Tiffany Haney
Chicken tocino is a Filipino staple that can be cooked in an air fryer. It is made with chicken thighs, pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, cane vinegar, annatto oil or red food colouring, and some seasonings. The chicken is marinated for a minimum of four hours but ideally overnight to absorb all the flavours. The air fryer should be lined with parchment paper and preheated to 350 degrees. The chicken is then cooked for 25 minutes, being turned a few times, until it is caramelized. It is typically served with white rice and a fried egg.
Can I cook Tocino in an air fryer?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Meat | Chicken or Pork |
| Chicken Cut | Boneless skinless chicken thighs |
| Marinade | Pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, cane vinegar, annatto oil or red food coloring, and seasonings |
| Marinade Time | 4 hours or overnight |
| Air Fryer Temperature | 350 degrees |
| Air Fryer Time | 25 minutes |
| Air Fryer Prep | Line basket or tray with parchment paper |
| Air Fryer Technique | Flip a few times for even cooking |
| Serve With | White rice and fried egg |
| Leftovers | Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge |
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What You'll Learn
Chicken tocino ingredients
Chicken tocino is a sweet and savoury Filipino dish made with marinated chicken. The chicken is typically marinated overnight to absorb all the flavours. The marinade typically includes pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, sugar, vinegar, and sometimes red food colouring.
The chicken used for this recipe is ideally boneless and skinless, and while chicken breast can be used, boneless leg or thigh meat is recommended as the extra fat keeps the meat moist and juicy. The chicken thighs also turn out to be juicier and more flavourful than breasts.
To make the marinade, combine pineapple juice, ketchup, sugar, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir until well distributed. You can also add soy sauce, vinegar, and red food colouring to the marinade.
Add the chicken to the marinade and massage the meat with the curing mixture until it is evenly coated. Refrigerate for about 4 hours or overnight to cure.
After marinating, cook the chicken in a skillet or frying pan over medium heat with a little bit of water or cooking oil. Cover with a lid and let it steam for 5 minutes or until the water has evaporated. Uncover the pan and cook until the chicken is fully cooked and caramelized.
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Marinade preparation
Marinating the meat is an essential step in preparing tocino, a Filipino staple. The dish is typically made with pork belly, pork shoulder, or pork butt, but can also be made with chicken or beef. The meat is cut into 1-inch pieces and marinated for several hours or overnight to absorb the flavours.
The marinade for tocino is what gives the dish its signature reddish colour and sweet, savoury, and garlicky flavour. While there are many variations of the recipe, the key ingredients in the marinade usually include:
- Salt
- Sugar
- Garlic
- An acidic element, such as pineapple juice, vinegar, or citrus juice
- A colouring agent, such as annatto seed, annatto oil, beet juice, paprika, or red food colouring
- Prague powder or sodium phosphate
- Sea salt
- Granulated white sugar or brown sugar
- Anisette liquor
- Pineapple juice
- Crushed garlic
- Garlic powder
- Vitamin C powder
- Red food colouring
- Annatto powder
- Paprika
To prepare the marinade, simply combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Then, add the meat to the bowl, ensuring that the mixture coats the meat evenly. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight. If you plan to store the marinated meat for longer, it is best to transfer it to a plastic bag and freeze it.
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Air fryer temperature and timing
Air fryers are a great way to cook tocino, requiring less oil than traditional frying methods and resulting in easier cleanup. When preparing chicken tocino, it is recommended that you marinate the chicken in a mixture of pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, cane vinegar, annatto oil or red food colouring, and seasonings for 4 hours or overnight. When cooking, preheat your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for 25 minutes, flipping the chicken a few times to get an even colour.
If you are cooking pork tocino, cut the meat into small pieces and place them in the air fryer basket. Set the temperature to 180 degrees Celsius and the timer to 10 minutes. It is important to note that the sugar in the tocino marinade may burn, so you can turn down the heat to 180 degrees Celsius if you want to avoid this.
When cooking any dish in the air fryer, it is generally recommended to reduce the suggested temperature by 25 degrees Fahrenheit and cut the cook time by about 20% when converting an oven-cooked recipe. Additionally, if you are cooking pre-packaged frozen foods, it is a good idea to pause and shake the basket occasionally to ensure even cooking.
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Storing and reheating
When you're ready to enjoy your tocino again, simply take it out of the fridge or freezer and reheat it in a pan or microwave until warmed through. If you're reheating from frozen, there's no need to defrost it first. Just add a little water to your pan, cover, and simmer until heated through. You can also cook it in a pan over medium heat until warmed through, being careful not to burn it due to its sugar content.
For those who prefer to cook with less oil, you can reheat your tocino in a pan without adding any oil. Simply add a small amount of water and boil your tocino. Once it starts boiling, lower the heat and let it caramelize until it's dark but not burnt. Continue cooking until you've reached your desired level of doneness, whether medium or well-done.
With these simple storage and reheating instructions, you can easily enjoy your delicious tocino multiple times!
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Chicken tocino as a Filipino staple
Chicken tocino is a Filipino staple that is typically served for breakfast with garlic rice and fried egg. The dish is made of chicken thighs, pineapple juice, soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, cane vinegar, annatto oil or red food colouring, and some seasonings. These ingredients give the dish its signature reddish colour and sweet, savoury, and garlicky flavour.
The process of making chicken tocino begins with preparing a marinade. This involves combining pineapple juice, ketchup, sugar, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl. The chicken is then added to the marinade and left to cure for about 4 hours or overnight in the refrigerator. After curing, the chicken is cooked in a pan over medium heat with the marinade and enough water to cover it. Once the meat is tender and cooked through, oil is added to the pan, and the chicken is cooked until nicely browned and caramelized.
Chicken tocino can also be cooked in an air fryer. To do this, the air fryer basket or tray is lined with parchment paper for easy cleanup. The chicken is then added to the air fryer and cooked at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, being turned a few times to ensure even cooking and a nice colour.
Chicken tocino is a popular dish in Filipino cuisine and is known for its sweet and savoury flavours. It is a budget-friendly and economical option, as chicken is more affordable than pork, and most of the ingredients are pantry staples. The dish is also versatile, as it can be served for breakfast, brunch, or dinner, and can be paired with various side dishes.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can cook tocino in an air fryer. In fact, it is a recommended method for cooking the dish.
Set your air fryer to 350 degrees Fahrenheit for cooking tocino.
It takes around 25 minutes to cook tocino in an air fryer, flipping the meat a few times to get an even colour.
Boneless chicken thighs are recommended for chicken tocino as they are juicier and more flavourful.
Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours. For the best results, leave it overnight.
