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Chicken Caldereta with Pickles
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How to Cook Cheesy Chicken Caldereta with Pickles

Cheesy Chicken Caldereta is a rich and hearty Filipino stew featuring tender chicken, creamy cheese, and tangy pickles, creating a flavorful balance of savory and sweet-sour notes.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time35 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Chicken Recipe
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: chicken caldereta, kalderetang manok
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 150kcal
Author: Manny

Ingredients

  • 1 kilo chicken your choice of parts, chop into serving pieces
  • 3/4 cup tomato sauce
  • 1 small can liver spread
  • 1 pc onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic crushed
  • 1/2 cup sliced pickles or pickle relish
  • 1/2 cup grated cheese or cheese whiz
  • 2 small potatoes peeled and quartered (optional)
  • 1 small carrot sliced (optional)
  • 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
  • 2 pcs red chili pepper optional
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 Tbsp. patis or fish sauce
  • 1 tsp. granulated seasoning optional

Instructions

How to cook Cheesy Chicken Caldereta with Pickles:

  • In a small pan, fry the potatoes until slightly brown and half cooked. Set aside.
  • In the same pan, leave just 2 Tbsp. of oil in the pan and saute garlic and onion until fragrant.
  • Add in the chicken pieces and saute until the skin in slightly brown then add the patis and pickles.
  • Stir cook for about 1 minute and then add the tomato sauce and water.
  • Simmer until the chicken is cooked and tender. Add in the liver spread, chilies and carrots. Simmer for another 2 minutes.
  • Then add the potatoes and cheese and simmer for another 2 minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Notes

Cooking Tips:

Sauté Garlic and Onions Until Fragrant.

How to cook your caldereta: sautéing of garlic and onions. Let it be fragrant and light golden in color when you add the chicken. It is during this step that your caldereta will actually be able to render a deeper flavor while also making the sauce more aromatic and scented.

Roasting Potatoes for Better Texture

Add the potatoes and fry them until they are lightly browned and half-cooked before adding them to the stew. This would mean not allowing it to turn into mush in the continued cooking with the sauce. It also contributes to that crunchy texture of the potatoes which will be a great contrast with the rich sauce.

Do Not Skip the Addition of Liver Spread.

Even with the liver spread being optional, it's what will give the finished product that wonderful richness. It's just for the depth of flavor, almost like this even cuts the cheese and evens out the taste at the end. Make sure you stir these well into the sauce for the best effect.