Tinolang Manok is a great tasting and healthy dish to prepare for your family. It is easy to cook and friendly on the budget. I like the idea of having tinolang manok at least once per week (particularly during cold weather) because it keeps me stay warm and it is also one of my comfort foods.
I had no idea on what to cook today for dinner. The lazy side of me is suggesting to just sit down and relax while waiting for dinner to be ready . However, I always insisted that I’d be the one to prepare dinner everyday because cooking helps me feel better – no matter how hectic my day was. So I checked the fridge to see what I have available. There was chicken, chayote, and some green leafy veggies. I asked my wife if she had a particular chicken dish for dinner, she said in a sweet voice “i-tinola mo na lang yan”. It was music to my ears.
It so happened that the veggies available in the fridge were malunggay and hot pepper leaves. I’m not sure if it was just coincidence, but I believe that it was meant to be. There was a feeling of excitement and relief. I was looking forward for something comforting to have for dinner, and it is about to happen. For some reason, having a warm chicken soup such as tinolang manok relieves my stress and anxiety. It also keeps me relaxed.
Benefits of Tinolang Manok
Excellent source of protein – Our muscles rely on amino acids in order to build, repair, and develop. Protein is composed of amino acids. This means that eating high protein food such as chicken can help keep our muscles healthy.
Protein is important for our babies and kids. They need it to support growth and physical development. Eating more protein together with soup plus with added vegetables like malunggay, will help moms produce more milk resulting to a healthier breastfeeding. Whenever there is a new mommy in our clan, my aunts will always tell them to eat malunggay because it can help increase breast milk production.
Source of Vitamin B3 – Vitamin B3 keeps our body healthy by improving cholesterol levels. It can also help improve our cardiovascular health. This means that it is good for the heart.
Stimulates the appetite – I think that tasty and delicious dishes such as tinolang manok or chicken tinola will automatically trigger your appetite the moment that you smell its aroma. What more after taking your first sip on the warm soup? “Mapapasarap ang kain mo”. When eating tinola, I pour some soup over my rice. Sometimes, I overdo it to the point where it looks like “lugaw”. It helps increases my appetite and make me enjoy it better. How about you? Can you tell us how you eat tinola?
How to Cook Tinolang Manok
As I mentioned earlier, tinolang manok is easy to cook. I started by sautéing garlic, onion, and ginger for a few minutes – just until the onion gets soft. The chicken, which I cut into small serving pieces, were added and cooked to the point that the outer part turns light brown. I added water and waited until it started to boil.
When boiling meat, I always turn the heat down to low. Sometimes it is better to put it to a simmer (this is a point where the temperature of the water is near boiling). I do it this way so that the flavors from the meat get extracted fully while making the meat tender.
Make sure that the scums and oil floating on the soup is removed. I do this using a wide spoon. Once the soup is clear from scums, add the chicken cube. I use this ingredient because it helps make the soup taste better. The vegetables such as chayote, malunggay (moringa), and hot pepper leaves are added afterwards. I use fish sauce to season the dish.
Try this Classic Tinolang Manok Recipe. Let me know what you think.
Classic Tinolang Manok Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. chicken cut into serving pieces
- 1 cup malunggay leaves
- 1 cup hot pepper leaves
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 piece unripe papaya wedged
- 6 cups water
- 1 piece Knorr chicken cube
- 1 piece onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic crushed and chopped
- 3 thumbs ginger julienne
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce patis
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Heat oil in a pot.
- Sauté garlic, onion, and ginger. Add the ground black pepper.
- When the onion starts to get soft, add the chicken. Cook for 5 minutes or until it turns light brown.
- Pour the water. Let boil. Cover and then set the heat to low. Boil for 40 minutes.
- Scoop and discard the scums and oil on the soup.
- Add the Knorr chicken cube and chayote or papaya. Stir. Cover and cook for 5 minutes.
- Put the malunggay and hot pepper leaves in the pot and pour the fish sauce in. Continue to cook for 2 minutes.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve.
- Share and enjoy!
Helen Alccantara says
Hi Sir Banjo (Panlasang Pinoy),
Thanks for sharing, not only the recipe, as well as the nutritional value of Tinolang Manok, very informative. My late father cooks this whenever someone is not feeling well in our family. The hot soup is so refreshing, and the ingredients are readily available. This is one of my favorite chicken dish, it is a one dish meal, kaninin na lang ang kulang. Love watching all your videos.
Vanjo Merano says
Helen, thanks for visiting. This is also one of my favorites, especially during cold weather. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Ma. Caryl Tan says
I really like all your videos. Thanks for panlasang pinoy, I think most of the OFW’s learned how to cook through your videos.
Mary says
Great recipe! 🙂 I use spinach instead of malunggay. Ang mahal kase ng malunggay dito sa Norway.. Pareho lang halos ang lasa 🙂
Judy Estrada says
I’m making this today for the first time for my Filipino boyfriend. I hope he likes it! I’m Latina so I know how to cook but not really experienced in making Filipino cuisine. I look forward to trying more pinoy recipes for my pangga. Salamat
Czarina says
Hi. I cooked 3 dishes all based from your website. My employers loved it. Ive never been proud to serve a filipino dish since then. Will def watch again and cook. I grew up in Ilocos and we use bagoong to saute the chicken in tinola before boiling instead of patis and we also add rice water to make the soup thick ???? Thx and more power!
Jeanett says
I’m sooo glad I found this! I’ve been craving for filipino foods because I’m out of the country. I don’t know how to cook but your instructions are so clear that even I can understand it. And finally made this tinolang manok and also sinigang na baboy. It turned out great and tasty! Thank you so much!
Lai says
Hi Vanjo! 🙂
Thanks to your recipes I’ve built up a weekly menu of Pinoy classics served for the enjoyment of my growing family. From a non-cooking person that’s huge so I’d like to say thank you and I appreciate your sitting down and sharing all this with us. I’ve got my other non-cooking friends following you too and preparing their own meals.
Vanjo Merano says
My pleasure, Lai.
Lucky says
Hi Sir,
We just recently got here in the US and have been following your site since then. The recipes are very easy to follow and delicous. For tinola recipe, where exactly can you buy the frozen malunggay and pepper leaves? Walmart?
Thanks po!
Vanjo Merano says
Thanks for following my recipes. I haven’t seen frozen malunggay in any Walmart store. I usually get it from Filipino stores here in Chicago.
Cheri says
I’m a fan of this site , right now I’m cooking this classic tinolang manok hope it will out good without lemon grass 🙂
Vanjo Merano says
Hi Cheri -- I am sure that you did well. Tell me more about it. Did it came out the way you expect?
ernie says
it’s my favorite dish, and i like it more with Lemon grass!!!
Cooklover23 says
Hi panlasang pinoy!
I’ve been a big fan of yours since I was 17th, I kept on searching all your recipes for my everyday menu ????! Thanks for all these helpful videos that guides us to serve some tasteful meals to our love ones! GOD BLESS!
Amy Leyba says
Hi Banjo,
Been doing your recipes here in panlasang pinoy. truly helpful and it really taste good.
Thanks for sharing all your recipes.
Ma. Socorro Tirona says
Kuya V, thanks po sa recipe. This is a keeper dahil tamang tama ang lasa at maganda sa kalusugan. Sabi ng asawa ko masarap daw….si bunso maganang kumain.
Gerard Espiritu says
It is better to boil the chicken for not more than 10 minutes after sauteing. This way the juiciness and softness of the chicken is maintained so as to avoid white and very leathery/dry meat. 🙂
Vanjo Merano says
Thanks for the comment. I’m not sure if this is a true statement. I think that it takes more than 10 minutes to reach an internal temperature of 177F. This is the minimum temperature needed to cook the chicken completely. In addition, boiling the chicken longer will extract more flavors from it. I value your opinion though and please feel free to express it. Hope to hear from you often, Gerard.
Chota Bheem says
I made this last week and I think it turned out alright.