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Pineapple Chicken Afritada

Brighten up your dinner table with colorful and vibrant Chicken Afritada with Pineapple. This Spanish-inspired Filipino dish features chicken simmered with various vegetables in a flavorful tomato sauce. It’s guaranteed to become your new favorite!

Got tired of the same chicken dishes over and over? Check out this Pineapple Chicken Afritada. Colorful, vibrant, and crazy delicious, it is guaranteed to become one of your new favorites! | yummyaddiction.com

*Note: This Pineapple Chicken Afritada first appeared on February 1, 2014. As it’s one of the most popular recipes on Yummy Addiction, I decided to update the post with new pictures and a video!

Chicken has always been the favorite type of meat in my family, hands down. It’s lean, it’s tender, it’s super versatile. However, lately, I am sick and tired of the same chicken dishes over and over. I mean, Chicken Scallopini on one day, Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry on another day occasionally going with Chicken Macaroni Salad for a lighter dinner. Sounds great, right? It sure does but we all need to freshen things up from time to time.

I am looking for new and unexplored chicken dishes all the time. Pinterest, Youtube, Google, you name it. Some experiments fail (to be frank, the majority of them) but sometimes I do find a real gem that makes it all worth it. Today is the day when I want to share my latest crush with you, guys.  Meet Chicken Afritada with pineapple!

Got tired of the same chicken dishes over and over? Check out this Pineapple Chicken Afritada. Colorful, vibrant, and crazy delicious, it is guaranteed to become one of your new favorites! | yummyaddiction.com

This Spanish-inspired Filipino dish is usually made with chicken or pork simmered in tomato sauce with various vegetables. In my case, it’s chicken with potatoes, bell peppers, onions, pineapple, and green beans. What a combination! Just look at all these colors. Vibrant, colorful, and crazy delicious!

Got tired of the same chicken dishes over and over? Check out this Pineapple Chicken Afritada. Colorful, vibrant, and crazy delicious, it is guaranteed to become one of your new favorites! | yummyaddiction.com

Chicken Afritada is really easy to make and the taste is GORGEOUS! Perfectly tender chicken, delicious sauce, yummy veggies… I fried potatoes, carrots, and bell pepper separately before adding them to the dish. The reason – this way the veggies don’t absorb the sauce and have a different texture which brings a bit of a different flavor to this meal. Such a simple trick but it works!

I just HAD to share it with you all! Don’t forget to check out my Filipino spring rolls recipe!

Got tired of the same chicken dishes over and over? Check out this Pineapple Chicken Afritada. Colorful, vibrant, and crazy delicious, it is guaranteed to become one of your new favorites! | yummyaddiction.com

Chicken Afritada With Pineapple

This Pineapple Chicken Afritada features chicken and tons of vegetables simmered in a flavorful tomato sauce. Vibrant, colorful, super delicious!
4.75 from 16 votes
Print Pin Rate
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Author: Yummy Addiction

Recipe Video

Ingredients

  • 2 lb (900g) chicken drumsticks , skin on
  • 3-4 small potatoes , peeled and cubed
  • 1 carrot , chopped
  • 1 yellow bell pepper , sliced into strips
  • 3 cloves garlic , chopped
  • 1 red onion , chopped
  • 1 14 oz. (400g) can tomato puree
  • 1 8 oz. (225g) can pineapple chunks , reserve syrup, drained
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 3 dried bay leaves
  • 1/2 cup green peas
  • salt and pepper , to taste
  • 6 tablespoons cooking oil , divided

Instructions

  • In a big pan over medium heat, heat 4 tablespoons of oil. Add potatoes and cook for about 1 minute. Then add carrot and cook for about 2 minutes. Add bell pepper and cook for about 1 minute. Remove all vegetables from pan and drain on paper towels.
  • Warm the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then add chicken and brown it slightly. Add the tomato puree, pineapple syrup, soy sauce, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken is almost tender. Stir occasionally.
  • Add potatoes, yellow bell pepper, carrots, and pineapple chunks and continue to cook for 5-6 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked. Add the green peas, season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes more. Serve hot. Enjoy!

66 Comments

  • Joel A.
    February 5, 2014 at 4:17 pm

    Looks very delicious. It has been years since I’ve tried chicken afritada. I haven’t tried it with pineapples yet but this looks perfect.

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 5, 2014 at 7:47 pm

      Thank you, Joel! Let me know if you try it out. You’ll love it!

      Reply
      • Julie
        October 14, 2014 at 1:38 am

        Can you use chicken breasts instead of the drumsticks.

        Reply
        • Jovita
          October 15, 2014 at 7:46 am

          Hi Julie! I didn’t try but I don’t see why not. Just keep in mind your cooking time may be different.

          Reply
  • Gina
    February 5, 2014 at 4:47 pm

    Wow, looks so vibrant and delicious! I’ve never heard of frying the potatoes/carrots separately to prevent them from getting mushy… I’ll try it next time, I hate soggy carrots in stews!

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 5, 2014 at 7:57 pm

      Thank you very much Gina! Hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  • Crystal S. | Apples & Sparkle
    February 5, 2014 at 6:23 pm

    Yum. This sounds really good! Just when you think you’ve seen everything there is to do with chicken, there’s something new. I love the idea of these flavors! Pinned it! : )

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 5, 2014 at 7:35 pm

      Hi Crystal! I’m very happy you liked it! Thanks for pinning! 😉

      Reply
  • Yelena
    February 5, 2014 at 6:30 pm

    Looks great! the colors mix well together and it looks absolutely mouthwatering!4 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 5, 2014 at 7:40 pm

      Thanks for the kind words, Yelena!

      Reply
  • Allen
    February 10, 2014 at 9:02 am

    An all time Filipino favourite!!! Yummy Jovita, you nailed it 🙂

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 10, 2014 at 9:15 am

      I’m glad you like it, Allen! 🙂

      Reply
  • CakePants
    February 12, 2014 at 4:28 am

    I’d never heard of afritada before, but this sounds great! The combination of pineapple with the chicken and veggies is an intriguing and enticing one.

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 12, 2014 at 8:24 am

      Thank you for your kind words!

      Reply
  • Melissa Gusman
    March 24, 2014 at 6:41 pm

    I am dying to try this, but haven’t really Browned drumsticks in the stovetop before. Do I just turn them so that the skin gets browned, and leave the skin on after adding the other ingredients? I bought all ingredients and will be trying it this week!

    Reply
    • Jovita
      March 24, 2014 at 8:00 pm

      Hi, Melissa! I’m so glad you decided to try this. Yes, you should fry drumsticks until they are nicely browned on all sides. Then leave the skin on and add the other ingredients. The browning seals in flavor and moisture and adds a lot of flavor. 😉

      Reply
  • Melissa Gusman
    March 27, 2014 at 12:27 am

    I followed your directions for frying and it came out great! Loved the sweet and sour sauce, and the chicken cooked up just right and was tender. Thanks for posting!

    Reply
    • Jovita
      March 27, 2014 at 8:09 am

      Thanks so much for reporting back, I appreciate it so much, Melissa! And I’m so happy you loved it! Let me know any recipes you try next. 😉

      Reply
  • Alisha
    May 12, 2014 at 7:33 pm

    Is this just a dish you’d eat on its own, or with rice?

    Reply
    • Jovita
      May 12, 2014 at 8:08 pm

      Hi, Alisha! Usually it is served with rice but it can be eaten on its own too.

      Reply
  • Dy Torreon
    June 16, 2014 at 3:08 am

    yummy 🙂 .. i will try this to impress my girlfriend. thanks for posting.4 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      June 16, 2014 at 7:36 am

      Thanks, I know she will love this! 🙂

      Reply
  • Ellen Mae
    June 18, 2014 at 3:53 pm

    Hi! I love afritada, and the pineapple sounds like an amazing addition. Would chicken thighs be the same amount of cook time?

    Reply
    • Jovita
      June 19, 2014 at 6:38 pm

      Hi, Ellen! Actually, I have never tried this with chicken thighs. Try to increase the simmering time from 20 minutes to 25-27 minutes, then continue the process according to the recipe. If you try this, let me know how it turns out. 😉

      Reply
  • divina
    June 20, 2014 at 5:39 pm

    I’ve been looking for an afritada recipe with pineapple. I’m trying this right now, looking at the recipe in my laptop live with cooking 🙂

    Reply
    • Jovita
      June 20, 2014 at 7:15 pm

      Hi, Divina! I’m glad you decided to try this recipe! I truly hope you enjoy this dish, not only enjoy eating it but enjoy making it! 😉

      Reply
  • divina
    June 20, 2014 at 7:19 pm

    Done cooking and eating it with rice. It is yummy indeed!

    Reply
  • Joy
    August 19, 2014 at 12:36 pm

    I cooked this for my sweetheart today and he absolutely loved it! Thanks for sharing this wonderful recipe, Jovita 🙂

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 19, 2014 at 5:11 pm

      Hi, Joy! Thanks for reporting back, I appreciate it so much! It’s always great to know that someone loved my recipe. 🙂

      Reply
  • lani
    September 15, 2014 at 12:45 am

    The American tomato puree is a but too tomato tasting. Asian puree sauce would be much better. Mine came out too thick.3 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      September 15, 2014 at 5:58 am

      Sorry for that. You can add a little hot water to thin out the sauce. I’m not from America so I didn’t know that tomato puree can be so different in other countries… You could try another time to use canned tomatoes and puree them in a blender or food processor.

      Reply
  • Kerry
    September 29, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    I made this for my Filipino boyfriend last night and he kept saying things like “You even put the pineapple and bay leaves in it! And you put the little peas in!” He loved it, and the dish made him nostalgic for his childhood.

    It may not be to everyone’s taste (that sweet/sour/tomato combination is unusual for Americans) it tasted totally authentic to him. Thank you for a great recipe!5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      September 29, 2014 at 7:45 pm

      Thanks for reporting back Kerry, I appreciate it so much! I’m so happy your boyfriend loved this and it reminded him his childhood – it’s like a compliment to me. 😉 Thanks!

      Reply
  • Roxan
    December 15, 2014 at 4:23 pm

    Hello, Jovita! I wanted to say thank you for posting this recipe. It was so delicious and exactly what I needed on a cold, wintery day. I am Filipino and this dish definitely brought back memories with my family, especially my grandmother, and our hearty meals. The pineapple was such a great addition and gave the flavors a good complexity.

    I am slowly introducing my boyfriend to Filipino food and cooked this for him for the first time. He loved it! We ran out of peas so we did without it and I used some leftover pancetta slices to cook with the garlic. I also added a few sprigs of thyme which were intended just for pictures but I was being so finnicky with doing it that it cooked in. The pineapple can I got was a bit too tart also, so I added a pinch of sugar to balance it out. All in all, this was a GREAT 5-star recipe! We had it again the next day for brunch! I threw the leftovers in some sauteed garlic and leftover rice and it became an afritada-flavored morning fried rice (sinangag, in Tagalog).

    Salamat! 5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      December 15, 2014 at 6:08 pm

      Thanks, Roxan! Your comment made my day! I am thrilled you and your boyfriend loved this recipe so much. By the way, it’s a good idea to add a little thyme. Maybe I will try it next time. Again, thanks for letting me know! 🙂

      Reply
  • Marcy
    February 25, 2015 at 11:02 pm

    Hello Jovita. I made this for my husband who is half Filipino and he said it was just like his mom made!! I did use chicken thighs, and wound up increasing the cooking time by another 15-20 minutes. Do you think this can be made in a crock pot? I ask because my potatoes and carrots did not cook fully. I had to continue cooking them even after they were added back in. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 26, 2015 at 2:10 pm

      Hi Marcy, thanks for the comment. I’m so happy to hear your husband liked this stew! Actually, I don’t have a crock pot, it’s not a common thing in my country… Next time you can try to cut vegetables into smaller pieces so it doesn’t take too long to cook. Hope it helps! 😉

      Reply
  • Melissa
    June 8, 2015 at 9:50 pm

    We ate this the other night and it was great! Thanks for the recipe! Could this be turned into a freezer meal? If so, at what stage would you freeze and how would you cook it once it has thawed?

    Reply
  • Razena | Tantalisemytastebuds.com
    July 5, 2016 at 9:03 pm

    Looks delicious and I love the addition of pineapple 🙂5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 7, 2016 at 7:32 am

      It really is delicious! One of my favorite dinners ever 🙂

      Reply
  • Laura | Wandercooks
    July 5, 2016 at 11:51 pm

    Oh yum this looks amazing. We’ll have to cook it as a surprise for our Filipino housemate! Love your suggestion about cooking the potatoes separately to keep the flavours separate too. These little touches can make all the difference to the final dish. Can’t wait to try! 🙂5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 7, 2016 at 7:34 am

      Laura, I am sure your housemate will love it (and so will you)! I am making this dish for few years now and still can’t get enough!

      Reply
  • Claudia | Gourmet Project
    July 6, 2016 at 6:50 am

    I love the frying of potatoes and carrots apart, it must give it a special texture. Must try asap!5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 7, 2016 at 7:36 am

      This little trick makes everything better 🙂

      Reply
  • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine
    July 6, 2016 at 10:30 am

    I think I’ll be making this tonight!! Love all those flavors!5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 7, 2016 at 7:37 am

      Tell me how you liked it when you try it, Rebecca 😉

      Reply
  • Bintu - Recipes From A Pantry
    July 6, 2016 at 11:58 am

    This stew looks really tasty, and interesting that you add pineapple. I will have to cook it soon!5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 7, 2016 at 7:38 am

      I made this stew for so many people throughout these years and everyone loved it 😉

      Reply
  • Sherri @ Watch Learn Eat
    July 6, 2016 at 12:33 pm

    I’ve never tried this dish before, but it looks absolutely gorgeous! The colors are beautiful and the flavor combination sounds soooooo good! A must try! 🙂5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 7, 2016 at 7:38 am

      You HAVE to try it, Sherri, because this one is a winner! 🙂

      Reply
  • Amy
    July 6, 2016 at 12:46 pm

    This looks excellent and could easily be made Whole 30 compliant (for those who are interested in that) by subbing coconut aminos for the soy sauce! I will have to try it as I am looking to do another round of Whole 30 soon!

    Reply
    • Jovita
      August 7, 2016 at 7:32 am

      Amy, I am glad that you liked it!

      Reply
  • Maricel
    July 27, 2016 at 8:18 pm

    I’m cooking it right now. It’s like we gonna have a delicious supper soon. Thanks for sharing this recipe 🙂5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      July 28, 2016 at 8:20 am

      Maricel, you’re welcome! 🙂

      Reply
  • Kiani
    October 2, 2016 at 3:30 am

    Would it be the same if we cooked it with boneless skinless chicken ?

    Reply
    • Jovita
      November 26, 2016 at 2:09 pm

      I can’t see why it wouldn’t be, Kiani! Just change cooking time accordingly 😉

      Reply
  • odeza mendoza
    October 29, 2016 at 9:06 am

    I love it much…pineapple was more make delicious on it…its awesome delicious.5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      November 26, 2016 at 12:23 pm

      I am so happy you loved it, Odeza! Thanks for the comment! 🙂

      Reply
  • mjskitchen
    March 6, 2017 at 6:16 pm

    This looks fabulous!

    Reply
  • Ma-an
    December 6, 2018 at 12:22 am

    Thank you so much for this legit recipe. I’ve tried to cook it yesterday and my family and visitors were so impressed of my “hidden cooking skills” … they said. Hahaha!
    It really looks and tastes so delicious. Expectations met guaranteed!5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      February 23, 2021 at 1:53 pm

      I’m so glad to hear it! 🙂

      Reply
  • Larry
    March 3, 2019 at 4:21 pm

    I have used Sweet Pickles and raisins instead of pineapple and added Vienna sausage as this is how my grandmother served it.5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      March 27, 2019 at 4:55 pm

      That’s interesting 🙂

      Reply
  • Ces Abad
    November 27, 2021 at 7:44 pm

    I just made this recipe today and it was so delicious ? Thank you for sharing the recipe ??5 stars

    Reply
    • Jovita
      December 15, 2021 at 12:20 pm

      Thank you for coming back to leave a comment! I am glad you liked it 🙂

      Reply

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