In my kitchen, pochero chicken brings chicken, potatoes, carrots, cabbage and cooking banana together in a light tomato broth for a Filipino-style stew. The banana adds a little sweetness to the savory chicken and vegetables.

This version uses fresh tomatoes and a spoonful of tomato paste. Add the vegetables in stages so the potatoes have time to soften while the cabbage and banana keep their shape.

Allow about 1 hour 20 minutes, including 15 minutes of prep and roughly 65 minutes on the stove. Chicken size and the size of your potato quarters can change the timing, so use the doneness checks below.

What to expect from this pochero

The broth is loose enough to spoon over rice, with softened tomatoes providing color and gentle acidity. Bone-in chicken contributes flavor as it simmers. This recipe keeps the original vegetable-rich combination; optional fish sauce and hard-boiled eggs are listed separately so you can decide whether to use them.

Choose Vegetables That Keep Their Shape

Medium potatoes cut into similar quarters are easier to manage than a mixture of tiny and very large pieces. If your potatoes differ greatly in size, focus on making the pieces comparable rather than keeping every quarter equally large. Waxy potatoes tend to hold distinct edges in a stew, while floury potatoes can soften at the edges and make the broth look cloudier.

Cut the carrots into slices of a similar thickness. Very thin rounds can become soft well before the potatoes are ready. Keep the carrot and potato pieces together for their cooking stage, and set the cabbage and banana aside separately. A little sorting on the cutting board helps you avoid adding everything to the pot at once.

Ripe tomatoes should contribute juice as they soften. Press them with the back of the spoon until their larger pieces collapse, then work in the tomato paste. This spreads the paste through the onion mixture rather than leaving a concentrated lump to dissolve after the broth goes in. The finished base should look moist and evenly colored.

Kitchen Equipment You Will Need

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• Large lidded pot
• Kitchen tongs
• Instant-read thermometer

Preparation Tips

Use a large lidded pot with room for the chicken and cabbage. Kitchen tongs help turn the pieces, and an instant-read thermometer lets you check the chicken without relying on color.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cut into serving pieces
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 plantain banana (saba), sliced
• 1 small cabbage, quartered
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Fish sauce (optional)
• Hard-boiled eggs (optional)
• Saba banana (optional)

Ingredient notes

Cooking banana: Choose firm, ripe saba or a firm cooking plantain. Very soft bananas can break apart in the broth. The recipe includes one sliced banana in the stew; the second, optional saba entry is only for an extra portion if you want it. Cook any extra slices with the first banana rather than adding them raw as a garnish.

Chicken and broth: Use a whole chicken already cut into serving pieces to make the 15-minute prep estimate practical. Do not rinse raw chicken. Keep its utensils separate from the cooked food, and taste the finished broth before adding salt or fish sauce.

How to make Pochero Chicken

1. Soften the onion and garlic

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until softened. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, without letting it burn.

2. Cook the tomatoes

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring and pressing them lightly, until they soften and release their juices.

3. Add tomato paste

Stir in the 1 tablespoon of tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to blend it into the vegetables.

4. Coat the chicken

Add the chicken pieces and turn them in the tomato mixture for 5 to 7 minutes, until the outside turns opaque. The chicken will finish cooking in the broth; it does not need to brown deeply in this moist mixture.

5. Start the simmer

Pour in all 4 cups of chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook for 20 minutes. Turn the larger chicken pieces once so they cook evenly.

6. Cook the root vegetables

Add the quartered potatoes and sliced carrots. Cover and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are nearly tender. Keep the broth at a gentle bubble rather than a hard boil.

7. Finish with banana and cabbage

Add the sliced cooking banana and any optional extra saba, then tuck in the cabbage quarters. Cover and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the banana is tender, the cabbage has softened, and a knife slips into the potatoes. Check that every chicken piece reaches at least 165°F (74°C) in its thickest part, away from bone; continue simmering if needed.

8. Season the broth

Taste the broth and season with salt and pepper. Add the optional fish sauce a little at a time if using, tasting between additions because the broth may already be salty.

9. Serve

Ladle the hot chicken, vegetables, banana and broth into bowls. Add the optional peeled, hard-boiled eggs if desired. Serve with steamed rice on the side.

Tips for even cooking

Keep the simmer gentle. Strong boiling can break up the banana and shake the meat off the bones before the potatoes soften. Once the broth boils, lower the heat until it bubbles steadily but quietly.

Check more than one chicken piece. A large thigh or breast can take longer than a wing. If some pieces reach 165°F before the vegetables are tender, lift those pieces onto a clean plate, finish the vegetables, and return the chicken to the hot broth before serving.

Leave the cabbage core partly intact. A small piece of core helps each quarter hold together. The leafy parts should soften and the thicker ribs should be tender enough to bite easily; cook a little longer if the quarters are especially thick.

What to serve with it

Plain steamed rice works well with the broth. For a seasoned option, try Juan Pollo-style rice. A small serving of spicy cucumber salad adds a cool, crunchy side. If you enjoy chicken soups, chicken noodle sujebi is another meal to save for a different day.

Storage and reheating

Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room or outdoor temperature is above 90°F (32°C). Do not leave the full pot on the counter until it cools completely. Refrigerate for 3 to 4 days, or freeze portions for longer storage; the potatoes, banana and cabbage may soften further after thawing.

Reheat only the portion you need in a covered saucepan, stirring gently, until it reaches 165°F (74°C) throughout. Add a small splash of water if evaporation has made the broth too concentrated. Thaw frozen portions in the refrigerator before reheating.

Keep the Broth and Vegetables in Balance

This is a broth-based stew rather than a thick tomato gravy. Judge its consistency with a spoonful that includes some liquid and softened tomato. If the broth seems less concentrated than expected, first check the seasoning after the chicken is fully cooked. Adding more tomato paste simply to make the color darker can overpower the gentle sweetness of the banana.

When serving, use tongs or a large spoon to place chicken and vegetables in each bowl before ladling over the broth. This makes it easier to share the potato quarters and banana slices evenly. Lift the cabbage from underneath instead of pulling at the leaves, and finish with enough broth to moisten the rice served alongside.

FAQ

Can I prepare the vegetables ahead?

Yes. Chop the carrots and cabbage and refrigerate them in covered containers. Keep peeled potatoes covered with cold water in the refrigerator, then drain them before cooking. Slice the banana closer to cooking time to limit browning.

Why is my banana falling apart?

It may have been very ripe or added too early. Choose a firm cooking banana, add it near the end with the cabbage, and stir gently. The goal is tender slices that still hold together.

Is the optional fish sauce necessary?

No. Taste the cooked broth first, then season with salt and pepper. Fish sauce is an optional seasoning, so leave it out if you prefer the flavor without it.

How do I know the chicken is done?

Check the thickest part of each piece with a food thermometer, keeping the probe away from bone. It must reach at least 165°F (74°C). Clear juices and a fixed cooking time alone are not reliable checks.