Our take on chicken tinola debates: There’s no point in arguing between sayote versus papaya or malunggay versus dahon ng sili. One, it’s a matter of preference and availability—do whatever you want. Two, these debates focus too much on vegetables, and too little on the most important thing about tinola: the soup!
A great tinola balances the soothing warmth of ginger with meaty chicken flavor. And if you want to achieve the latter, take our advice: Don’t be a purist about it. The flavor you extract from simply boiling your chicken can taste flat and unfinished. Give it a boost with Maggi Magic Chicken Cubes, which makes your tinola instantly tastier—as if you’ve boiled twice as many chickens for a whole day.
These tinola recipes promise a bowl of cozy comfort two ways:
- Classic Chicken Tinola, simple and straightforward.
- Golden Chicken Tinola, a creamier twist with coconut milk and turmeric.
PS. We’re Team Sayote and Team Malunggay. If you disagree, switch it out!
Classic Chicken Tinola
Tender chicken, sayote, and malunggay leaves simmered in a ginger-rich both—that’s classic tinola for you. Remember to taste and season your soup with patis before serving.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 4 chicken legs or drumsticks
- 2 chicken wings
- 8 cups water
- 1 Maggi Magic Chicken Cube
- 1–2 sayote (chayote), peeled and chopped
- 1 cup malunggay (moringa) leaves
- patis or fish sauce
Cook aromatics: Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add garlic, ginger, and onion and cook, stirring frequently, until aromatics are fragrant and just started to soften.
Cook chicken: Add thighs, chicken drumsticks, and wings to the pot. Cover chicken pieces with water. Once water starts to boil, reduce heat to medium or medium-low to maintain a steady simmer. Crumble Maggi Magic Chicken Cube into the liquid. Cover and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20–30 minutes.
Cook vegetables: Uncover pot and season soup to taste with patis. Add sayote and cook until fork-tender, about 5–8 minutes. Add malunggay leaves and stir into the soup. Serve hot and eat with steamed rice.
Shred the chicken and swap out the rice for flat rice noodles to make tinola noodle soup. You can also use sotanghon (rice vermicelli)!
Golden Chicken Tinola with Turmeric & Coconut Milk
Turmeric belongs in the ginger family, boasting a yellow-orange hue and a handful of health benefits. The spice is associated with anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, anti-diarrheal, anti-microbial, anti-viral, and antioxidant properties. That’s a lot of anti!
Adding turmeric to tinola imparts a beautiful gold color and a mild, pleasant earthiness. Inspired by Thai and Indian curries, we add a glug of coconut milk to form a creamy, sweet soup. Not your classic tinola, but twice as slurpable.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 3 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 3 chicken legs or drumsticks
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4-inch piece ginger, peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp ground ginger (optional)
- 1 Maggi Magic Chicken Cube
- 3 ½ cups water
- 1 ½ cups coconut milk
- 2 tbsp patis or fish sauce
- 1–2 sayote (chayote), peeled and chopped
- 2 heads bok choy, root end removed and leaves separated
- ½ cup malunggay (moringa) leaves
Sear chicken: Season chicken thighs and drumsticks with salt on all sides.
Heat oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces skin side down to the pot. Sear chicken until golden brown, turn, and sear the second side to brown as well. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Cook aromatics: Add garlic, ginger, and onion to the pot, then cook until aromatic and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add ground turmeric and ground ginger. Let spices bloom in the oil, 2–3 minutes.
Add Maggi Magic Chicken Cube to a small bowl. Using a spoon, crush the cube into a chunky powder. Don’t worry about getting it fine, since it will dissolve in the broth later. Add crushed chicken cube to the pot and toast with the rest of the aromatics, 2–3 minutes.
Make soup: Return browned chicken pieces to the pot. Add water and coconut milk, then bring liquid to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium or medium-low to maintain a steady simmer. Cover pot and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20–30 minutes.
Cook vegetables: Uncover pot and add sayote. Cook until fork-tender, about 5–8 minutes. Add bok choy leaves and cook, 3 minutes. Add malunggay leaves and stir into the soup. Serve hot and enjoy with steamed rice.
