Chicken Adobo

Flavorful Chicken Adobo made with incredibly tender chicken thighs and a tangy vinegar and rich soy based sauce. The chicken is browned then cooks right in the sauce for plenty of time to absorb all those delicious flavors. It’s the perfect easy chicken dinner recipe!

What is Chicken Adobo?

Chicken adobo is one of the most popular Filipino dishes, and it seems as though everyone has their own way of making it. Bone-in skin-on chicken pieces are braised in a super simple sauce made up of minimal ingredients yet it packs a flavorful punch.

You’ll always find soy sauce and vinegar in the dish. Then in authentic adobo there’s usually garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns. Then not always standard is sugar. I personally think the sugar is a must to balance the salt and acidity of the sauce. I’ve made it without and it’s not near as good.

What About Marinating or Browning?

Sometimes chicken is marinated in the sauce, other times that step is skipped. I skip it because I think it has enough time to soak up flavor while cooking. Frequently you’ll find chicken is browned first in adobo, other recipes just add raw thighs right to the sauce mixture and simmer. But why not brown it to add more flavor?

Then you’ll find variations on the ingredients used for example the type of vinegar can vary from cane vinegar, to coconut vinegar or palm vinegar. And some people like to add a vegetable right to the dish while simmering such as potatoes and onions.

And as far as the soy sauce goes, for me I find full strength soy sauce to be overwhelmingly salty so I like to use half regular and half low-sodium.

The great thing about this dish is that it’s pretty forgiving so ingredients can be adjusted to taste. I the idea is to stick to the staple ingredients and to have plenty of sauce so the chicken ends up nicely seasoned and then there’s extra sauce to serve over rice.

I highly recommend this recipe, not only will the whole family enjoy it but it’s a breeze to prepare! Then just serve it with white or brown rice and a steamed vegetable to complete the easy meal.

Chicken Adobo Ingredients:

• Cane vinegar – this is a popular filipino vinegar made from sugar cane (though it is not sweet). Keep in mind the strong acidic punch will tone down as the sauce simmers.
• Soy sauce – standard soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce can be used based on personal preference. I prefer half of each or just low-sodium or it’s too salty for me.
• Brown sugar or palm sugar – this can be adjusted to taste. You can add more for a slightly sweeter sauce. If you don’t have either on hand white sugar works great too.
• Black peppercorns – if preferred you can use ground black pepper – but use freshly ground for best flavor.
• Vegetable oil – this is used for browning so you only need 1 Tbsp.
• Chicken thighs – use bone-in skin-on thighs, chicken legs or drumsticks will work great here too.
• Garlic cloves – only use fresh garlic, no substitutes. If preferred you can slice the cloves into a couple slices instead of crushing.
• Bay leaves – I use dried but fresh will work great too.

How to Make Chicken Adobo:

• Make sauce: In a glass measuring cup whisk together vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, and peppercorns. Set aside.
• Brown chicken thighs: Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Dab skin on chicken dry with paper towels then add 3 thighs to pot, skin side down. Let sear until golden brown on bottom, about 4 – 6 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a plate then repeat with remaining 3 thighs, while adding garlic to pan with chicken during the last 30 seconds to saute briefly to remove harsh bite.

• Add sauce mixture and simmer: Remove pan from heat and carefully pour in vinegar mixture, return 3 chicken pieces to the pot, skin side down. Nestle in bay leaves. Bring sauce just to a boil then reduce heat and, cover and simmer over low heat 20 minutes.
• Turn chicken halfway through cooking (for even cooking and flavor on both sides): Flip chicken to opposite side, continue to simmer until chicken is cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes longer.
• Remove bay leaves. Serve chicken warm over rice with some of the sauce spooned over**.

Where Can I Find Cane Vinegar?

Cane vinegar can be found online, stores such as Amazon. Or you can usually find it at a local Asian grocery store. It’s not a must though, I’ve also made this with rice vinegar and it’s equally as delicious.

Tips for the Best Filipino Chicken Adobo:

• Brown the chicken first for best flavor, and brown in 2 batches or it’s will be overcrowded and won’t brown.
• Use bone-in, skin-on chicken for added flavor.
• Simmer over low heat for the most tender end result.
• For a thicker sauce to serve with rice simmer with a little cornstarch slurry, don’t try reducing! Some recipes do this but sauce ends up way too salty in my opinion.
• Optionally you can trim excess skin and visible fat from chicken so sauce isn’t overly greasy.

More Asian Recipes You’ll Love:

• Beef and Broccoli
• Chicken Teriyaki
• Orange Garlic Shrimp
• Sweet and Sour Chicken
• Sweet and Sour Salmon
• Teriyaki Salmon

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