Chicken Tinola Recipe

Ingredients

• 1.36 kg (3 lb)chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 2green papayas, cut into wedges
• 360 ml (1½ cups)malunggay leaves
• 240 ml (1 cup)hot pepper leaves
• 5 clovesgarlic, crushed and chopped
• 1onion, chopped
• 3 thumb-sized piecesginger, cut into thin strips
• 2Maggi Magic Chicken Cubes
• 946 ml (1 quart)rice-washing water
• 946 ml (1 quart)water
• 30 ml (2 tablespoons)fish sauce
• to taste, optionalground black pepper
• 45 ml (3 tablespoons)cooking oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Sauté the aromatics

   Heat the cooking oil in a pot. Add the garlic, onion and ginger, and sauté until the onion softens.

2. 2

   Brown the chicken

   Add the chicken and continue sautéing for 2 minutes, or until it turns light brown.

3. 3

   Add fish sauce

   Pour in the 30 ml (2 tablespoons) of fish sauce and stir.

4. 4

   Simmer the broth

   Pour in the rice-washing water and bring it to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

5. 5

   Add water

   Add water as needed and bring the soup to the boil.

6. 6

   Cook the papaya

   Add the green papaya wedges and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

7. 7

   Finish with greens

   Add the chicken cubes and stir. Season with ground black pepper if using, then turn off the heat. Add the hot pepper leaves and malunggay leaves, cover the pot and leave for 2 minutes so the residual heat cooks the greens.

8. 8

   Serve the soup

   Transfer the soup to a serving bowl and serve.

What is chicken tinola?

Tinola is a Filipino chicken soup traditionally built around a ginger-forward broth, with green papaya and leafy greens. It is commonly served with rice, and fish sauce with chilli can be offered as a condiment.

This version starts by sautéing the aromatics and chicken, then simmers the meat with rice-washing water. Papaya goes in later so it can soften without being cooked for the entire simmer.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 662 calories, 47g protein, 21g carbs, 42g fat.

The chicken contributes much of the protein and fat, while the papaya and rice-washing liquid account for some of the carbohydrates; cooking oil also adds fat. For a more balanced plate, serve a bowl with rice and make sure each portion includes papaya and leafy greens.

Build the ginger broth

Aromatics: sauté the garlic, onion and ginger until the onion softens before adding the chicken. This gives the broth its savoury, fragrant base.

Rice-washing water: use it in place of the first main portion of liquid, as directed, and bring it to the boil before simmering. Add the measured water later as needed.

Choose and prepare the chicken

Serving pieces: the recipe calls for chicken cut into portions, which can be served straight from the pot. Pat the pieces dry if they are wet so they brown more readily during the brief sauté.

Browning: cook the chicken for 2 minutes, just until it turns light brown. It will continue cooking in the broth, so this stage is for colour rather than cooking it through.

Time the papaya and greens

Green papaya: add the wedges after the initial 10-minute broth simmer and cook them for 15 to 20 minutes. Check that a knife can pierce them while they still hold their shape.

Leafy greens: add both kinds after switching off the heat, then cover for 2 minutes. The recipe relies on residual heat to cook them gently.

Season the soup

Fish sauce: stir it in before adding the broth liquid so its savoury flavour is distributed through the pot. The chicken cubes are added near the end, so taste the broth before adding any further seasoning.

Pepper: ground black pepper is optional in the recipe. Fish sauce and chilli pepper can also be served separately for diners to adjust their bowls.

Serve it with rice

Rice: serve the hot soup alongside cooked rice, which makes the broth and chicken part of a more filling meal. A small dish of fish sauce and chilli pepper lets everyone season their own portion.

Serving: ladle chicken, papaya, greens and broth into each bowl. Include a mix of solids and liquid so each serving has all the main parts of the soup.

Recipe notes & tips

• Cut the papaya into similarly sized wedges so they soften at roughly the same pace.
• Keep the chicken pieces in a single layer as much as possible while sautéing for more even browning.
• Bring the rice-washing water to the boil before reducing the heat for the 10-minute simmer.
• Check the papaya after 15 minutes and continue cooking only until tender.
• Add the leaves with the heat off and keep the pot covered for the full 2 minutes.
• Offer extra fish sauce and chilli pepper on the side rather than seasoning every bowl heavily.

Variations

• Use moringa leaves: use malunggay leaves if available, as specified, or substitute another tender leafy green.
• Adjust the chilli: serve sliced chilli separately for a milder shared pot or a hotter individual bowl.
• Add more ginger: increase the ginger slightly if you want its flavour to stand out more strongly.
• Serve with rice: offer cooked rice alongside the soup for a more substantial meal.
• Use chicken pieces: choose bone-in serving pieces if you want the chicken served in portions from the broth.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Overcooking the greens: add them after turning off the heat and cover for only 2 minutes.
• Adding papaya too early: wait until after the initial 10-minute broth simmer so it does not cook for the full time.
• Boiling throughout: lower the heat after the rice-washing liquid boils and simmer as directed.
• Skipping the chicken sauté: cook it for the stated 2 minutes until lightly browned before adding the liquid.
• Overseasoning early: taste after adding the chicken cubes before adding more salt or fish sauce.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat gently in a saucepan until piping hot, adding a little water if the broth has reduced; the papaya and greens may soften further.

Frequently asked questions