Chef Melissa Miranda’s version of chicken afritada, a popular Filipinx stew, isn’t her lola’s afritada—and that’s totally okay with her. The chicken and hearty vegetables that comprise afritada are often stewed together, but here Miranda cooks each element of the dish separately and then combines them in a skillet. The reward for all your effort is a sublime mixture of textures in every bite: crispy-skinned chicken, tender-but-not-mushy vegetables, and velvety stewed tomatoes. “This is a dish I grew up eating and is one of my go-to comfort foods,” she says. “Although it’s not as recognizable as chicken adobo, it’s definitely close to the hearts of my team and myself.”
Watch Melissa make this recipe on our YouTube channel.
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What you’ll need
Cast Iron Skillet
$30 At Amazon
Cutting Board
$10 At IKEA
Chef's Knife
$34.53 At Amazon
Tongs
$21 At Amazon
Ingredients
4–6 servings
2
1
1½
1
3
2
5
3
1
1
1
1
12
3
½
½
Preparation
Step 1
Place racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 425°. Season chicken all over with seasoning salt (or kosher salt and black pepper). Heat olive oil in a large deep ovenproof skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken, skin side down, until skin is golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Turn chicken over with tongs and cook until lightly browned on the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove to a plate.
Step 2
Add chopped bell pepper, onion, chopped carrot, and celery to skillet. Cook, stirring often, until vegetables are softened but not yet browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and bay leaves; cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, broth, fish sauce, and soy sauce. Taste and season with seasoning salt if needed. Return chicken, skin side up, to skillet in a single layer and transfer skillet to lower rack in oven. Roast until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through and deep golden brown on top, 40–45 minutes.
Step 3
Meanwhile, place potatoes and sliced carrots in a large bowl; drizzle with 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil and season with seasoning salt. Toss to coat. Transfer potatoes and carrots to a large rimmed baking sheet and spread out in an even layer. Roast on upper rack 10 minutes. Toss bell pepper pieces with remaining 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil in bowl; season with seasoning salt. Remove baking sheet from oven and add pepper pieces in an even layer. Return to oven and continue to roast until vegetables are browned and tender, 10–15 minutes more.
Step 4
Remove chicken to a platter. Stir roasted vegetables, peas, and olives into sauce in skillet. Nestle chicken, skin side up, back into skillet. Serve with rice.
How would you rate Skillet-Roasted Chicken Afritada?
Leave a Review
Reviews (55)
Back to TopExcellent flavors, excellent directions.
Anonymous
2/24/2023
This was really excellent. Roasting the chicken and vegetables separately makes it more of an effort but the reduced tomato sauce combined with the roasted vegetables....so worth the rich flavour and bite you don't really get when everything is stewed together. This reminded me a bit of Puerto Rican chicken stew, maybe because I used Adobo instead of Johnny's. Omitted the peas (didn't have any) and don't think I missed much. To those who felt it was necessary to leave petty comments because of the way a word is spelled...I hope you find peace when you grow up. Maybe make the recipe it might bring you some joy!
NA
Canada
9/27/2022
Filipinx?????????? WokeAppetit
Anonymous
4/27/2022
DELICIOUS! I was going to make a simple roast chicken thighs and roast veggies when I saw this dish and watched the video. The flavors are so basic (LOVE johnnys seasoning salt from my Seattle roots) but deep and delicious! Used vegetarian oyster sauce instead of fish sauce as that’s what I had on hand. We’ll be eating this again and again. I put the potatoes and carrots in to roast first and only cooked the chicken with sauce for 20 minutes. Removed the chicken and cooked the sauce a bit more. A forgiving recipe and just yummy!
Anonymous
3/29/2022
Adding the “x”? Pathetic.
Anonymous
3/27/2022
Filipinx? Haha! Oh how the wokesters love to create new words.
Kelly
NYC
3/26/2022
Would omit the fish sauce next time didn’t like flavor of the fish in the chicken dish
Anonymous
New Jersey
3/18/2022
Absolutely delicious. The olives are a great touch and the end. We didn't change anything and it turned out really really well.
R Salas
Denver, CO
3/16/2022
Amazing. Dabbed some sour cream into some spoonfuls and it was a really nice complement.
Anonymous
Philadelphia
2/9/2022
My wife and I made this last night for Sunday evening dinner. It was absolutely fantastic. The flavors kind of reminded me of a cross between paella and ratatouille. The flavors come together very nicely and it's not too difficult of a recipe.
Phil Shryock
Seattle, WA
1/31/2022
Tried this recipe last night and the wife and I both loved it. I made one major omission and left out the rice - just let the potatoes provide sufficient starch for the meal. Next time, I plan to leave out the potatoes and served it over rice. We highly recommend this one.
Anonymous
Fair Oaks, CA
1/27/2022
keep wokeness out of food.
filipina elder
new haven, ct
1/24/2022
Loved the great flavor! I used boneless skinless chicken breasts because that's what I had on hand. It was delicious, but I think thighs would have even more flavor. So I'll try that next time. It takes a bit of time prepping veggies and roasting, not at all difficult but better for a weekend when I have more time to cook.
Ollie
Arlington VA
1/23/2022
Depth of each layer is delicious! Easy, fun, and Quick! Can’t miss with this recipe…excellent tasty dish.
Skye
Phoenix
1/23/2022
One of the best recipes I have ever made. I had to make it again for my brother's family. Leftovers are even better. Didn't even need rice.
Merry Brown
Pacifica
1/19/2022