Tinola
Ginger chicken soup with green papaya or chayote — the get-well pot that is also Tuesday dinner.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Tinola is chicken simmered with a lot of ginger, fish sauce, and wedges of green papaya or chayote, finished with chilli leaves or spinach. The broth should taste of ginger first. It is not tinola if you skip the ginger.
What you'll need
9 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Chicken800 g
- Ginger40 g
- Garlic4 clove
- Green papaya, or chayote300 g
- Fish sauce30 ml
- Spinach, or chilli leaves80 g
- Water1½ l
- Rice, uncooked, to serve300 g
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Sauté ginger, onion and garlic. Add chicken and colour it. Add water and simmer 25 minutes.
30 min
Step 2
Papaya, fish sauce. Simmer until the papaya is tender. Greens at the end.
12 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 524 kcal
- Protein
- 68.1 g
- Carbs
- 39.2 g
- Fat
- 8.5 g
- Saturated fat
- 2.1 g
- Fibre
- 2.8 g
- Sugar
- 8.9 g
- Sodium
- 1626 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Fish
- Gluten-free
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 10 November.
Substitutions
Green papaya → Chayote or zucchini
Softer, still a ginger pot.
Tips
- Malunggay or chilli leaves are the traditional green. Spinach is the grocery stand-in.
- A splash more fish sauce at the table is allowed.
History & culture
The soup you make when someone is tired. Also a regular lunch with rice.
Ginger-chicken pots are old. Green papaya is the Luzon vegetable that people photograph.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Tinola take?
55 min all in — 15 min prep, 40 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 pots. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Fish. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free.
7 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Saucepan.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Fish sauce — 2 tbsp. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.
How much fish sauce?
2 tbsp of Fish sauce.
What can I use instead?
Green papaya → Chayote or zucchini. Softer, still a ginger pot.
Any tips from this recipe?
Malunggay or chilli leaves are the traditional green. Spinach is the grocery stand-in. A splash more fish sauce at the table is allowed.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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