Our very own Filipino Fried Chicken or Pinoy-Style Fried Chicken is a crispy, juicy, and delicious comfort food we all crave every now and then!
This version of the globally known fried chicken dish is made with simple yet tasty ingredients that’s perfect for the Filipino palate. It is needless to say that this should be part of the menu of every household.
I know you’re probably craving right now, so in this recipe article, we will be sharing an easy step-by-step guide of how to cook the fried chicken and the gravy that goes with it. Watch out for cooking tips and ingredient suggestions below before you jump to the recipe.
What is Filipino Fried Chicken?
Fried chicken is a simple dish wherein chicken is seasoned then pan-fried, deep-fried, or air-fried until crisp on the outside while its meat is soft and juicy. It can be cooked with or without a breading and with or without a sauce.
This dish is present in many cuisines around the world, popular ones would be the southern fried chicken (USA), yangnyeom fried chicken (Korea), chicken karaage (Japan), and many more.
Of course, the Philippines has their own version. We might be familiar with popular restaurant fried chicken like Jollibee Chicken Joy and Max’s Fried Chicken but the Filipino fried chicken is our go-to homemade recipe for our daily cravings.
The Filipino fried chicken has simpler ingredients, most of the taste would come from the garlic, calamansi, salt, and pepper.
This recipe is close to the street food version of fried chicken (playfully coined as Kanto Fried Chicken). But there’s no need to find the perfectly cooked ones since you can easily make these at home!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Chicken
This recipe calls for 1 and half kilos (3.3 lbs) of chicken. You have to cut the chicken into serving parts and you could have it assorted or purely your favorite part.
Flour
This recipe calls for all-purpose flour for the breading or coating. However, to achieve a much crispy texture, switch ¼ of the amount of flour with cornstarch or potato starch.
Oil
You can use any cooking vegetable oil for frying but I suggest you try canola oil or grape seed oil for better results.
Chicken Stock
For the gravy, you can either use commercially available chicken or beef stock (broth). If you don’t have both, make your own by dissolving 1 chicken or beef broth cube in 2 cups of hot water.
Calamansi Juice
Calamansi juice doesn’t only tenderize the meat and gives a balancing citrus flavor but it also gives off that unique Filipino taste. If you don’t have calamansi in your area, use equal parts of lemon juice instead.
Aside from these, you will also be using other regular pantry ingredients like soy sauce, garlic, salt, black pepper, and butter for deep-frying the chicken. If you are filling up your pantry, here’s a handy shopping guide:
Equipment You’ll Need
- Deep-fryer or deep-bottomed cooking pan- For deep frying, you can optionally use a deep-fryer if you have one. If you don’t, use a cooking pot with a deep bottom that can fit the amount of chicken you will cook.
- Saucepan- You will also need a regular saucepan or small cooking pan to cook the gravy on.
In need of kitchen tools and equipment? Read this before you buy:
How to Cook Filipino Fried Chicken
Cooking the Filipino fried chicken can be divided into 3 main parts, but there will be an extra 4th part if you want it with a gravy.
The first part is the marinating part. We will be mixing simple ingredients (normally found in your pantry) to make a marinade. We will then soak the chicken for a few hours for the meat to absorb the flavors as well as to tenderize.
The second part is the breading part. We will be making a flour mixture seasoned with salt and pepper. We will simply coat the chicken with this mixture for it to have a crispy and tasty exterior.
The third part will be the frying part. You have several options on how to fry your chicken, but all have a similar goal of having a golden brown crispy coating. Make sure you check out the cooking tips below, this will help you achieve a perfectly cooked fried chicken every time.
Lastly, when cooking the gravy, we first make a roux or a mixture of butter and flour. We then add-in the beef or chicken stock and season it with soy sauce and pepper. You can easily make this at home so I suggest you pair it with the fried chicken.
Cooking Tips
- The optimal marinating time would be 2 to 4 hours. Any longer than this may cause problems with the texture of the meat.
- Dry the chicken meat with paper towels before coating them with the flour mixture. This will allow you to coat the chicken better.
- Remember to fry in batches. Overcrowding the pan will only result in uneven cooking and will also bring down the temperature and cause undercooking.
- If you can measure, cook at 175 C (350 F) to 190 C (375 F).
- After cooking, instead of draining the excess oil in paper towels, place them in a wire rack over a baking sheet. This will prevent the chicken from losing its crispiness.
How to Serve Filipino Fried Chicken
Filipino fried chicken is best served with steamed white rice and your homemade gravy as a dipping sauce. For a more complete meal, you can also have a vegetable dish and a soup on the side.
If you don’t prefer gravy, banana ketchup or all-around sarsa are good alternatives.
How to Store and Reheat Filipino Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is best eaten when it is freshly cooked. In case you do have leftovers, place in a clean food container and cover. This will make your chicken last for about 3 days.
To reheat, you can use the microwave but it is best to use a conventional oven to somehow bring back its crispiness. Set your oven at 175 C (350 F) to reheat.
Other Filipino Chicken Recipes
For a quick reference about this recipe, see the recipe table below:
Filipino Fried Chicken (With Gravy) Recipe
Equipment
- Cooking Pan
- Saucepan
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1 ½ kg (3.3 lbs) chicken, cut into serving pieces
- ¼ cup calamansi juice
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 10-12 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, (or combine ¾ cup flour and ¼ cup cornstarch)
- Cooking oil, for frying
For the Gravy
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup unsalted butter
- 2 cups chicken or beef stock, (or dissolve 1 chicken or beef broth cube in 2 cups water)
- Soy sauce, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
For the Chicken
- In a mixing bowl, combine the calamansi juice, soy sauce, garlic, ¼ tsp of salt, and ¼ tsp of black pepper.
- Mix together then add-in the chicken.
- Make sure the chicken is completely soaked, then cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap.
- Marinate the chicken in the refrigerator for at least 2 to 3 hours.
- Drain the marinade and pat dry the chicken with a paper towel.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, and the remaining salt and pepper in a shallow dish then whisk together.
- Coat the chicken in the flour mixture.
- In a cooking pan, pour-in enough cooking oil (at least 1 inch deep or more if you want to deep fry) then apply medium heat.
- When the oil is hot enough, fry the chicken in batches and flip until both sides are golden brown in color.
- Remove from heat and transfer to a wire rack placed over a baking sheet. Allow the excess oil to drip.
- Serve and enjoy!
For the Gravy
- In a sauce pan, add-in the butter and apply low-medium heat to melt.
- Add-in the flour and immediately whisk with the butter until it dissolves.
- Add-in the chicken or beef stock/ broth, soy sauce, and black pepper.
- Mix and continue to cook until mixture thickens.
- Remove from heat and serve with the fried chicken.
Notes
Nutrition
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