Chicken tocino is a Filipino breakfast favorite: boneless chicken thighs marinated overnight in brown sugar, pineapple juice, garlic and annatto, then cooked in a pan until the marinade turns into a sticky, reddish, sweet and savory glaze. It is tender, a little garlicky and caramelized at the edges. This chicken tocino recipe is made from scratch, with no packaged mix. Serve it the classic way, with garlic fried rice and a fried egg.
How to make chicken tocino: Mix brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, paprika, white pepper, annatto powder, pineapple juice and vinegar. Add boneless chicken thighs, cover and refrigerate overnight. Put the chicken in a pan with water halfway up, bring to a boil, then lower the heat, add oil and cook until the water evaporates and the sugar caramelizes. The chicken should reach 165°F.
Why You’ll Love It
- Sweet, savory and sticky. A caramelized glaze on juicy chicken.
- Made from scratch. A simple marinade from pantry ingredients.
- Do-ahead. The chicken marinates overnight, so the morning is easy.
- One pan. It simmers and fries in the same skillet.
- Not just for breakfast. It is just as good for lunch or dinner.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken thighs. Two pounds, boneless and skinless. Thighs stay juicy through the long cook.
Brown sugar. Three-quarters of a cup, packed. It gives tocino its sweetness and its glaze.
Salt, garlic powder and paprika. One tablespoon of each.
White pepper. One teaspoon.
Annatto powder. One 0.35-ounce sachet. It gives tocino its reddish color. Look for it in the Filipino or Latin section of the store.
Pineapple juice. Half a cup. It adds sweetness and helps make the chicken tender.
White vinegar. Two tablespoons, for a little tang.
Water and oil. For cooking. The water goes in first and the oil comes later.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 sachet annatto powder (0.35 ounce)
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- Water, for cooking
- Oil, for frying
How to Make Chicken Tocino
1. Mix the marinade. In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, paprika, white pepper, annatto powder, pineapple juice and vinegar until incorporated.
2. Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken and make sure it is submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
3. Start cooking with water. Place the chicken in a pan over medium heat. Add enough water to reach about halfway up the chicken and bring it to a boil.
4. Fry and check doneness. Lower the heat, add oil, and continue cooking until the water evaporates and the sugar caramelizes. Check the chicken with a food thermometer. It must reach 165°F.
5. Serve. Serve warm.
How Do You Caramelize Tocino Without Burning It?
With water. This is the trick that makes tocino work. The marinade is loaded with sugar, and sugar burns long before a thick piece of chicken cooks through. If you put marinated chicken straight into hot oil, the outside turns black while the middle is still raw.
So tocino is cooked in two stages, in the same pan.
| Stage | What is in the pan | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Simmer | Chicken and water, about halfway up the meat | The chicken cooks through gently and the sugar cannot burn |
| Reduce | Chicken and a thickening syrup | The water boils away and the marinade concentrates |
| Fry | Chicken, oil and syrup, over lower heat | The sugar caramelizes into a sticky glaze |
Stay close at the end. Once the water is gone, the glaze goes from golden to dark very quickly. Turn the pieces often so every side gets coated. If the pan dries out and the glaze starts to scorch before the chicken is done, add a splash of water or pineapple juice and keep going.
A deep caramel color tells you the glaze is ready. It does not tell you the chicken is cooked. Check the thickest piece with a thermometer for 165°F.
Tips for Success
How long should the chicken marinate?
Overnight. If you are short on time, give it at least 4 hours. Do not leave it for days, because pineapple juice can make the meat mushy.
Should the chicken be covered by the marinade?
Yes. Press the pieces down so they are submerged, or turn them once while they marinate.
Does the leftover marinade go in the pan?
The marinade that clings to the chicken goes in with it and cooks down into the glaze. It boils with the water in the first stage.
What heat should I use?
Medium to bring the water to a boil, then lower once the oil goes in. Gentle heat gives the sugar time to caramelize without burning.
Can I cut the thighs smaller?
Yes. Thinner pieces cook faster and pick up more glaze.
How Long Does It Take?
About 525 minutes from start to finish, but nearly all of that is the overnight marinade. The active work is 15 minutes of prep and about 30 minutes of cooking. Mix the marinade the night before.
What Are the Ingredients in Chicken Tocino?
Boneless chicken thighs and a sweet marinade. The sweetness comes from brown sugar and pineapple juice, the color from annatto and paprika, and the savory side from garlic powder, salt, white pepper and a little vinegar. Water and oil are used only for cooking.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerate cooked tocino within 2 hours, in a covered container, and eat it within 3 to 4 days. Reheat it in a skillet with a splash of water until it reaches 165°F, not just until warm.
What to Serve With It
Garlic fried rice and a fried egg are the classic plate. Sliced tomato or cucumber on the side cuts the sweetness. For more sweet and savory chicken, try slow cooker brown sugar chicken or slow cooker Amish chicken and sweet potatoes. For other easy chicken dinners, there are 4-ingredient slow cooker chicken, 4-ingredient French onion chicken, slow cooker chicken and baked beans and chicken and dumplings with biscuits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients in chicken tocino?
Chicken thighs in a marinade of brown sugar, pineapple juice, vinegar, garlic powder, annatto and a few simple spices.
How do I caramelize it without burning it before the chicken reaches 165°F?
Start the chicken in water so it cooks through, then add oil and fry over lower heat as the water evaporates.
How long should the chicken marinate, and does that time count toward the total?
Overnight, and yes. The 525-minute total includes the marinade.
What do you eat with chicken tocino?
Garlic fried rice and a fried egg.
Final Notes
I marinate the chicken in a zip-top bag laid flat in a dish, which keeps every piece under the marinade without turning. If you make it, leave a comment to tell me how it turned out or ask a question.
Chicken Tocino
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Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 3/4 cup brown sugar packed
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 sachet annatto powder 0.35 ounce
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- water for cooking; enough to reach about halfway up the chicken
- oil for frying
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix the brown sugar, salt, garlic powder, paprika, white pepper, annatto powder, pineapple juice and vinegar until incorporated.
- Add the chicken and make sure it is submerged. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Place the chicken in a pan over medium heat. Add enough water to reach about halfway up the chicken and bring it to a boil.
- Lower the heat, add oil, and continue cooking until the water evaporates and the sugar caramelizes. Check the chicken with a food thermometer. It must reach 165°F.
- Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
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