Chicken Afritada is a classic Filipino stew cooked in tomato sauce. What lured me to try this recipe in the Instant Pot was the fact that I could toss it all in the multi-cooker and come back to it after a few minutes. When we sat down to dinner, I could not believe how the chicken pieces looked crisp on the outside, but were tender and juicy inside. The chicken cuts were swimming in a sweet tomato sauce that had lost its tartness in such a short time.
The chicken aroma rivaled any stew that ever came out of my Instant Pot. The stewed tomato sauce flavors swirled around the chicken. And the potatoes submerged between the chicken pieces were robust and extended the meal quite well.
Cooking classic Philippine dishes seemed timely for this forthcoming Father’s Day weekend. It doesn’t escape me that Father’s Day, like Mother’s Day are American holidays. The Philippine retail industry has embraced these stateside holidays and in local malls one sees constant reminders of how to pay tribute to fathers. I don’t need a commercialized holiday to remind me of my late dad. Every day, all these years I have cooked meals for my own husband and sons, I have used my mother’s recipes as templates for cooking.
In my parents’ home, meals often started with soup like Sinigang or Nilaga, followed by wholesome entrees of fish or seafood, a stew like afritada, adobo, or grilled dishes and sautéed vegetables. Desserts were always fruits from our backyard trees.
No matter what day or what meal it was, mom cooked dishes which my father relished like this afritada and we learned to love them as well.
Chicken Afritada in the Instant Pot + Stove-top
Equipment
- Instant Pot or any multi-cooker brand 6-quart or 8-quart
Ingredients
- 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 whole white or yellow onion chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 to 4 pounds chicken cutlets, bone-in about 6 pieces
- 1 Tablespoon patis (fish sauce)
- 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
- 3 cups chicken broth or use water
- 2 medium-sized potatoes peeled, quartered
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1 large red or green bell pepper seeded, sliced into 2-inch length strips
- 1/2 cup green peas frozen or canned (drain liquid if in can)
- boiled rice for serving
Instructions
To cook in the Instant Pot
- Click Saute on the keypad. Add vegetable oil to the inside pot. After 1 to 2 minutes, when oil is hot, saute the onions and garlic for 1 minute.Add the chicken pieces. Pour the patis. Braise meat for 2 minutes till it turns slightly brown.Click Cancel to turn off Saute function.
- Pour the tomato sauce and broth into the inside pot.Add the potatoes next to the chicken pieces.Season with salt and black pepper. Add the bread crumbs.
- Close and lock the lid. Set the valve to Sealing. Press Manual and cook on High Pressure for 35 minutes. When buzzer sounds to announce cooking is done, do a Quick Release. When the float pin drops, it is safe to unlock the lid. Open the lid carefully.
- Add the bell pepper slices and green peas. Stir to blend with ingredients.Cover and lock the lid. Press Keep Warm and allow the peppers and peas to cook and blend in the flavors for 8 minutes. Click Cancel to turn off. Serve warm with boiled rice.
Notes on the Instant Pot:
- After the Saute function, it takes about 17 minutes for the Instant Pot to preheat before the High Pressure cooking time begins. For other multi-cooker pressure cooker brands, please consult the manual.Safety precautions: use accessories recommended for the Instant Pot like silicone or metal. Do not use glassware. Consult the product manual for complete information.
To cook on the stove-top
- In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, over medium high heat, add the oil. After oil is hot, saute the onions and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the chicken and pour the patis (fish sauce). Braise the meat for 3 to 5 minutes till slightly brown. Add the potatoes and bell peppers. Pour the tomato sauce and broth. Season with salt and black pepper. Add the bread crumbs. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 60 minutes till meat is cooked. Add the green peas and bell peppers. Cook for 5 minutes more. Serve warm with rice.
Nutrition
Notes on Nutrition: The nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and specific brands of ingredients used.
Did you like this recipe? I have more Filipino Instant Pot recipes in my newest cookbook Instant Filipino Recipes: My Mother’s Traditional Philippine Cooking in A Multicooker Pot by Elizabeth Ann Besa-Quirino. Buy my cookbooks and books on Amazon.com sold worldwide in paperback and Kindle format.
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Disclosure: Instant Pot is the brand name of a multi-cooker that cooks in high and low pressure. I was not paid by the Instant Pot company to mention the product or brand nor endorse it. This is not an ad. My views and opinions are my own.
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