This recipe is inspired by a classic Filipino dish called “sisig”. I had it for the first time at my (Filipino) friend’s rehearsal dinner and I just kept going back for more. It’s traditionally made with pork belly and other pork parts, making it super rich and fatty. To cut through the fattiness, a sweet and sour citrus called calamansi is added. This version uses chicken thighs and lime juice in place of those traditional Filipino ingredients and adds in butter and a runny yolk to create that same richness. And you know we’re sneaking in some veggies!
Ingredient highlight
Chicken! Chicken is a great way to get in high quality protein that’s also packed with selenium, choline, niacin (Vitamin B3), and vitamin B6, and B12.
Servings 4
Prep Time 10 minutes 
Cook Time 25 minutes Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tsp kosher salt, divided
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1-2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 red onion, chopped
- 3-4 cups thinly sliced or finely chopped veggies*
- 3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 spicy chili peppers, thinly sliced or chopped
- ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp butter**
- 4 eggs
- 3-4 cups cooked white rice (from about 2 cups dry, cooking instructions)
- *I used cabbage, mushrooms, and carrots, but any quicker cooking, finely chopped veg will work.
- *For a closer-to-the-real-thing experience, leave out the veggies (or just use 1-2 cups) and bump the protein to 1.5 lbs.
- **Sisig typically has mayo added for richness, but I prefer butter. Feel free to use mayonnaise instead.
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season all over with ½ teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and black pepper.
- In a large non-stick skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until golden, then flip, cover with a lid, and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a cutting board.
- Reserve about ¼ cup of the onion for topping. If the skillet looks dry, add in another tablespoon of oil. Add the onion and ¼ teaspoon salt. Cook the onion until it’s softened, about 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the veggies, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, and cook for another 3-5 minutes or until the veggies are softened, stirring occasionally.
- Meanwhile, chop up the chicken into very small pieces. Add it to the skillet along with the garlic and chilis and cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the soy sauce, lime juice, and butter and cook/simmer for about 2 minutes or until the butter is melted and the liquid has thickened a bit, stirring often.
- Make four divots in the veggies and crack the eggs into each one (or you can fry the eggs separately). Cook for about 2 minutes, then cover with a lid and continue to cook until the egg whites are mostly cooked through but the yolks are still runny, about 2 more minutes (they’ll continue to cook as they rest). .
- Serve over warm rice, making sure to spoon some of the juices from the skillet over everything. Top with the reserved onion. Break open the yolk and mix the egg into everything.
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Chop 1 red onion
- Finely chop 3-4 cups veggies
- Chop 3-4 cloves garlic
- Chop/thinly slice 2 spicy chili peppers
- Cook 2 cups rice (you’ll want about 3-4 cups cooked)
Substitutions:
- To make vegetarian, sub the chicken with cubed tofu (about 3-4 cups worth). Season and pan-fry it just like you would the chicken.
- To make vegan, see above + skip the egg + use vegan butter or mayonnaise.
- You could also make this using ground meat! Pork would work best because of its fattiness, but you could also use turkey or chicken. If using turkey or chicken, you’ll want to definitely use extra olive oil since they don’t have much fat.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- Warm up leftover rice covered in a dripping wet paper towel in the microwave for about 2 minutes or until warmed through. Warm up the chicken in the microwave separately or scoop it on top of the rice and microwave for 1 more minute. Top with onion.
- Turn leftovers into fried rice. Add the cold leftover rice to a hot buttered skillet and let it get crispy. Then add the chicken and cook until everything is heated through.
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