Tinolang Manok is the ultimate comfort food! Made of chicken, green papaya, fresh spinach, and ginger-flavored broth, this Filipino soup is hearty, healthy, and tasty.
How amazing it is to be human. The things we disregard, the things we hold dear, the things we remember. I am now a forty-two-year-old woman who has gone through life and seen too much of life, and yet, every time I cook a pot of tinolang manok, a memory from an already distant past can still grip my heart and tear it apart.
I was five years old when my parents separated, and soon after, my father began another family. On one of the rare occasions we did visit him, my brothers, my father, his new wife, and his then 2-year-old son gathered around the table for a lunch of chicken tinola.
In the Philippines, or at least in our household, all edible parts of the fowl~liver, gizzards, neck, and all, are used in the soup. As there is only ONE liver, considered the most nutritious, it's usually given to the precious child of the house. When my father ladled our portions of the soup, I reached out for my bowl with a certainty that only comes from the naivety of a child that THE liver was in mine. Instead, my father, cooing as he did, plopped the coveted piece into his boy's.
I was too young then to explain the onslaught of tears, to even understand what I was crying about. All I remember was the desperate need to be back home at my mother's house, my mother's house, where I would have been the ONE with the liver in her bowl.
Cooking tips
How to serve
Tinola is traditionally served as a main dish for lunch or dinner. It's common to partake of the dish with steamed rice and fish sauce as a condiment on the side.
Storing leftovers
- To store, transfer in a container with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate for 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
- To reheat, place in a saucepan and cook to an internal temperature of 165 F.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 small onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 thumb-sized fresh ginger
- 1 (3 to 4 pounds) whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 5 cups water
- 1 small green papaya, pared, seeded and cut into 2-inch wedges
- 1 bunch fresh spinach leaves, stems trimmed
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions, ginger, and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 to 7 minutes or until chicken starts to change color and juices run clear.
- Add fish sauce and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add water and bring to a boil, skimming scum that floats on top. Lower heat, cover and simmer for about 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Add papaya and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until tender yet crisp.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add spinach and push down into broth. Cook until just wilted. Serve hot.
Notes
- Cut the chicken in uniform size to ensure even cooking.
- For a clear, cloud-free broth, remove any scum that floats on top.
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Tin says
Thank you for sharing your recipe, and also for being so vulnerable. I love your website because it's so authentic. ๐
My partner is allergic to seafood - what's a good substitute for patis? It's in so many Filipino recipes but I still want him to experience our culture. Your advice would be appreciated. ๐
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you so much for your kind words.
You can substitute salt for the fish sauce ๐
Amanda says
Thank you for sharing both the recipe and your childhood memory. Just reading about your childhood memory is pretty emotional. ๐
We love Tinola in our home! My husband is half Filipino. I make it all the time your recipe looks delicious it is exactly how I make it although I never thought to put fish sauce๐ I will try that next time.
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you, Amanda ๐
Xienna Marie says
Hello po! Can i use Soy sauce instead of the patis? And malunggay leaves?
Lalaine Manalo says
I think mas better kung salt na lang instead of soy sauce kasi iitim ang sabaw. And yes, you use malunggay leaves ๐
Nanette says
Thank you so much for your authentic Filipino recipes! They're easy and cook without too much fuss. Keep them coming!
Lalaine Manalo says
My pleasure, Nanette!
ArielJoy Fine says
I live in South America. Would it be O.K. to use green plantains if I cannot locate a green papaya?
Lalaine Manalo says
Green plantains, unfortunately, are not a good substitute here. Do you have access to chayote? They'll work well in this recipe or you can also try potatoes.
Alyssa says
Hi! I couldnt find any fish sauce. Is it okay to use patis instead?
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi Alyssa,
I am sorry for not being clear, but Fish sauce is patis.
Yuriko Marie Muna says
This is one of my favorite filipino dishes. I do have Filipino ancestry but I grew up knowing my Chamorro Japanese customs & traditions, including the food. There are some similarity in Chamorro & Filipino dishes. I think itโs because of the Spanish influence. Anyhow, I started to learn to cook Filipino dishes and like I said this is one of my favorites, including pinakbet with pork and little shrimps. Thank you for sharing your history. I agree that cooking & the smell of a dish brings back happy & sad memories. I thank the Lord for this.
Lalaine Manalo says
Hello Yuriko! It's so true, isn't it. Smelling certain dishes always brings back memories -- no matter sad or happy.
Albert says
I've been using your site for recipes. I grew up here in the US and I've always want to make sure that I keep up with my Pilipino culture and one way to do that is master the ways of Filipino cooking. I don't usually read the stories that is on each recipe page, because often I use my phone to look at recipes. This time, I am on my desktop and I got a chance to read your story... This is a really sad one and I feel for you so dearly. Coming from a divorced parents, it hits you hard when all those memories comes running back and flooding your mind with sadness. Stay strong, be amazing. Thank you for sharing.
Lalaine Manalo says
Albert, thank you for your kind words! Really appreciate it.
nathan stahlhut says
Can you use a different papaya? Does it have to be a green papaya?
Lalaine says
I use green papaya as they're firmer, not sweet, and meant for cooking. It doesn't have to be green papaya, you can also use sayote or potatoes. ๐
nathan stahlhut says
Can I use other papaya? Does it have to be green?
Lise says
Hi Lalaine,
I made your chicken tinola and it tased great!
Thank you for the recipe and for sharing a precious but tender memory from your childhood. Your story moved me so much that I cried while cooking. I cried because you should not have experienced that (as the only girl in the family). I thought your dad as very unthoughtful and he painted your childhood with pain. I understand that children should learn to deal with pain early but your family was broken and your feelings were already fragile. Your dad should've been more thoughtful to every child (and made extra chicken livers, for goodness' sake, considering his kids already feel fragile emotionally from the situation he created).
But I'm hoping you have healed and I can sense a lot of love and care in the way you cook. So in spite of the pain, you have love in the way you live. I like your cooking technique very much and I will be visiting your site often to learn filipino recipes.
And for sure, every time I make chicken tinola, I will remember your tender story (and maybe cry a bit) and I definitely will put extra chicken livers in there. I wish I was there when you didn't get your chicken liver and hugged you til the pain went away.
Thank you for sharing your recipes and techniques. We love you for that and the passion you put into what you do. โค๏ธ
Lalaine Manalo says
That's very sweet about adding extra chicken livers in the dish. Appreciate it very much, Lise! <3
Ann says
Thank you for this simple and satisfying recipe. My hubby is very picky and has the stomach flu. I made this up and served with white rice. He said, "This soup is delicious." Your memory sparked feelings of sadness of my parent's separation as well. However, looking back just makes me appreciate the person I've become, the family I have now and the extra empathy I have for kids who don't have both parents still together. Thanks for sharing!
Lalaine Manalo says
Hi Ann! Glad your hubby liked it. I agree with you. I think our experiences (good or bad) make us stronger and better people!
Eleazar samudio says
Thank you for this site . Its so very help . ๐๐
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Lalaine says
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Clarissa says
Just this morning I thought about my father, his family and how my mother and I never fit into his idea of family. Needless to say, a few tears were shed after reading your intro. I was never his number one. He fooled my mother, married her and had me. But he actually had a wife and seven other children waiting for him to petition for them to come to the states from PI. He used my mother. When they settled in SF (we lived in Daly City) we would sometimes drive by his house. They built another floor on top of their house. They had nice cars. My single mother and I were barely surviving off of her income so she frequently had several jobs. My grandparents babysat me while she worked. Today, I am someoneโs number one. Iโm married to a wonderful man and we have two brilliant kids. Thank you for being you. We will sit down together over chicken tinola and rice and be grateful for the ones who loved us first.
Lalaine Manalo says
Clarissa, I'm very happy to read about your wonderful husband and kids. I'm also now someone's number one ๐
Juvy Gomez-Calonius says
Finally cooked tinola last night after 6 months of trying to find alternative vegetable for chili leaves here in Finland. So glad for spinach! I felt home for a night and husband loving it was just a bonus. Thanks for your recipe ๐
Lalaine Manalo says
You're welcome. I am glad hubby enjoyed it ๐