The Filipino pineapple chicken dish, or the Pininyahang Manok, is a dish that is simple enough to make, but is big enough on taste!
I’m sure that most of you at home struggle to find the perfect dish to make that does not require a degree in culinary, but is sure to impress your family or your guests. I suggest that you try this unique dish now, as you won’t regret it!
Continue to read the recipe article below to see some detailed explanations and tips about the pininyahang manok.
What is Pininyahang Manok?
Pininyahang Manok, or pineapple chicken, is a well-known dish made of chicken that is cooked with a creamy sauce, usually using milk along with pineapple juice and its chunks.
Traditional recipes use coconut milk because of its thick consistency, but you can also use table cream or all-purpose cream as a substitute, which is what is used in this recipe. Other ingredients include carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, and garlic and onions, among others.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
For this recipe, we will be using a whole chicken. If you don’t know how to cut, just ask the butcher to cut it up to serving pieces. Alternatively you can pick the chicken cuts of your choice, just make sure it is the same amount as a whole one.
Pineapple
We will be using pineapples but avoid fresh ones and pick the canned chunky ones. We will also need the juice or liquid from the can, so don’t discard them.
Cream
You also need cream to thicken the sauce. You have the option to use all-purpose cream or coconut cream for this.
Aside from these, we will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like onion, garlic, carrot, potato, bell peppers, fish sauce, salt, black pepper, and cooking oil. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Cooking Pan (Kawali)- Pininyahang manok is a one pan dish and you will be needing the same cooking pan for the whole process. You can also use any deep pan, skillet, or casserole that can contain the amount of ingredients in this recipe.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Pininyahang Manok
Now who would have ever thought to make a dish that is so seemingly complicated, be so easy to make in reality? With this one-of-a-kind dish, you’ll do something very simple to do, but is very extravagant when it comes to the taste. If you want a detailed explanation how to cook this, here it is:
To start, make sure that you have enough time for preparation, so that we can maximize the flavors for the dish.
A great idea to do is to soak the chicken in the pineapple juice (this is also included in the can with the pineapple chunks) while you are slicing away the other ingredients. This is to bring an extra sweet kick from the chicken itself when you’re eating it afterwards.
Once you have all of the ingredients prepared, it is just going to be a straightforward process of cooking. So if you are familiar with cooking other popular Filipino delicacies, this will be easy enough.
If you are choosing to include the potatoes and carrots, what you need to do first is to lightly cook them, before proceeding to saute other ingredients like the onions and garlic and to cooking the chicken.
Then the next step would be to pour the pineapple juice and bring it to a boil. Make sure to set the heat to low afterwards and then add in the pineapple chunks and the cream.
Keep an eye on it and stir well to make sure that everything is properly mixed. The simmering will take a while as you need to make sure that the chicken is tender enough.
After that, add in the bell peppers, as well as the other seasonings and spices for the final touches. And that’s it!
Cooking Tips
- When choosing the cream or milk for this recipe, it is obviously recommended that you follow our ingredients, but if you opt to choose milk instead of cream, choose the ones with high fat content
- Skim milk or nonfat milk tends to form lumps once you combine it with pineapple juice and it will result in an undesirable texture.
- There is a chance that the cream might not mix well with the sauce once you pour it in. This is probably because the heat is set on medium or high, which keeps it from mixing well, so keep in mind that you have to set the heat to low when pouring the cream in.
How to Serve Pininyahang Manok
Pininyahang Manok is best served hot alongside freshly cooked white rice. It commonly served as a main dish for lunch or dinner or lunch. You may opt to serve a patis dipping sauce at the side.
How to Store and Reheat Pininyahang Manok
In case you have leftovers, transfer to a clean food container with lid. You can refrigerate this for up to 3 days. To reheat, simply pour into a pot of adequate size and apply low-medium heat until hot enough to eat. Alternatively, you can also use a microwave oven.
Other Filipino Chicken Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Pininyahang Manok (Pinoy Pineapple Chicken) Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pan
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2.2 lbs) chicken, cut into serving pieces
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, from can (reserve juice)
- 1 pc onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 pc carrot, cut into wedges
- 1 pc large-sized potato, cut into wedges
- 1 pc medium-sized bell pepper, cut into strips
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 cup all-purpose cream, (or coconut cream)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- In a bowl, pour in the pineapple juice (from the can with the pineapple chunks) and soak the chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a cooking pan, pour in and heat cooking oil over medium heat.
- Add-in the potatoes and carrots. Cook until lightly browned. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, add in the garlic and onions. Saute until soft and aromatic.
- Add-in the chicken. Cook while stirring occasionally until lightly browned.
- Add-in the same pineapple juice earlier. Bring to a boil.
- Add in the pineapple chunks and pour in the all-purpose cream then cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- Add in the bell peppers and add back in the potatoes and carrots. Pour in the fish sauce and simmer for another 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer to a serving bowl or serving tray. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
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