Chicken tocino is sweet cured chicken usually served for breakfast with garlic rice and eggs.
It's easy to make with simple ingredients, and you can make it as sweet as you like.
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Ingredients You'll Need
Notes and Substitutions
- Chicken: Boneless chicken thighs work best because they stay juicy after cooking. You can use chicken breast, but be careful not to overcook it so it doesn't dry out.
- Pineapple juice: Adds sweetness and helps tenderize the chicken. You can also use apple or orange juice.
- Annatto powder: Gives tocino its reddish color. It doesn't add any flavor, so you can skip it if color doesn't matter. Some recipes use red food coloring.
How to Make Chicken Tocino (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Prepare the chicken
Trim the excess fat, large veins, and connective tissue from the 2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs.
Step 2: Make the garlic paste
Finely mince 4 garlic cloves, sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then mash with the side of a knife until it forms a paste.
Step 3: Make the marinade
Warm ⅓ cup pineapple juice, then dissolve 1-2 teaspoons annatto powder in it.
Then, add:
- the garlic paste (from step 2)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ⅔ cup sugar
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (use half for table salt)
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper
Mix well. Taste the marinade before adding the chicken so you can adjust it as needed.
Step 4: Marinate the chicken
Place the chicken in a container or resealable bag. Pour in the marinade and coat well.
Refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. Freeze if cooking later.
Step 5: Cook the chicken
Arrange the chicken in a single layer in a pan, then add about ¼ inch of water.
Cover and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Flip halfway through.
Remove the cover and let the water evaporate.
Drizzle with oil to help the chicken caramelize and keep it from sticking.
Move the chicken around the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes, until caramelized.
Watch closely so it doesn't burn.
Cooking Tips
- Marinate overnight for better flavor.
- Mash the garlic into a paste so it blends well and won't burn in the pan.
- Add a little water first to cook the chicken through before caramelizing.
- Stir often at the end so the sugar doesn't burn.
- Annatto is only for color, so you can skip it.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken tocino is sweet cured chicken, usually served for breakfast with garlic rice and eggs.
Marinate overnight for best flavor, or up to 3 days in the fridge.
A little water helps cook the chicken through before it starts to caramelize.
Yes. Freeze it in the marinade, then thaw in the fridge before cooking.
More Silog Breakfast Ideas
Silog is a Filipino breakfast with sinangag (garlic fried rice), itlog (fried egg), and a protein. Here are some favorites:
- Tocilog: Pork tocino or sweet cured pork.
- Longsilog: Sweet or garlicky Filipino sausage (longganisa).
- Tapsilog: Savory, slightly tangy beef tapa.
- Chicksilog: Crispy fried chicken, seasoned and lightly breaded.
- Dangsilog: Salted dried fish, served with tomato and cucumber salad.
- Liemposilog: Ininhaw na liempo or marinated grilled pork belly.
Chicken Recipes You May Like
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Tocino (Sweet Cured Chicken)
Equipment
- Wide pan
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless, skinless
- 4 garlic cloves minced & mashed to a paste
- ⅓ cup pineapple juice
- 1 to 2 teaspoons annatto powder
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ⅔ cup sugar (or brown sugar)
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt (use half for table salt)
- ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
- Trim excess fat and tough parts from the chicken.
- Mash garlic with salt into a paste.
- Add pineapple juice, annatto, garlic, soy sauce, sugar, salt, and pepper.
- Marinate chicken overnight or up to 3 days.
- Cook in a pan with a little water, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Let water evaporate, then add oil.
- Cook, turning, until caramelized.
- Slice and serve.
Notes
- Chicken: Boneless thighs work best and stay juicy. Chicken breast works too, but don't overcook.
- Pineapple juice: Adds sweetness and helps tenderize. Apple or orange juice also works.
- Annatto powder: Adds the reddish color. Skip it if color doesn't matter.
- Marinate overnight for better flavor.
- Mash the garlic so it blends well and won't burn.
- Add water first to cook the chicken before caramelizing.
- Stir often at the end so the sugar doesn't burn.
- Annatto is only for color; you can skip it.
Hilda says
Now i make tocino at home, i love this recipe so much. Thank you!
Nora Reyes says
Hello Hilda, Awesome! I'm glad you liked the tocino recipe. Let me know if you try out any other dishes! 😄
Mark says
Now you are making me hungry. I love tocino! Is this better than the frozen ones in the Asian supermarket?
Nora Rey says
Absolutely! While the frozen ones from the Asian supermarket are convenient, making chicken tocino at home is more economical. Plus, the biggest advantage is that you have full control over the ingredients and their quality.