optional. Add it only when the sauce tastes sour.
• Cooking oil, salt, and ground black pepper – Use a neutral oil for frying and sautéing. Keep the salt and pepper for the final seasoning.

Liver spread is cooked liver blended into a smooth paste.

1. Combine the chicken thighs, soy sauce, and calamansi juice in a bowl. Mix well.
2. Marinate for 20 to 30 minutes.

1. Heat the cooking oil in a pan. Fry the potatoes and carrots for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the edges turn light brown. Remove from the pan and set aside.
2. Fry the hotdogs in the same pan for 1 to 2 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

1. Sauté the garlic in the same pan until it starts to brown.
2. Add the onion and cook until it softens.
3. Add the marinated chicken. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until the outside turns light brown.
4. Add the tomato paste. Stir until it coats the chicken, then cook for 1 to 2 minutes.

1. Pour in the water and add the bay leaves. Stir and let it boil.
2. Cover the pan and simmer for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and reaches 165°F in the center. Add a little water if the sauce gets too thick.

1. Add the liver spread and stir until it blends into the sauce.
2. Add the fried potatoes, carrots, and hotdogs. Stir and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the potatoes and carrots are tender.

1. Add the red and green bell peppers. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
2. Taste the sauce. Add sugar only if it tastes too sour.
3. Season with salt and ground black pepper as needed.
4. Transfer to a serving plate. Serve hot with rice. Share and enjoy!

What to Serve with Chicken Menudo

• Steamed rice – Plain white rice is enough here. The menudo already has plenty of flavor from the tomato sauce and liver spread.
• Sinangag – If you have cold rice from the day before, use it for sinangag. The garlic works especially well with the tomato sauce.
• Ginisang Repolyo – A simple vegetable side if you want something besides menudo and rice on the plate.
• Pandesal – Good for the sauce left on the plate. Tear off a piece and use it while the sauce is still warm.

Storage

• Refrigerator: Chicken menudo keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container. The sauce gets thicker overnight, so a splash of water loosens it when you reheat it.
• Freezer: It keeps for up to 2 months in a freezer-safe container. For a batch you plan to freeze, you can hold back the potatoes and fry fresh ones when you reheat, since freshly fried potatoes have a better texture.
• Reheating: Thaw frozen menudo in the refrigerator overnight. Warm it in a pan over medium-low heat with a little water, stirring now and then, until it is steaming hot.

More Filipino Stew Recipes

• Pork Menudo with Bell Pepper – Pork shoulder, pork liver, and hotdogs, with red and green bell peppers added near the end.
• Masarsang Menudo – A saucier pork menudo with bell peppers, green peas, and plenty of grated cheese.
• Pork Menudo sa Gata – Pork menudo with coconut milk for a smoother, richer sauce.
• Sausage, Liver, and Pork Stew – Kielbasa, pork, and pig liver in a tomato paste sauce with peas and red bell pepper.
• Special Chicken Afritada – A party version of chicken afritada with hotdogs, bell peppers, green peas, and grated cheddar.
• Chicken Pochero – Chicken and chorizo de Bilbao stewed in tomato sauce with saba banana, chickpeas, and cabbage.

• Boneless chicken thighs – Chicken breast works too. Simmer it for about 10 minutes, just until cooked through, so it stays tender.
• Calamansi juice – Use the same amount of lemon juice.
• Tomato paste – Tomato sauce works. My pork menudo uses 3/4 cup of tomato sauce with 1 cup of water for the same 2 pounds of meat.
• Hotdogs – Sliced Vienna sausage is the closest swap.
• Liver spread – You can leave it out. The sauce will be thinner and milder, closer to my chicken afritada.

Before you bring it to the table, take one last look at the sauce. You want it thick enough to coat the chicken and potatoes, but still loose enough to spoon over rice. Scoop it over hot steamed rice, and make sure everyone gets plenty of sauce along with some chicken, vegetables, and hotdogs.