Chicken Longganisa Skinless Homemade Sweet Style (Healthy High-Protein Recipe)
There is something deeply comforting about the smell of longganisa sizzling in a pan first thing in the morning. It signals that breakfast is going to be really good. This chicken longganisa skinless homemade sweet style recipe brings all of that warmth and flavour to your table, but with a much cleaner nutritional profile than the store-bought versions you will find packed with preservatives, excess sugar and mystery fillers. Made entirely from ground chicken breast and thigh meat combined, this version is high in protein, genuinely satisfying and honestly not difficult to pull together at home.
The sweet style of longganisa is beloved across the Philippines for good reason. That gentle sweetness balanced against savoury garlic and a hint of smokiness is a combination that just works beautifully with garlic fried rice and a soft fried egg. To keep this recipe healthier, the sweetness here comes from a small amount of coconut sugar rather than refined white or brown sugar. Coconut sugar has a lower glycaemic index, which means it causes a more gradual rise in blood sugar compared to regular sugar. The quantity used is intentionally modest, giving you that signature sweet note without tipping the entire dish into dessert territory. The result is a longganisa that tastes authentic but sits much more comfortably within a balanced morning meal.
Using a blend of chicken breast and chicken thigh meat is one of the key tricks to getting the right texture without using any artificial binders or excess fat. Chicken breast alone can produce a dry, dense sausage that crumbles apart. The small proportion of thigh meat contributes just enough natural fat to keep everything moist and cohesive. A tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil is also worked into the mixture, which helps the sausages stay tender during frying without becoming greasy. Dried garlic and onion powder are used rather than fresh, which keeps the mixture from getting too wet and prevents the longganisa from splitting or spattering excessively in the pan. Smoked paprika adds a gentle depth and a beautiful reddish colour that makes these look every bit as good as they taste. A small amount of oat flour is used as a light binder, which also adds a touch of fibre to the recipe.
Shaping the longganisa is easy once you get the hang of it. Small squares of cling wrap or beeswax wrap work perfectly. You spoon a portion of the mixture onto the wrap, roll it into a neat log shape, twist the ends and refrigerate until firm. This step is important because chilling the shaped sausages for at least two hours, or overnight, helps them hold together beautifully during cooking. When you are ready to cook them, a small amount of water added to the pan first allows the longganisa to cook through gently before the water evaporates, then a drizzle of oil finishes them with a lovely golden crust. This method is the classic approach and it genuinely works better than dropping them straight into hot oil. Serve your homemade chicken longganisa alongside cauliflower rice or brown garlic fried rice, a sliced tomato and a soft egg for a breakfast that is nourishing, deeply flavourful and something you will genuinely look forward to every single morning.
Ingredients
- 400 g ground chicken breast (minced or ground fine)
- 200 g ground chicken thigh (skinless and boneless, adds moisture)
- 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (worked into the meat mixture)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar (lower GI than refined sugar)
- 2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar (adds a subtle tang and helps preserve)
- 1.5 tsp garlic powder (dried, not fresh, for better texture)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika (adds colour and depth)
- 0.5 tsp ground black pepper
- 0.5 tsp fine sea salt (adjust to taste)
- 2 tbsp oat flour (use certified gluten-free oat flour if needed)
- 150 ml water (for cooking, added to the pan)
- 1 tsp olive oil (for frying, after water evaporates)
Instructions
- 1
Place the ground chicken breast and ground chicken thigh into a large mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, coconut sugar, low-sodium soy sauce and apple cider vinegar. Mix with clean hands or a fork until the liquids are evenly distributed through the meat.
Do not over-mix the meat at this stage or the texture can become too dense. Just mix until everything is combined.
- 2
Add the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, black pepper, sea salt and oat flour to the bowl. Mix again until all the seasonings are fully incorporated and the mixture holds together when pressed between your fingers.
Taste a tiny bit of the raw mixture if you are comfortable doing so, or fry a small test piece in a pan to check the seasoning before shaping all the longganisa.
- 3
Cut cling wrap or beeswax wrap into roughly 20 cm squares. Scoop about two tablespoons of the chicken mixture onto each piece of wrap. Shape into a log roughly 8 cm long and 2.5 cm wide, then roll the wrap tightly around it and twist both ends to seal.
Keeping the logs uniform in size means they will all cook evenly at the same time.
- 4
Place all the wrapped longganisa on a tray or plate and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours, or ideally overnight. This chilling step is essential as it firms up the sausages so they hold their shape during cooking.
You can prepare these the evening before for a very quick breakfast the next morning.
- 5
When ready to cook, unwrap as many longganisa as you need. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add 150 ml of water to the pan and arrange the longganisa in a single layer. Cover with a lid and let them cook for about 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until the water is nearly fully evaporated.
The water-first method gently steams the inside of the sausage, ensuring the chicken is cooked through without burning the outside.
- 6
Once the water has evaporated, drizzle in one teaspoon of olive oil and continue cooking uncovered for 2 to 3 more minutes, turning the longganisa gently until they are golden and slightly caramelised on all sides. Serve immediately.
Watch the heat carefully during this last step. The coconut sugar can caramelise quickly, which is delicious, but it can also burn if the heat is too high.
Nutrition per serving
198kcal
Calories
24g
Protein
7g
Carbs
8g
Fat
0.5g
Fibre
4g
Sugar
390mg
Sodium
Pro Tips
- ✓
Always chill the shaped longganisa for at least two hours before cooking. Skipping this step will cause them to fall apart in the pan.
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A blend of chicken breast and thigh keeps the texture moist. Using breast only tends to produce a dry, crumbly sausage.
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Use dried garlic and onion powder instead of fresh. Fresh alliums add too much moisture to the mixture.
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The water-first cooking method is the key to juicy longganisa with a golden crust. Do not skip it.
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Double the batch and freeze half for future breakfasts. Frozen longganisa can go straight from freezer to pan with a little extra water and cooking time.
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Swap oat flour for tapioca flour if you want a slightly chewier texture and a completely grain-free version.
Frequently Asked Questions
Variations
- •
Spicy Sweet Chicken Longganisa
Add half a teaspoon of cayenne pepper and a quarter teaspoon of chilli flakes to the mixture alongside the other spices. The heat balances the sweetness beautifully and gives the longganisa an extra kick.
- •
Garlic-Forward Longganisa
Increase the garlic powder to one tablespoon for a more intensely garlicky flavour profile. You can also add half a teaspoon of garlic salt in place of the regular sea salt for an even deeper garlic taste.
- •
Annatto-Coloured Longganisa
Dissolve half a teaspoon of annatto powder in the olive oil before adding it to the meat mixture. This gives the longganisa the traditional deep orange-red colour without affecting the flavour significantly.
- •
Turkey Longganisa Sweet Style
Replace all the chicken with ground turkey using the same breast-and-thigh ratio. The flavour is slightly milder but the texture is very similar, and the nutritional profile remains high in protein and low in saturated fat.
Substitutions
- •Coconut sugar → Monk fruit sweetener or erythritol (Use a one-to-one swap for a lower-calorie, low-carb version that suits keto or diabetic-friendly diets. The caramelisation will be slightly less pronounced.)
- •Oat flour → Tapioca flour or almond flour (Tapioca flour gives a slightly chewier texture. Almond flour adds a mild nuttiness and makes the recipe lower in carbs. Both work well as binders.)
- •Low-sodium soy sauce → Coconut aminos (Coconut aminos is soy-free, slightly sweeter and lower in sodium. It is a great choice if you are avoiding soy or want a more paleo-friendly version.)
- •Apple cider vinegar → Calamansi juice or fresh lemon juice (Calamansi is the traditional Filipino citrus used in many meat dishes and adds a very authentic flavour note to the longganisa mixture.)
- •Smoked paprika → Annatto powder and a pinch of sweet paprika (Annatto is the more traditional colouring agent in Filipino longganisa. Use a quarter teaspoon of annatto powder plus half a teaspoon of sweet paprika to replicate the colour and mild flavour.)
🧊 Storage
Store shaped, uncooked longganisa wrapped individually in cling wrap inside an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cooked longganisa should be refrigerated in a sealed container and consumed within 2 days. For freezing, place wrapped uncooked longganisa in a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
📅 Make Ahead
These longganisa are ideal for meal prep. Shape and wrap the entire batch on a Sunday evening, refrigerate overnight and cook fresh each morning for a speedy weekday breakfast. Alternatively, freeze a full batch and cook directly from frozen throughout the week.
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