Tiwilan

Name: Tiwilan
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 750.0 g Chicken (cut into serving pieces, thighs and legs preferred); 250.0 ml Coconut vinegar (suka ng niyog); 8.0 pcs Garlic cloves, crushed; 30.0 g Fresh ginger, sliced into strips; 3.0 pcs Bay leaves; 1.0 tsp Whole black peppercorns; 30.0 ml Fish sauce (patis); 1.0 pcs Salted duck egg (itlog na maalat), halved; 15.0 ml Cooking oil; 100.0 ml Water; 3.0 g Salt to taste

Tiwilan is an Ilonggo chicken dish that sits somewhere between adobo and paksiw, but has its own distinct personality. The chicken is simmered in coconut vinegar with ginger, garlic, and bay leaves until the meat practically melts off the bone. Unlike adobo, it skips the soy sauce entirely, letting the bright, tangy vinegar shine through. It's the kind of dish that makes you want to mop up every last drop of the sauce with steamed rice.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 45 min 4 servings From Iloilo

Ingredients

Servings:

2 4 6 8 10

750 g Chicken (cut into serving pieces, thighs and legs preferred)
250 ml Coconut vinegar (suka ng niyog)
8 pcs Garlic cloves, crushed
30 g Fresh ginger, sliced into strips
3 pcs Bay leaves
1 tsp Whole black peppercorns
30 ml Fish sauce (patis)
1 pcs Salted duck egg (itlog na maalat), halved
15 ml Cooking oil
100 ml Water
3 g Salt to taste

Nutrition per serving

Calories 380

Protein 35.0g

Fat 22.0g

Carbs 5.0g

Fiber 2.0g

Sugar 2.0g

Sodium 850mg

Per serving (4 servings). Values are estimates.

Instructions

Heat the cooking oil in a large pot or kaldero over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sear them skin-side down until nice and golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and brown the other side too. This step seals in the flavor and gives the chicken that lovely caramelized exterior.
Once the chicken is browned, push it to the side of the pot. Toss in the crushed garlic and sliced ginger, and sauté for about a minute until you can smell the aromatics filling up your kitchen. Mix them with the chicken so everything gets coated.
Pour in the coconut vinegar and let it come to a gentle simmer. You want the vinegar to cook off some of its sharpness, so let it bubble away uncovered for about 5 minutes. Don't cover yet—the vinegar needs to breathe.
Now add the bay leaves, peppercorns, fish sauce, salted duck egg halves, salt, and enough water to almost cover the chicken. The liquid should come up about two-thirds of the chicken pieces, not completely submerged.
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and let the chicken simmer gently for 35 to 45 minutes. Halfway through, give the pot a gentle stir and check that the chicken is becoming tender. If the liquid is reducing too fast, add a splash more water.
When the chicken is fork-tender and the sauce has thickened to a rich, glossy coating, turn off the heat. Let it rest for 5 minutes before serving—the flavors will continue to meld. Serve with plenty of steamed white rice so you can ladle that incredible sauce over everything.

About UlamDaily

UlamDaily is your go-to resource for authentic Filipino recipes. From classic adobo to regional specialties across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, we bring you tested recipes with step-by-step instructions. Our mission is to preserve and share Filipino culinary traditions with home cooks worldwide.

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