The Filipino Meal is made of two things called steamed rice and Ulam. Among various Ulam recipes, the chicken Ulam dishes are most loved by Filipino People. Your search for the healthy chicken Ulam ideas Philippines ends here as I have found some delicious Ulam recipes that will make your meal yummier and more nutritious.

Whether you want to cook lunch or dinner, chicken can be your best choice for cooking Ulam. The chicken is not only affordable and easy to cook but also offers a wide range of variety of Filipino Style chicken Ulam dishes that will blow your mind.

Why Chicken is Perfect for Everyday Ulam

The chicken is perfect for everyday Ulam because it is very easy to cook and it mixes with all types of ingredients. Moreover, the chicken Ulam is affordable and it can be cooked in many different ways. So, most people learn about budget-friendly chicken Ulam ideas and apply them to cook chicken Ulam for dinner/lunch at home.

Chicken also cooks faster than beef or pork, which is helpful for busy parents, students, and workers. Many easy chicken ulam recipes can be cooked in 30 minutes or less. This is perfect when you need a quick lunch or dinner after a long day.

15 Easy Chicken Ulam Ideas

The best thing about chicken is that it mixes with all types of ingredients and vegetables. So, you can cook chicken in versatile ways and enjoy different taste everyday. Here I will share various chicken Ulam Ideas and recipe dishes so that you can select one of them to cook today and enjoy eating it with your family.

Classic Filipino Chicken Ulam Ideas

#1. Chicken Adobo

Chicken Adobo is a classic Filipino dish loved by millions of people across the country. In Chicken Adobo, the Adobo is a sauce made with garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, soy sauce and vinegar. You need to simmer chicken pieces into this mixture till it absorbs the flavour and turns a bit tender.

When the chicken colour turns brown and its texture is tender, it’s time to stop cooking it further. To get the better taste, let it soak for a few minutes. You can pan-fry or air-fry chicken to make its skin crispy otherwise serve directly and enjoy eating chicken adobo with your family.

#2. Chicken Tinola [Tinolang Manok]

Chicken Tinola is a soup-based Ulam dish cooked in Philippines. It is popularly known as Tinolang Manok and it is made by simmering chicken in a broth. You need to add fresh aromatics like garlic, onion and ginger to make the broth flavourful and make the chicken tasty.

Instead of salt, you can add fish sauce in the broth to give it a savory taste. You need to simmer the chicken in the broth for a few minutes. As the chicken color changes a bit, it is cooked. You can use the remaining broth liquid for pouring on rice to get the best taste ever.

Pair your chicken dishes with these tasty vegetable ulam ideas to create a balanced Filipino meal.

#3. Chicken Afritada

Chicken Afritada is a tomato-based chicken Ulam dish eaten with steamed rice in the Philippines. If you like tomato-gravy based Ulam then chicken Afritada Ulam is the perfect dish for you. You need to add potatoes, carrots and bell peppers to make your Ulam colourful and nutritious.

In order to prepare Chicken Afritada Ulam, you need to simmer chicken pieces in a mixture of tomato sauce, onion, garlic and bell peppers. While cooking, the chicken turns brown and the liquid becomes thick, you can also add a little sugar to balance the taste.

#4. Chicken Caldereta

Chicken Caldereta is a richer version of Chicken Afritada, some ingredients like Liver Spread and Cheese make this Ulam creamier and deeper taste. Many people consider Chicken Caldereta as best chicken Ulam for family on special occasions like birthday party, wedding anniversary, Christmas, New Year and others.

The Chicken Caldereta also includes seasoning ingredients like garlic, onion and tomato sauce. You can add vegetables like potatoes and carrots but cook them well to soften them so that they mix with the creamy liquid of cheese and broth to offer the rich taste when eating.

Quick and Easy Chicken Ulam Ideas

#5. Garlic Butter Chicken

Garlic Butter Chicken is one of the quick chicken recipes in Philippines. It is a perfect combination of the strong aroma of garlic with the richness of butter and the yummy taste of chicken when it mixes with the ingredients.

To prepare garlic butter chicken as Ulam, you need to saute crushed garlic in melting hot butter. Wait for the garlic colour change, stir well and then add chicken pieces and cook them till the chicken turn brown. You can also add some soy sauce and black pepper for an added flavour of taste for your family.

#6. Chicken Stir-Fry

Chicken Stir-Fry Ulam is a quick and easy chicken Ulam recipe for dinner. If you want to prepare the dinner is a short time, you can go with this chicken dish. It not only easy to cook but also gets ready quickly yet offers a flavourful yummy taste.

First of all, slice the chicken into thin pieces and then stir-fry it in cooking oil with garlic, onion and other seasoning ingredients. You can add some nutrient-filled veggies like cabbage, green beans, bell peppers and carrots. The touch of soy sauce and oyster sauce can make the chicken more delicious.

#7. Crispy Fried Chicken Fillet

Crispy Fried Chicken Fillet is one of the best Filipino Chicken Recipes for people who love boneless chicken. You can buy a boneless chicken from a shop or buy a regular chicken and then remove the bones before cooking. You need to use chicken breast and thigh parts as fillet for this yummy Ulam dish.

You can use cooking oil (or butter if you don’t like oil) to fry the boneless chicken. Wait for the chicken colour to turn golden brown and become crispy. Mix it with crushed garlic, one egg, salt and black pepper. To make it tender, you can add a half cup of milk. When the Crispy Fried Chicken Fillet is ready, serve it with tomato ketchup or mayonnaise to get the best taste experience.

#8. Honey Soy Chicken

Among quick chicken Ulam ideas for everyday cooking in Philippines, honey soy chicken is a good option. In order to prepare this yummy Ulam dish, you need to cook the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce and honey along with garlic, onion and other seasoning ingredients.

The honey makes the chicken a bit sweet, while the garlic and soy sauce make it savory. You can add some chilli powder or chilli sauce to spice up this popular Filipino Ulam dish and enjoy eating it with your friends and family.

Budget-Friendly Chicken Ulam Ideas

#9. Chicken Giniling Style

Chicken Giniling Style Ulam is a well known budget chicken Ulam dish prepared in a light sauce. You need a significant amount of ground chicken to make this yummy Ulam. You should cook the ground chicken in a pan using cooking oil, garlic and onion.

Within a few minutes of cooking, the chicken colour will turn brown. Then pour some soy sauce and add sliced potatoes & carrots. Wait for the vegetables to become soft and the sauce to become thick. Finally, your yummy Chicken Giniling Style Ulam is ready to serve, eat and enjoy with the rice.

#10. Chicken with Sayote

Chicken with Sayote is an affordable yet tasty Filipino Ulam Dish served as a savory soup. The sayote (chayote) feels like cucumber and it mixes properly with ingredients to provide a really good taste. First you should cook the chicken in a mixture of cooking oil, garlic, onion, etc. seasonings.

When the chicken seems cooked, add sayote slices and let them absorb the broth. The sayote makes this chicken Ulam sweet, you can add maluggay or chili leaves if you want. It is less oily and feels light to your stomach, so anyone can digest it easily. It is a perfect Ulam dish for everyone.

#11. Chicken Adobo with Egg

Chicken Adobo is a classic Filipino Ulam dish but the addition of boiled eggs make it more filling and delicious. First you should simmer the chicken in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and pepper. When all the flavours come together, it’s time to add the boiled eggs, cook them for 2-3 minutes to finish the cooking process.

When you serve chicken adobo with egg Ulam, it feels more delicious than the ordinary chicken adobo Ulam. The chicken feels tender and the coating of eggs feel yummier with its absorbed tangy flavour. It is an easy & quick chicken Ulam that you can eat alone, eat with rice and also eat with other dishes.

Creamy and Comfort Chicken Dishes

#12. Creamy Garlic Chicken

Creamy Garlic Chicken is a Filipino Style comforting chicken Ulam dish that you must try to feel the yummy taste. The richness of creamy feel and the taste of savory flavour make this a satisfying Ulam dish for everyone. Cooking garlic chicken with cream is easy and time saving.

Starting with cooking chicken to turn its colour brown. Then saute garlic in butter or oil for a while and add cream. You can also add evaporated milk in place of cream. Once cooked, taste the Ulam, the chicken should feel soft and juicy while giving the strong garlic flavour with creaminess in every bite.

#13. Chicken Pastel

Chicken Pastel is a rich and creamy Filipino Ulam dish. You are required to cook the chicken along with chorizos, potatoes, sausages, carrots and mushrooms in a thick sauce made with soy sauce, garlic, onion, butter/oil, cream and chicken broth.

The taste of chicken pastel is a bit on the sweeter side that makes it different from the creamy garlic chicken Ulam. You can add pineapple chunks, green peas and hotdogs for added taste and nutrients. Make sure that the sauce is thick enough to coat the chicken so that you can feel the yummy flavour when eating it with rice in the lunch or dinner.

#14. Cheesy Baked Chicken

Cheesy Backed Chicken is a rich and healthy chicken Ulam that feels soft and creamy. Here you don’t fry the chicken but you bake it in the oven. Therefore it feels a little healthy, however the cheese makes i yummier and soft enough to satisfy your taste buds with every bite.

The cooking method for cheesy backed chicken Ulam is different from other Ulam dishes. You need to cut the chicken into pieces and season them well with garlic, onion, pepper and cheese. Then bake the chicken in oven. The savory and creamy taste of this chicken Ulam makes it perfect for special occasions and festival days.

Flavourful and Special Chicken Ulam

#15. Chicken Inasal

Chicken Inasal is a grilled chicken Ulam dish that makes offers yummy flavour and richness. Before you grill the chicken, you need to soak the chicken in a mixture of calamansi, ginger, garlic, lemongrass, anatto oil. The soaking of chicken makes it softer and juicy, then it is ready for grilling to prepare the Ulam dish.

Kindly remember that you need to grill the chicken over charcoal. It will add the smoky flavour to chicken. You must take care of the chicken when its grilled, keep brushing it with oil so it does not become dry otherwise you won’t get its acquired taste & flavour.

Quick Chicken Ulam Recipes for Busy Days

There are tough times that keep you busy all the day. In the evening, you realize that you need to cook Ulam in least possible time. At that moment, you are looking for a quick Ulam recipe without compromising on taste and nutrients.

Here I provide some quick chicken Ulam recipes for busy days, check out the list given below and choose the one to cook quickly for today’s dinner for yourself and your family.

1. Chicken Adobo
2. Chicken Afritada
3. Chicken Menudo
4. Chicken Tinola
5. Chicken Curry
6. Chicken Stir-Fry with Vegetables
7. Chicken Sisig

So, these seven chicken dishes get ready faster than others, you can pick one of them as a chicken Ulam on a busy day.

Tips for Making Chicken Ulam More Delicious

The chicken Ulam appears good and tastes amazing. You can make it more delicious by using the tips I am sharing here.

Marinating

You need to prepare a seasoned liquid by mixing various herbs, spices and seasonings as well as vinegar or yogurt and some oil. Then soak the cooked chicken in that liquid for 10-15 minutes. This process is called marinating and it will make your chicken Ulam more delicious.

Avoid Overcooking

You should cook the chicken up to a limit when it remains tender (soft) and juicy. The chicken pieces must not blend or become dry, this means it is overcooked.

Strong Aroma

You must use garlic, onion, ginger and pepper with some cooking oil and stir them well before adding the chicken pieces. There must be a strong aroma when add chicken in the cooking pan/bowl.

By following these three simple tips, you can turn your simple chicken Ulam into a mouthwatering Ulam that no one can avoid. For best taste experience serve hot with rice on the dinner table.

Conclusion:

The chicken can be cooked in versatile ways, therefore you can make chicken Ulam frequently using different cooking techniques. Above I have explained 15 easy and quick chicken Ulam ideas that you can use for preparing your favorite chicken dish at home.

In order to make your chicken Ulam more tempting you can follow the pro tips I have shared here. You can mix your favourite vegetables to make the chicken dish colourful and more delicious.

For more easy and budget-friendly recipes, visit ulamideas.ph for your daily meals. For any queries or doubts, you can ask in the comment section.

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