Skip to main content

Spaghetti Sauce Chicken Afritada

Porcelain green plate with a stewed chicken thigh and cubed potatoes and carrots next to a pile of white rice. Beside a...
Photo by Rowena Dumlao-Giardina
  • Total Time

    1 hour

Afritada, a traditional chicken and vegetable stew, is a gateway dish to Filipino cuisine. It’s a great one to prepare when someone isn’t familiar with traditional Filipino food because the core ingredients are classic flavors in almost every place in the world. It opens up the eater’s mind to the possibility of what else Filipino food may have to offer. Spaghetti sauce, instead of fresh tomatoes or tomato sauce, is used in this recipe for convenience and taste.

Ingredients

6–8 servings

1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2中洋葱减半,切成薄——一半moons
4 pounds bone-in, skinless chicken pieces
3 large potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise, and quartered crosswise
2 large carrots, coarsely chopped
2 cups unsalted chicken broth or water
1 (24-ounce) jar spaghetti sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 small bay leaves
2 red bell peppers, seeded and sliced into strips
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
2 tablespoons fish sauce, for serving (optional)
6–8 cups cooked white rice, for serving
  1. Step 1

    In a large stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook for 3 minutes, until the onions are soft.

    Step 2

    Add the chicken pieces and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until the chicken is no longer raw on the outside.

    Step 3

    Stir in the potatoes, carrots, chicken broth, spaghetti sauce, soy sauce, sugar, black pepper, and bay leaves. Stir well and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

    Step 4

    Add the bell peppers. Continue cooking for another 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork tender.

    Step 5

    Remove the afritada from the heat. Stir in the fish sauce, if using, and serve hot with the rice.

FromThe New Filipino Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from around the Globe© 2018 by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri. Reprinted by permission of Agate Surrey. Buy the full book fromAmazon.
Sign InorSubscribe
to leave a Rating or Review

How would you rate Spaghetti Sauce Chicken Afritada?

Leave a Review

  • This is easy and so flavorful. A staple in our house. I've shared this with friends and they love it too.

    • darwin2468

    • Calgary

    • 4/17/2021

  • Have made this 3 times now and turns out fantastic every single time. Very quick and easy. One of my go to recipes.

    • dame

    • California

    • 10/3/2020

  • This came out so well. I have never made this dish and had no idea what to expect. Followed the recipe and I had flavorful chicken and a delightful thick sauce with tender potatoes, and sweet peppers and carrots. Loved it!

    • Zisgurl

    • Florida

    • 11/7/2018

See Related Recipes and Cooking Tips

Read More
Soy-Sauce-and-Tomato-Braised Chicken
Soy sauce, hot mustard, and a little butter make a luxurious sauce for set-it-and-forget-it braised chicken thighs with tomatoes.
Vegetarian Lasagna With Easy Roasted Tomato Sauce
This is a vegetable lasagna that cooks can enjoy, too, not only because it’s delicious, but because it’s simple and stress-free to prepare.
Avgolemono Seafood Stew
Inspired by Greek avgolemono, this versatile stew is a seafood party with a lemony punch in a creamy broth enriched with eggs.
Spaghetti With Melon
Once it is cooked, the melon is mostly unrecognizable, and it’s fun seeing if people can guess what this pasta sauce’s secret ingredient is.
Black Pepper Beef Stew
This succulent beef and black pepper stew is a set-it-and-forget-it meal finished with bright, fresh peas.
Spaghetti With Eggplant Caponata
Lean on the oven for a hands-off approach to Sicilian-style caponata goodness.
Coconutty Beans and Greens Stew
Canned beans get a full-on makeover in this creamy, coconutty, spiced stew fortified with Swiss chard and sweet potato—perfect for cold winter days.
Spaghetti alla Carbonara With Zucchini
Diced zucchini provide a surprisingly delicious variation of this classic Roman pasta sauce.