Tinola (tinolang manok) is a Filipino chicken soup with a clear, gingery broth, cooked with green papaya or sayote and finished with malunggay or chili leaves. To make it, sauté ginger, garlic and onion, brown bone-in chicken, season with fish sauce, simmer in water or rice wash until tender, then add the papaya and greens. It takes about 1 hour and serves 4–6. Tinola is so classic it appears in José Rizal’s novel Noli Me Tángere.
What is tinola?
Tinola is one of the most common home-cooked soups in the Philippines: light, comforting and loved on rainy days or when someone is feeling under the weather. Its flavor comes mostly from ginger and the natural sweetness of chicken and green papaya, rather than from heavy spices.
It also has a famous literary moment. In the third chapter of Rizal’s Noli Me Tángere, tinola is served at a dinner party, and Padre Dámaso grumbles when he’s served only the neck and a tough wing, a scene Filipino students still remember.
Tinola recipe (tinolang manok)
Ingredients
- 1 kg bone-in chicken, cut into serving pieces
- 1 thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 2–3 tbsp fish sauce (patis), to taste
- 6 cups water or rice wash (hugas bigas)
- 1 small green papaya, or 2 sayote, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1 cup malunggay leaves or chili leaves (dahon ng sili)
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- Ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the ginger until fragrant, then add the garlic and onion and cook until soft.
- Brown the chicken. Add the chicken and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.
- Season. Add the fish sauce and stir for a minute so the chicken absorbs the flavor.
- Simmer. Pour in the water or rice wash, bring to a boil, skim off any scum, then lower the heat and simmer for 25–30 minutes until the chicken is tender.
- Add the papaya. Add the green papaya or sayote and cook for 5–8 minutes until just tender.
- Finish with greens. Turn off the heat, stir in the malunggay or chili leaves, and let them wilt in the hot broth for a minute.
- Season and serve. Taste, adjust with fish sauce and pepper, and serve hot with steamed rice.
Tip: rice wash (the water from rinsing rice) gives the broth a slightly creamier body, a traditional home-cook trick.
Tips for the best tinola
- Use bone-in chicken. Bones and skin give the broth its body and flavor. Native chicken (manok bisaya or native manok) makes the tastiest tinola.
- Be generous with ginger. It’s the backbone of the dish; sauté it first so it releases its aroma.
- Don’t overcook the papaya. It should be tender but hold its shape.
- Add greens last. Malunggay and chili leaves only need the heat of the broth, so they stay bright and fresh.
- Skim the broth for a clear, clean-tasting soup.
- Season at the end with fish sauce, since the broth concentrates as it simmers.
Tinola variations
- Tinolang isda (fish tinola) Especially common in the Visayas and Mindanao: fish such as tuna, mackerel or tilapia simmered in a gingery broth with tomatoes and greens. It’s quicker than chicken, cooking in about 15 minutes.
Tinolang isda made with tuna. Photo: Giovanni Carlo Bagayas. - Tinolang manok bisaya Made with native chicken, which takes longer to cook but gives a richer, more flavorful broth.
- Tinola with sayote Sayote (chayote) replaces green papaya when papaya isn’t available, with a similar mild sweetness.
- Binakol A Visayan cousin cooked in coconut water, often with young coconut meat and lemongrass, traditionally in bamboo.
- Vegetarian tinola Use tofu or mushrooms and vegetable stock, with soy sauce or salt instead of fish sauce.
A vegetarian take on tinola. Photo: Giovanni Carlo Bagayas. - Pork or beef tinola Less traditional but hearty: pork ribs or beef simmered with ginger and green papaya. Allow extra cooking time until the meat is tender.
Pork tinola. Photo: Giovanni Carlo Bagayas.
How much does tinola cost? (2026)
| Ingredient | Amount | Approx. cost |
|---|---|---|
| Bone-in chicken | 1 kg | ₱200–₱280 |
| Green papaya or sayote | 1 small papaya or 2 sayote | ₱30–₱50 |
| Malunggay or chili leaves | 1 bundle | ₱10–₱20, or free from the backyard |
| Ginger, garlic, onion | Small amounts | ₱20–₱30 |
| Fish sauce, oil, pepper | Small amounts | ₱10–₱15 |
| Total | Serves 4–6 | About ₱270–₱400 |
Rough 2026 market prices; chicken prices vary by region. For cheaper meals, see our 100-peso ulam recipes.
What to serve with tinola
- Steamed rice, always.
- A dip of patis with calamansi and chili for the chicken pieces.
- A fried or grilled dish on the side, like tortang talong or fried fish.
Looking for more light, home-style dishes? See our healthy Filipino food guide.
Storing and reheating
- Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days.
- Reheat gently on the stove until simmering. Add fresh malunggay if the greens have darkened.
- Freezing: the broth and chicken freeze well for up to a month, but freeze them without the papaya and greens, which turn soft.
Home-style dishes like tinola are cheap and easy to find at carinderias. Budget your trip’s food, stays and tours in our free calculator.
Tinola: FAQ
What is tinola?
Tinola is a Filipino chicken soup with a clear ginger broth, cooked with green papaya or sayote and finished with malunggay or chili leaves. It’s usually served with steamed rice.
What is the difference between tinola and nilaga?
Tinola is flavored mainly with ginger and usually uses chicken with green papaya and leafy greens. Nilaga is a plain boiled soup, usually of beef or pork, with vegetables like potatoes, cabbage and corn, and no ginger-forward broth.
Can I use sayote instead of green papaya?
Yes. Sayote (chayote) is a common substitute for green papaya in tinola. It has a similar mild sweetness and cooks in about the same time.
What can I use instead of malunggay?
Chili leaves (dahon ng sili) are the traditional alternative. Spinach or bok choy also work if you can’t find malunggay.
Why is rice wash used in tinola?
Rice wash, the water from rinsing rice, gives the broth a slightly fuller, creamier body. It’s a traditional home-cooking trick, though plain water works too.
What is tinolang isda?
Tinolang isda is fish tinola, common in the Visayas and Mindanao. Fish like tuna or tilapia is simmered in a ginger broth with tomatoes and greens, and it cooks much faster than chicken tinola.
Is tinola mentioned in Noli Me Tángere?
Yes. In chapter 3 of José Rizal’s Noli Me Tángere, tinola is served at a dinner, and Padre Dámaso is annoyed to get only the neck and a tough wing.
How long does tinola last in the fridge?
Up to 3 days in a covered container. Reheat gently on the stove, and add fresh greens if needed.
Cebu-born travel and food writer, raised between Cebu and Dumaguete and now based in Zamboanga del Sur, Mindanao, where he also keeps a vegetable garden. Gio writes Best Philippines Travel Guide to share Filipino food and travel with the world.