Chicken Caldereta is a Spanish-inspired Filipino stew with chicken cooked in a rich tomato-based sauce that includes liver spread. It is a hearty dish loaded with a mix of vegetables, making it a satisfying meal.
This Chicken Caldereta recipe is a variation of the traditional Beef Caldereta.
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Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Chicken: I used bone-in chicken thighs and legs because they stay moist and flavorful. Avoid using chicken breast as it can become dry after prolonged cooking.
- Potatoes: Use waxy potatoes (like red potatoes) or an all-purpose type (like Yukon Gold), as they maintain their shape well.
- Tomato Sauce: You can use tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes for this recipe. Tomato purée and tomato paste are other options, but be sure to add more water to the recipe.
- Liver Spread: Use canned liver spread or pâté, for added flavor and creaminess.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Season the Chicken
Season the chicken generously with salt. Set it aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
Step 2: Sear Carrots and Potatoes
Set a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add a light coating of oil. Sear the carrots and potatoes until they develop a slight golden color. Transfer to a plate and set them aside.
Step 3: Sear the Bell Peppers
Add a little more oil if necessary. Briefly sear the red and green bell peppers just until they're slightly charred. Be careful not to overcook them. Remove and set aside.
Step 4: Sear the Chicken
Sear the chicken with its skin side down first until golden brown on all sides. Work in batches if necessary. Remove and set it aside.
PRO TIP: For a richer flavor, always sear the chicken pieces until they have a golden-brown crust before stewing. This process not only locks in the juices but elevates the overall dish.
Step 5: Sauté Aromatics and Crushed Red Pepper
Sauté the garlic and onion until they become aromatic and translucent. Add the crushed red pepper and sauté briefly.
Step 6: Add Liquids and Seasonings
Add the tomato sauce, 1 cup of water, chicken base or bouillon, bay leaves, fish sauce, sugar (adjust to taste) and some ground pepper.
Mix the ingredients, making sure to scrape the bottom to incorporate any flavorful bits that may have stuck during the searing and sautéing. Turn up the heat and bring it to a boil.
Step 7: Simmer the Chicken
Once the mixture is boiling, return the chicken pieces into the pot. Cover and reduce to medium heat. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until it becomes tender and fully cooked. Add more water as needed.
Step 8: Add Potatoes and Carrots
Add the potatoes and carrots. Continue to simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes or until tender.
Step 9: Add more ingredients
Add the bell peppers, sweet pickles, green olives, and liver spread. Stir all these ingredients into the simmering mixture, evenly distributing them. Cook for another 5 minutes.
Step 10: Taste and Adjust
Taste the sauce and adjust as needed. Turn off the heat.
Serve your Chicken Caldereta with steamed white rice. Refrigerate leftovers in airtight containers for 3-4 days, or freeze for a longer shelf life.
Recipe FAQs
Caldereta, also spelled as "kaldereta," is a Spanish-inspired tomato-based stew with rich and hearty ingredients such as meat (often beef or goat), vegetables, and liver spread.
Liver spread is a type of spreadable paste made primarily from liver, often from chicken, beef, or pork. Like liver pâte, it's seasoned and blended with other ingredients to create a creamy, flavorful spread. Canned liver spread is a convenient, ready-to-use version.
Caldereta and Afritada are both Spanish-inspired Filipino stews. Caldereta is known for its rich and savory flavor, with a thicker sauce made from tomato sauce and liver spread. On the other hand, Afritada has a lighter tomato-based sauce without liver spread. Both dishes often include similar vegetables like carrots, potatoes, and bell peppers.
Try other Spanish-inspired stews and braises
- Pochero: A hearty stew with pork or chicken with saba bananas and vegetables in a light tomato broth.
- Menudo: Diced pork, liver, hotdogs, and vegetables in a rich, tomato-based sauce.
- Guisantes: Pork, green peas (guisantes), and bell peppers in a tomato-based sauce.
- Picadillo: A Filipino variation with ground meat, typically beef or pork, and vegetables simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce.
- Afritada: A stew with chicken or pork, simmered in tomato sauce with potatoes, carrots, and bell peppers
- Mechado: Slow-cooked beef stew with potatoes and carrots in a rich tomato sauce seasoned with soy sauce.
- Estofado: A sweet and savory stew made of pork or chicken, braised in a tomato sauce with soy sauce, sugar, and fried bananas.
Other chicken recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Caldereta
Equipment
- 4.5-quart Dutch oven or a heavy bottomed-pot
Ingredients
- 2-2½ pounds bone-in chicken (3 legs and 3 thighs) see note
- 2 Yukon gold or red potatoes (about 12 ounces) cut into large chunks; see note
- 1 medium carrot (about 12 ounces) cut into large chunks; see note
- ½ red bell pepper cut into large chunks; see note
- ½ green bell pepper cut into large chunks; see note
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium onion chopped
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 28-ounce can tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes see note
- 1 teaspoon chicken base or bouillon
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cup water more as needed; sub: chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce sub: soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar or to taste
- ½ cup sweet pickles or gherkins cut in half, if big
- ½ cup pitted green olives (Manzanilla or Castelvetrano olives)
- ¼ cup liver spread or pâté see note
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Neutral oil for searing and sautéing
Instructions
- Season the chicken generously with salt. Set it aside.
- Set a large pot over medium-high heat and add a light coating of oil. Sear the carrots and potatoes until they develop a slight golden color. Transfer to a plate and set them aside.
- Add a little more oil if necessary. Briefly sear the bell peppers just until they're slightly charred. Be careful not to overcook them. Remove and set aside.
- Sear the chicken with its skin side down first until golden brown on all sides. Work in batches if necessary. Remove and set it aside.
- Sauté the garlic and onion until they become aromatic and translucent. Add the crushed red pepper and sauté briefly.
- Add the tomato sauce, 1 cup of water, chicken base, bay leaves, fish sauce, sugar and some ground pepper. Stir together, making sure to scrape the bottom any flavorful bits that may have stuck. Turn up the heat and bring it to a boil.
- Once the mixture is boiling, return the chicken. Cover and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until it becomes tender and fully cooked. Add more water as needed.
- Add the potatoes and carrots. Continue to simmer the mixture for about 10 minutes or until tender.
- Add the bell peppers, sweet gherkins, green olives, and liver spread. Stir to evenly distribute them. Cook for another 5 minutes. Tast and adjust as needed, then turn off the heat.
Notes
- Chicken: I used bone-in chicken thighs and legs because they stay moist and flavorful. Avoid using chicken breasts as it can become dry after prolonged cooking.
- Potatoes: Use waxy potatoes (like red potatoes) or an all-purpose type (like Yukon Gold), as they maintain their shape well.
- Tomato Sauce: You can use tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes for this recipe. Tomato purée and tomato paste are other options, but be sure to add more water to the recipe.
- Liver Spread: Use canned liver spread or pâté, for added flavor and creaminess.
Camilla says
This sure looks delicious. I should give this one a try. Is it better than beef? Thanks.
Nora Reyes says
Hello Camilla, Chicken caldereta is definitely worth a try. Personally, I'm a big fan of beef caldereta, especially when it has those gelatinous connective tissues that have been cooked long enough to almost fall apart. There's just something about that texture and richness! But chicken has its own special flavor too that's delicious in its own right.