This Healthy Chicken Afritada recipe does not have canned tomato sauce but instead uses all fresh ingredients. It is tasty, delicious, simple to make and in 35 minutes, dinner is served! It's a one-pot meal so how's that for easy cleaning too! It's a perfect and quick weeknight meal. Ready to get started?
Chicken Afritada is a popular Philippine dish and can be made using other types of meat, like pork or seafood. It is such a versatile dish, in that you can omit the meat and in place of, use any type of vegetables for a vegetarian meal.
There are many ways in how you can make Chicken Afritada, like frying the meat, or using canned tomatoes instead of fresh tomatoes and I have even added plantains to give this dish a more tropical flavor. However, I wanted to opt for a healthier version of the dish that I can also prepare in less time and have a delicious dinner ready in minutes.
The sauce really makes this dish using fresh ingredients such as tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, peas, and of course onions and garlic. Optional to serve this dish with steamed rice, so you can sop up that savory sauce.
I LOVE making Chicken Afritada especially when I have fresh ripened tomatoes from the garden as the summer flavor of the tomatoes is unbeatable! However, having said that, you can make this dish all year long by using fresh, vine-ripened, bright red tomatoes from the grocery store. Hope you give this one a try!
Table of contents
🥰 Why I Love This Dish
- It's quick and easy to make, healthy, and delicious!
- It's colorful! Just look at the fresh ingredients and the finished dish, doesn't that make your mouth water just a tiny bit? Hah! 🤤🤩
- It's gluten-free and can be modified to make the dish vegetarian/vegan, keto, and low-carb. See Expert Tip below.
- Can be served for lunch or dinner or bring to a Potluck dinner party.
- It tastes even better the next day!
- It's a one-pot meal! Sauté, simmer, and can be served using the same cooking pot. This is one of the reasons why I LOVE my Le Creuset Skillet.
🥘 Ingredients Needed
Gather up these ingredients to make your Chicken Afritada.
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 Medium Onion (quartered)
- 2 to 3 Medium-sized ripe Tomatoes (quartered)
- 2 pounds Chicken Breast (boneless, cut into bite-sized)
- 2 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 Dried Bayleaf
- ½ teaspoon Peppercorns
- 10 Petite Gold and Red Potatoes (sliced in half or left whole)
- 1 Carrot (peeled and cut ½" diagonally)
- ½ each of Red and Green Bell Pepper (cut into strips)
- ½ cup of Peas (fresh or frozen)
🧧 Key Ingredient Notes
- Fish Sauce - Can be found in the Asian aisle at your local grocery store or you can buy it online. I use a brand called Red boat - it is 100 percent pure, first press, "extra virgin" Vietnamese fish sauce. It's made from only two ingredients, the freshest black anchovy, and sea salt. It's naturally Gluten-Free. Be sure to read the label as some may contain wheat and MSG.
🔪 How to Make This Dish
STEP 1: Add garlic and onions STEP 2: Add tomatoes 
STEP 3: Add chicken STEP 4: Add liquids 
STEP 5: Add the potatoes and carrots 
STEP 6: Add peas and bell peppers
- STEP 1: Sauté garlic and onions with olive oil, until lightly golden in color in hot skillet over medium heat.
- STEP 2: Add and sauté tomatoes for a minute or two.
- STEP 3: Browning the meat is optional. Add chicken and cook until opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- STEP 4: Flavoring process. Add the fish sauce, chicken broth, bay leaf, and black peppercorns.
- STEP 5: Cook the root vegetables. Add the potatoes and carrots.
- STEP 6: Finishing touches. Add bell peppers and peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve while warm. Enjoy!
❓Frequently Asked Questions
On the recipe card below, be sure to click on 1x, 2x, or 3x accordingly to increase the amount of serving you need.
Absolutely! Afritada tastes even better the next day.
Promptly place it in the refrigerator in a sealed container within 1 to 2 hours of serving. And IF you even have any leftover store in the coldest part of the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Well-wrapped leftovers can be kept in the freezer for up to three months.
Fish Sauce! If you're not familiar with this condiment, let me tell you, it has a very pungent smell and taste. So be forewarned! It's briny, fishy, and savory so it adds a full punch to this dish. Think umami complexity! I used 2 tablespoons for this recipe. When you make this, maybe start with one tablespoon and see how much you need to personalize the flavor of this dish according to your taste.
I would recommend serving this with a side of Giardiniera for a spicier flavor or add a dash of Hot Sauce.
Any skillet or sauté pan would work great. My two favorites are Le Creuset Braiser and Le Creuset Skillet.
Steamed rice of course! Seriously, though since the dish is considered a one-pot meal, you really wouldn't need anything else. Maybe a nice crusty bread would be great too to sop up the sauce. You can even eat this like a soup.
👩🏻🍳 Dietary Expert Tips for this Recipe
Here are suggestions to modify this recipe for specific diet needs:
- Vegetarian/Vegan: Omit the use of meat and replace it with tofu, add/or increase the amount of vegetables. You can also add any of your favorite vegetables. Use vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth and use salt instead of fish sauce.
- Gluten-free: The recipe in and of itself is gluten-free. Please read the label while fish-sauce is naturally gluten-free, some North American brands have added wheat to it.
- Keto: Chicken thighs would be a great option to also add to this recipe along with the pork. However, omit the potatoes and don't use carrots, or peas in this recipe. Note that when cooking this dish, keep the temperature of the oil at medium and do not allow the oil to reach overly high temps.
- Low Carb: If eating with rice, limit to ⅓ cup of cooked rice.
🍗 Other Chicken Dishes To Try
📋 Recipe Card
🤩 Have you tried this recipe? Please leave a ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating and/or a review comment below. Let's be taste buds and connect with us on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, and Twitter.
Print
Chicken Afritada
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
A simple to make one-pot meal that is tasty, delicious, and ready to serve in 35 minutes using fresh ingredients like tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, red and bell peppers, and peas.
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 2 Garlic cloves (crushed)
- 1 Medium Onion (quartered)
- 2 to 3 Medium-sized ripe Tomatoes (quartered)
- 2 pounds Chicken Breast (boneless and cut into bite-sized)
- 2 Tablespoon Fish Sauce
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- 1 Dried Bayleaf
- ½ teaspoon Peppercorns
- 10 Petite Gold and Red Potatoes (sliced in half or left whole)
- 1 Carrot (peeled and cut ½" diagonally)
- ½ each of Red and Green Bell Pepper (cut into strips)
- ½ cup of Peas (fresh or frozen)
Instructions
- In a skillet, over medium-high heat, add olive oil. When heated through, add and sauté garlic until lightly golden in color.
- Add onions and sauté until soft and translucent for about 2 minutes.
- Add tomatoes and sauté for a minute.
- Add the chicken and cook until opaque, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Optional to browning the meat slightly.
- Add the fish sauce and chicken broth, while scraping the bottom of the pan lightly. The caramelization from the meat and veggies add to the flavor as well. Add bay leaf and black peppercorns. Cover, lower the heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes.
- Add the potatoes and carrots and cook for 5 more minutes, while keeping the dish covered in the skillet.
- Uncover and then add bell peppers and peas and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Serve while warm. Enjoy!
Notes
- Meat - Chicken thighs (with bone or boneless) would work great for this recipe. Feeling adventurous, use a whole chicken cut-up so everyone can have their pick of either dark or white meat. Other than chicken, this Chicken Afritada recipe is also great to cook using pork, beef, or seafood. Do keep note that if you want something to cook in under 30 minutes, use a cut of meat that doesn't need tenderizing.
- Tomatoes - I always make this dish using vine-ripened tomatoes either from the garden or store-bought. The flavor truly is magical when using nothing but fresh ingredients. So with that said, pick fresh ingredients like potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, and peas. Disclaimer: I used frozen organic peas in this recipe to keep my cooking time at 30 minutes.
- Petite Gold or Red Potatoes - I love using this especially when I'm in a hurry because you don't need to peel, or dice and although the bag says that it's pre-washed, I still like to give the potatoes a quick rinse. If you prefer you can use other types of potatoes. My favorite is the Yukon Gold. Did you know that potatoes with darker-colored skin (like Yukon Gold potatoes) are healthier and better for you? Well, now you do!
- Fish Sauce - Did you know it's Gluten-Free? Be sure to read the label to make sure there's no wheat in it. (See KEY Ingredients Note above.)
- Any chicken broth will work for this dish, however, I prefer my own homemade chicken stock.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Chicken
- Method: Sauté
- Cuisine: Philippine
Keywords: chicken afritada, healthy chicken recipe, healthy chicken afritada, chicken afritada with no tomato sauce, philippine chicken afritada
I love to cook delicious and healthy meals for my family and friends, and I am happy that I get to share my passion with all of you. Every food I make is full of flavorful and healthy ingredients that are quick and simple to make with ingredients that you can find in your local grocery store or online. Let's be taste buds ~ and follow me along my culinary journey. My mantra, to always cook with love, and that is after all, why I call this blog the JOZmahal. Read more about me here...
PS: If you try any of my recipes please use the tag #JOZmahalrecipes and you may be featured in my upcoming posts! ~ cook with love, my friend!
Julie
I appreciate your detailed instructions. They are very helpful! A delicious recipe that’s so easy to follow.
Jocelyn Wilhelm
Thank you for the kind words Julie. Come and visit again!
Lillian
I have never used fish sauce before. Thanks for introducing me to this ingredient. It gave the dish that umami taste. And you're right, I first added just one tablespoon, but two was perfect for me. Keep sharing recipes!
Jocelyn Wilhelm
So glad it turned out just the way you like it Lillian! 🥰 Thanks so much for your continued support.
Kayla
I love how delicious this dish turned out! Anytime I can use fresh ingredients is fine by me so thank you for sharing this recipe. I came home from work and made this and I appreciate how quick and easy it was to make dinner for my family. Can't wait to try your other recipes! Thanks again!!
★★★★★
Jocelyn Wilhelm
Hello Kayla! I'm glad you like the recipe! I love using my Instant Pot and especially for this dish, you're right, not as messy using a regular skillet. 🙂