Pocherong Manok

5 from 1 vote

Pocherong Manok is a Filipino chicken stew simmered in a light tomato-based broth with vegetables and saba bananas, creating a comforting balance of savory and naturally sweet flavors.

Prep Time25

Cook Time35

Total Time1

Course: Main Dish

Cuisine: Filipino Recipe

Keyword: chicken pochero, chicken stew

Servings: people

Calories: 5378kcal

Author: Vanjo Merano

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken cut into serving pieces
1 Maggi Magic Chicken Cube
3 pieces saba bananas sliced diagonally (see notes below)¹
2 pieces potatoes sliced into large cubes
14 ounces chickpeas (garbanzos) canned
15 pieces long green beans
½ head cabbage quartered
1 bunch bok choy
1 yellow onion chopped
5 cloves garlic chopped
2 pieces tomatoes wedged
2 pieces Chorizo de bilbao sliced
3 tablespoons tomato paste (see notes below)²
2 cups water
1 cup cooking oil
Fish sauce and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the cooking oil in a wok. Fry the bananas and potatoes until it starts to brown. Set aside.
3 pieces saba bananas, 2 pieces potatoes
Leave around 3 tablespoons of oil in the wok. Pan-fry the chicken for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
2 lbs chicken
Add 2 tablespoons more of cooking oil. Sauté the onion for 1 minute.
1 yellow onion
Stir-in the garlic. Continue sautéing until it starts to brown and then add the tomatoes. Sauté it for 1 minute.
5 cloves garlic, 2 pieces tomatoes
Add the chorizo. Stir and then add back the chicken. Continue to sauté this for 2 minutes.
2 pieces Chorizo de bilbao
Add the tomato paste and pour 2 cups of water into the wok. Let it boil.
3 tablespoons tomato paste, 2 cups water
Add Maggi Magic Chicken Cube. Stir,
1 Maggi Magic Chicken Cube
Add the chickpeas, potatoes, and bananas. Cook for 2 minutes.
14 ounces chickpeas (garbanzos)
Put the long green beans and cabbage. Cover and continue cooking for 3 minutes.
15 pieces long green beans, ½ head cabbage
Season with fish sauce and ground black pepper.
Fish sauce and ground black pepper to taste
Add the bok choy. Cover the wok. Turn the heat off and let the residual heat cook it for 2 minutes.
1 bunch bok choy
Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve with rice.
Share and enjoy!

Notes

Saba bananas - Go for fruit that is mainly yellow with a scatter of black freckles because these are the sweet spots where the flesh is flavorful yet still firm. That mild firmness keeps the slices intact while frying and simmering. Skip bananas that feel mushy or are mostly black, since they tend to fall apart in the pot, and leave the green, under-ripe ones behind. They taste starchy and won’t give the dish its gentle hint of sweetness.
Tomato paste, not sauce - A spoonful of paste gives deep, concentrated tomato flavor and thickens the broth just enough to make it cling to the chicken and veggies. Because it adds richness without extra liquid, the stew stays soupy instead of watery. Its flavor is far more intense than regular tomato sauce, which is exactly what a slow-simmered dish like Pocherong Manok needs.

Nutrition