Chicken Relleno (Rellenong Manok)

Chicken relleno is actually stuffed chicken but the only difference is the chicken is deboned. Deboned in a sense that only the bones are removed but the chicken meat is still intact. Unlike the rellenong bangus where only the skin, head and tail remains and stuffed with deboned and flaked fish meat and mixed with other stuffing ingredients.

Cooking this dish is best suited for special occasions because the procedure involve is a little tedious. Deboning the chicken requires some patience and also stuffing it with meat mixture that you have to insure that the chicken is well sewn so the contents won’t spill.

Chicken Relleno: A Family Tradition Passed Down Through Generations

Chicken Relleno holds a special place in Filipino celebrations. It’s one of those dishes that always brings people together, filling the room with laughter, memories, and, of course, irresistible aromas. The star of the dish is a whole chicken that has been carefully deboned and stuffed with a flavorful mix of pork, ham, raisins, and eggs. Unlike rellenong bangus, where only the skin and head of the fish are left intact, here the chicken retains its full shape, but the bones are carefully removed—a labor of love, truly. This dish is often the highlight of Noche Buena and family gatherings, a reminder of the meticulous care Filipino home cooks put into preparing a meal to remember.

I first learned how to make this dish from my Tita Clara, who was famous in the family for preparing it every Christmas. She would always joke that deboning a chicken took the patience of a saint, but the results were worth every second. I remember sitting in her kitchen as she carefully separated the bones from the meat, humming an old kundiman song, telling me that her own mother, my Lola Nena, had passed down this recipe.

The Art of Deboning the Chicken

One of the things that sets chicken relleno apart is the deboning process. While the idea of removing all the bones without tearing the skin might seem intimidating, it’s actually easier than it looks with a little practice. The key here is patience and precision. My Tita Clara always used a small, sharp knife to carefully work around the bones, ensuring that the meat stayed intact while gently peeling it away from the structure.

What makes this technique so important? It allows the chicken to be stuffed while maintaining its shape, resulting in a beautiful presentation once roasted. When you slice into the final dish, the tender meat is filled with savory goodness, making it look as impressive as it tastes. The deboned chicken becomes a vessel for the rich filling, which is another star of this dish.

The Perfect Stuffing Mix

Now, the stuffing is where the magic truly happens. A mix of ground pork, ham, raisins, and eggs create a savory yet slightly sweet filling that balances perfectly with the seasoned chicken. When my cousin Boyet first made this dish after learning from Tita Clara, he added his own twist by incorporating a little bit of cheese into the mix—a suggestion from his mother-in-law. At first, we were skeptical, but that cheesy richness ended up adding a delightful creaminess to the stuffing.

The beaten eggs work as a binder, holding everything together as it bakes, while the raisins add just a hint of sweetness to complement the savory ingredients. My Lola Nena used to say that the raisins are a nod to the Spanish influence on our cuisine, where sweet and savory often go hand-in-hand. The ham also brings a subtle smokiness that rounds out the filling beautifully.

Marinating for Maximum Flavor

Before stuffing the chicken, it’s important to marinate it to infuse the meat with flavor. A mixture of Sprite, catsup, soy sauce, bouillon cubes, and pepper does wonders in tenderizing the chicken while also giving it a slightly sweet, tangy taste. This is something my Kuya Joel swears by—he insists that marinating the chicken overnight is the secret to making it extra juicy and flavorful. The carbonation from the Sprite helps tenderize the meat, while the soy sauce and catsup add a nice balance of savory and sweet.

When the chicken is stuffed and ready to go, it’s sewn closed and baked to golden perfection. The key here is to make sure the ends are tightly sewn, as you don’t want any of that delicious stuffing spilling out during the baking process. The result is a beautifully roasted chicken that’s packed with flavor and filled with memories of family gatherings.

Baking and Serving

Baking the relleno at 350°F for 30 to 45 minutes ensures that the chicken cooks evenly while the stuffing inside becomes perfectly cooked as well. When you pull the chicken from the oven, the golden skin crackles slightly under the knife as you slice into it, revealing the rich filling inside. Each bite is a perfect blend of tender chicken and savory stuffing. My family always serves it with a simple liver sauce made from mashed saba bananas and sautéed chicken liver, a perfect companion that adds depth and richness to every slice.

The liver sauce is another part of this recipe that takes me back to childhood. My Ate Sonia would always prepare extra, and we would drizzle it generously over our rice. The bananas in the sauce add a unique sweetness, while the liver gives it an earthy richness that pairs wonderfully with the stuffed chicken.

A Dish for Special Occasions

Chicken relleno is not something you whip up on a casual weeknight. It’s a dish that requires time, effort, and a whole lot of love. But that’s exactly what makes it so special. Whether it’s for a Christmas dinner, a fiesta, or a family reunion, this dish shines as the centerpiece of any table. The process of deboning, marinating, stuffing, and roasting the chicken is an experience in itself, one that brings people together in the kitchen just as much as it does at the dinner table.

As I slice into a beautifully roasted chicken relleno, I can’t help but think of all the hands that have made this dish before me—my Tita Clara, my Lola Nena, and now me. Every bite carries with it a piece of my family’s story, passed down through generations, shared over plates of food and countless memories.

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

How to Cook Chicken Relleno (Rellenong Manok)

Chicken relleno is a savory, stuffed Filipino dish where a whole deboned chicken is filled with a flavorful mix of ground meat, ham, eggs, and raisins, then baked to golden perfection.

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 5 minutes mins

Course: Chicken Recipe

Cuisine: Filipino

Keyword: chicken relleno, rellenong manok

Servings: 3 servings

Calories: 254kcal

Author: Manny

Ingredients

Ingredients for Chicken Relleno:

• 1 whole small chicken deboned
• 8oz bottle Sprite softdrinks
• 1/4 cup banana catsup
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 3 pcs chicken bouillon cubes crushed
• 1- 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup ground pork
• 3 pcs egg lightly beaten
• 3 slices ham diced
• 1/2 cup cheese grated
• 3/4 cup raisins
• 1 pc small onion chopped
• 1 pc bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 pcs hard boiled eggs quartered

Ingredients for Liver Sauce

• 1 cup chicken liver chopped
• 1 cup saba plantain banana,mashed
• 1 pc onion chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 1 cup pineapple juice
• 2 1/2 cup water
• 1 Tbsp. ground pepper
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1-1/4 Tbsp. salt
• 1 tsp. vinegar
• cooking oil for sauteing

Instructions

How to Cook Rellenong Manok:

• Marinate deboned chicken in sprite, catsup, soy sauce, bouillon cubes and pepper overnight.
• Drain and prepare chicken for stuffing.
• Mix ground pork, beaten eggs, grated cheese, ham, raisins, onions, bay leaf and pepper.
• Stuff the chicken with ground meat mixture and quartered eggs.
• Sew the ends and bake for about 30-45 minutes in preheated oven at 350 °F.
• Slice and serve with liver sauce.

How to Make Liver Sauce:

• Combine chicken liver and mashed saba.
• In a saucepan, heat oil and saute garlic and onion until soft.
• Add the liver mixture. Add bread crumbs, pineapple juice, water, ground pepper, soy sauce, salt and vinegar.
• Simmer until sauce thickens. Serves 12.

Notes

Cooking Tips:

Master the Art of Deboning

Deboning a chicken can be tricky, but using a small, sharp knife helps you carefully remove the bones without tearing the skin. Take your time and follow the bones closely, peeling the meat away gently. Keeping the skin intact ensures that the stuffing stays inside and the chicken looks perfect when roasted.

Marinate for Maximum Flavor

Allowing the chicken to marinate overnight in a mixture of Sprite, soy sauce, and catsup enhances both flavor and tenderness. The carbonation in the Sprite helps break down the meat, making it juicy and tender. This extra step ensures your chicken absorbs the savory and slightly sweet flavors for a delicious result.

Secure the Stuffing Well

When stuffing the chicken, be sure to sew the edges tightly to prevent the filling from spilling out while baking. A strong, secure stitch will help maintain the chicken’s shape and keep the stuffing intact. This technique results in a beautifully presented dish that holds all its flavorful ingredients.