Chicken Morcon With Cheese Recipe

This morcon is stuffed with cheese!

What Is Chicken Morcon?

The morcon or beef roll is a classic holiday dish. It takes hours to tenderize the beef but the resulting dish is a super flavorful one. You can cut the time you need to cook the morcon if you swap the beef with meat that cooks faster and doesn’t need to tenderize. Plus, it’s got a delicious cheesy filling and a flavorful sauce to go with it.’

You can make this easy chicken morcon dish to shorten the time you might spend cooking; instead, you can go straight to enjoying a sumptious meal!

How to Serve Chicken Morcon

This chicken morcon recipe can be made in big batches, so that you can simply reheat it when you’re craving for a meaty Filipino ulam! Here’s how you can serve it:

Cut it in easy-to-eat discs: Once it’s cooked and has rested for a few minutes, you can slice your chicken morcon into 1-inch thick slices to make it easier for your guests to enjoy!

Serve it with rice: Chicken morcon is best served with rice. Not only is it a great option for carbohydrates in your diet; rice will also absorb the sauce that goes with the morcon, balancing the overall flavor of the dish.

Serve atsara on th side: The sweet and tangy flavor of atsara or pickled green papaya complements the savory, meaty chicken morcon.

How To Cook Chicken Morcon

To create a delicious chicken morcon dish, begin by preparing the chicken. Flatten the chicken fillets to ensure even cooking. Next, marinate the chicken in a mixture of pineapple juice, lemon juice, soy sauce, onions, garlic, salt, and pepper, allowing the flavors to permeate for at least 30 minutes.

Once marinated, remove the chicken and keep the marinade for later. Assembling the morcon requires laying out the chicken and topping it with ham, carrots, hot dogs, pickles, bell pepper, cheese, and egg slices. Roll the chicken fillets tightly and secure them with cooking twine to maintain their shape.

To create a crispy outer layer, coat the chicken in flour, dip in beaten eggs, and cover with breadcrumbs before frying to a golden brown.

For the sauce, you may use the same pan after draining excess oil. Add the reserved marinade and tomato paste. Cook until the mixture is browned and nearly reduced. Then, deglaze with water and add Knorr beef broth cubes (available here), tomato sauce, fish sauce, and ground black pepper, simmering for a few minutes to combine the flavors. Place the fried chicken back into the sauce, letting it simmer briefly to absorb the sauce. Finally, remove the twine, slice the morcon, and arrange it on a serving platter, spooning the rich sauce over the top before serving the dish hot.

Tips To Make Easy Chicken Morcon

1. Select the right cut of chicken.

The size of breast fillets are naturally perfect for this recipe, as it’s easy to roll them out into a thin, flat layer that you can roll. However, you can also use thigh fillets. They are juicier than breast fillets — something to keep in mind if you are worried about drying out your chicken while cooking.

2. Marinate your chicken to make it juicy and flavorful.

The key to a flavorful chicken morcon lies in its marinade. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes to ensure the flavors penetrate the meat. This step also tenderizes the chicken, making it more succulent.

3. Use kitchen twine to secure your chicken rolls.

When assembling the chicken morcon, make sure to roll the chicken tightly and secure it well with cooking twine. This prevents the fillings from falling out during cooking and helps maintain the roll’s shape.

4. Simmer the chicken morcon in the sauce.

After frying, simmering the chicken morcon in the sauce is crucial. This process allows the meat to soak up the rich flavors of the sauce, resulting in a moist and flavorful dish.

Chicken Morcon Storage Tips

1. Chicken morcon can be refrigerated.

Chicken morcon keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If you know you’ll have extra rolls, you can opt to store the chicken morcon separately from the sauce to prevent the rolls from getting soggy. Simply reheat the chicken morcon in an air fryer to crisp it up again before simmering it in the sauce when you are ready to serve.

2. For longer storage, freeze the chicken morcon.

The chicken morcon will keep indefinitely in the freezer! You can freeze it before or after frying, but it’s best to cook it first before frying so that you’ll have an easier time reheating it. Plus, it will keep longer too.