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    Home » Recipes » Mains » Chicken Adobo

    Chicken Adobo

    Last Modified: December 13, 2022 - Published by: christieathome - Comments: 14 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Chicken Adobo. A delicious tender braised chicken dish with a garlicky soy vinegar sauce that is savory and tangy made with everyday ingredients.

    Chicken Adobo

    Fantastic as a main course served with some white rice or brown rice with greens. For a healthy low-carb option, feel free to pair this dish with cauliflower rice. This also works well as leftovers next day.

    What does chicken adobo taste like?

    This cooked chicken is so juicy and tender as it is seared and simmered in a tangy savory adobo sauce and rendered chicken fat. The soy and vinegar sauce with the black peppercorns, onion and garlic give this dish its signature savory tangy garlicky taste. Don't forget to pour the remaining sauce from the finished dish onto your rice, it compliments it perfectly.

    Chicken Adobo

    Easy & Ready in 30 minutes!

    My chicken adobo recipe is easy to make with simple pantry ingredients! It’s the type of dish where you throw everything in a pot or pan to set it and forget it! I love this dish because it only uses a handful of ingredients and doesn't take much effort. I will show you how to cook chicken adobo with visuals and a video below.

    chicken adobo

    No marinating time required

    There is no marinating time required in this easy recipe! The cooking time from start to finish is 30 minutes including preparation made with simple ingredients! That's why it's one of my favorite Filipino dishes.

    National dish of the Philippines

    This homemade chicken adobo is popular in the Philippines and pairs deliciously with steamed rice and leafy greens. Chicken adobo and rice is probably one of the most iconic dishes in Filipino cuisine. It's so widely popular for good reason because it's simple, delicious yet the flavors really hit the spot thanks to the salty tangy taste. Across the country there are variations of adobo, some include using pork, fish, shrimp, and steak.

    Ingredients of Chicken Adobo

    For this recipe, you’ll need the following chicken adobo ingredients. Please scroll down to the recipe card below for full measurements.

    • Chicken thighs: I highly recommend dark meat bone-in chicken with skin on. This yields tender chicken pieces.
      • You may also use skinless chicken thighs, bone chicken like chicken drumsticks or chicken legs.
      • If you use chicken breasts, it won't be as tender or juicy but feel free to substitute with this cut for a leaner option and please only cook until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 F or until juices run clear.
    • Regular soy sauce: Just your regular all purpose soy sauce. The label will simply say "Soy Sauce". This is not the same as dark soy sauce or light soy sauce. In fact, dark soy sauce is less salty and meant for coloring a dish and light soy sauce is saltier than the regular kind.
      • If you want to make this dish gluten-free, please substitute the amount of soy sauce with coconut aminos, tamari sauce, or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice.
      • If you want less soy sauce, feel free to reduce the amount or substitute with low sodium soy sauce.
    • White vinegar: You may also substitute with rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or cane vinegar if you wish. This is the key ingredient for that tangy sauce.
    • Garlic: Filipinos like to add lots of garlic to this dish for flavorful chicken. The garlic also gives the savory sauce a garlicky taste and aroma.
    • Black whole peppercorns: This is one of the key flavoring ingredients for this simple recipe. It is iconic to Filipino Adobo.
    • Bay leaves: Adding a bay leaf is another signature ingredient to this dish. It adds a subtle bitter flavor to help prevent a dish from tasting too heavy.
    • Yellow onion, white onion, or red onion: Traditionally, this is not commonly added but it adds fantastic flavor to any chicken recipes.
    • Neutral oil: any flavorless oil like avocado oil, peanut oil, grapeseed oil, vegetable oil or canola oil.

    How to make Chicken Adobo

    Below are brief steps with visuals to show you how to make easy chicken adobo recipe. Please scroll down to the recipe card below to find full instructions and details.

    1. In a large skillet or large dutch oven on medium heat, add oil. Followed by sliced onions and cook until translucent.
    2. Move the onions aside and place chicken thighs skin side down. Allow the skin to brown, about 3-5 minutes. Do not constantly move the chicken around or it won't brown well.
    3. Pour in soy sauce, garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves and lastly white vinegar. For best results, do not stir the sauce as this prevents the acid from fully evaporating.
    4.  Bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce to a rolling simmer or low-medium heat for 10 minutes.
    5. Uncover the lid and flip the chicken over so the skin is facing up. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.
    6. Uncover the lid and continue to simmer for 3-5 minutes so the sauce can thicken a bit. Remove off heat to serve & enjoy!

    Cooking Tips

    Below are tips on making the best chicken adobo recipe:

    Use bone-in skin-on chicken thighs

    This will offer the best and deepest flavor to this dish thanks to the skin and bone.

    Onions are not traditional but highly recommended

    Onions are not traditional to this dish but they offer such an incredible flavor that I always add some.

    Brown the chicken skin first

    When you brown the chicken first, this gives the chicken skin more flavor especially when it’s cooked with the onions.

    Do not mix the sauce

    After I pour in the vinegar, I do not stir the vinegar into the soy sauce. The bubbling action will do the job for you. In fact, many Filipino households advise this tip as it helps to burn off the acid in the vinegar in the bottom of the pot. If you mix the sauce, it could create different results.

    Flip chicken over mid way

    This allows for the chicken to be evenly cooked and marinated in flavor, on both sides without disintegrating the skin.

    FAQ

    Below are frequently asked questions about this Filipino chicken adobo:

    How long will this last?

    Up to 4 days stored in an airtight container.

    What is Adobo Chicken made of?

    This basic chicken adobo recipe is made of bone in chicken thighs (or drumsticks), soy sauce, vinegar, lots of garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves and onions. The onions are not traditional but offer incredible flavour so I highly recommend adding.

    Can I make this dish spicy?

    Yes, this can be a spicy dish by adding some red pepper flakes, red chili flakes or chili peppers. I would suggest starting with ½ tsp and add more as needed at the end after your sauce has simmered.

    How can I make this dish sweet?

    Feel free to add your choice of sweetener, like brown sugar, white sugar, palm sugar, cane sugar, or honey to this dish for a hint of sweetness. I would suggest adding about 1-2 tsp to the soy sauce and then adding the mixture of soy sauce and sugar into the large skillet or pot.

    Can I use dark or light soy sauce in replacement?

    No, dark or light soy sauce won’t be salty enough for this recipe. Please use regular soy sauce.

    Chicken Adobo

    Other recipes you may like!

    If you enjoyed my Filipino chicken adobo recipe, you may like these recipes:

    • Soy Hoisin Chicken Thighs
    • Dakbokkeumtang Korean Chicken Stew
    • Soy Maple Glazed Chicken
    • Chinese Five Spicy Honey Chicken
    • Chinese Chicken Potato Stew

    If you've made my recipe and enjoyed it, don't forget to leave a star rating in the comments section below.

    *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.

    chicken adobo

    Easy Tender Chicken Adobo

    christieathome
    Chicken Adobo. A tender braised chicken dish with a garlicky soy vinegar sauce that is savoury and tangy. So easy to make in less than 30 minutes!
    4.89 from 9 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 5 mins
    Cook Time 25 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course dinner, lunch
    Cuisine filipino
    Servings 4 thighs
    Calories per serving 372 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 skin-on bone in chicken thighs
    • ¼ cup regular soy sauce not light or dark soy sauce
    • ½ cup white vinegar
    • 1 ½ tbsp garlic minced
    • ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
    • 2 bay leaves
    • ½ yellow onion sliced
    • 1 tbsp vegetable oil any neutral tasting oil

    Instructions
     

    • In a 8-inch pan or medium size dutch oven on medium heat, add oil. Once oil is hot, add onions and cook until translucent.
    • Move the onions aside and place chicken thighs skin side down. Allow the skin to brown. Do not move the chicken after it hits the pan, this will prevent your chicken from properly browning.
    • Pour in soy sauce, garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves and lastly white vinegar. For best results, do not stir the sauce as this prevents the acid from fully evaporating. (At this point, the sauce will taste very tangy due to the vinegar, but be patient and allow the following simmering process create a tasty well balanced sauce).
    • Bring to a boil. Then cover and reduce low-medium heat or a rolling simmer for 10 minutes.
    • Uncover the lid and flip the chicken over so the skin is facing up. Cover and simmer for another 10 minutes.
    • Uncover the lid and continue to simmer for 3-5 minutes so the sauce can thicken a bit. Remove off heat to serve & enjoy!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
    Copyright PolicyPlease do not copy and paste my recipes or use my photos in your own site/blog or social media. If you use my recipe for adaptation, please provide a link back to my recipe and re-write in your own words. Thank you.

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    Non stick small pan 8 inch
    Measuring Set
    Cutting Board
    Santoku Knife
    Tongs
    Nutrition
    Calories: 372kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 142mg | Sodium: 923mg | Potassium: 383mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 120IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
    Course dinner, lunch
    Cuisine filipino
    Keyword basic chicken adobo recipe, best chicken adobo recipe, chicken adobo, chicken adobo and rice, chicken adobo authentic, chicken adobo chicken thighs, chicken adobo easy, chicken adobo recipe, chicken adobo recipe easy, easy chicken adobo recipe, filipino chicken adobo, homemade chicken adobo recipe, how to cook chicken adobo
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Linda

      September 23, 2020 at 4:00 pm

      5 stars
      Wow this was so good and easy to make. I had it with some rice and leafy greens as suggest and it really hit the spot.

      Reply
    2. Never Ending Journeys

      September 28, 2020 at 8:34 pm

      5 stars
      What an absolutely delicious dinner idea! I've never heard of chicken Abodo until now, but it looks like it has a great combination of ingredients and flavors. Thanks for sharing this!

      Reply
    3. Tasia ~ two sugar bugs

      October 05, 2020 at 12:49 am

      5 stars
      The chicken look SO tender Christie! It will be a big hit at my house, thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    4. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      October 05, 2020 at 5:26 pm

      5 stars
      I love how this dish takes hardly any prep... and the flavors are dynamite! It's the perfect chicken dinner for a busy weeknight.

      Reply
    5. Emma

      May 12, 2022 at 10:18 pm

      5 stars
      Incredibly delicious and so easy! I’ve never had success cooking bone in thighs but this recipe is practically fool proof! I was skeptical that just soy sauce and white vinegar could make a tasty sauce, but it turned out to be one of the best things I’ve ever made! I chopped rather than minced the garlic (recipe says minced but video shows chopped) and served with rice and broccoli. The onions become deliciously jammy and the chicken is tender and juicy. Can’t wait for leftovers tomorrow!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        May 13, 2022 at 4:32 pm

        Thank you so much Emma for your kind review! I'm so happy you enjoyed my recipe! It's amazing how sometimes less is more when it comes to food 🙂 Have a lovely day!

        Reply
    6. Edessa

      August 10, 2022 at 12:14 pm

      5 stars
      Thank you for easy adobo recipe. Awesome for a handicap with disabilities because everything was well written and so easy to follow 🤗

      Reply
      • christieathome

        August 12, 2022 at 11:03 am

        Thanks for making my recipe Edessa, so glad you enjoyed it 🙂 Happy my recipe was easy to follow.

        Reply
    7. Ann

      December 23, 2022 at 7:07 pm

      Hi Christie, I have only had light or dark soy sauce.May I know what is regular soy sauce?

      Reply
      • christieathome

        December 28, 2022 at 11:15 am

        Hi Ann, regular soy sauce is your all-purpose soy sauce that doesn't indicate the words "dark", "light" on the label. It's usually labelled as "Soy Sauce". The one by Kikkoman or Yamasa are great. You can also sub with low sodium soy sauce to taste after the sauce has reduced. Hope this helps!

        Reply
    8. Rick

      January 18, 2023 at 4:07 pm

      I've had chicken adobo many times, several times IN the Philippines.
      This delicious recipe took me back to Manila!! For such a simple dish it sure delivers a powerful punch in the taste department.
      Thank you Christie for sharing this amazing recipe with us!!

      Rick

      Reply
      • christieathome

        January 23, 2023 at 2:24 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe Rick! I am really really happy to read my recipe takes your back to Manila! That is music to my hears. Have a lovely day!

        Reply
    9. Laura

      January 23, 2023 at 3:20 am

      4 stars
      I made this it came out nice I thought it still had a slight acidic taste even though I didn’t mix it, very nice 8.5/10.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        January 23, 2023 at 2:18 pm

        Thanks so much for making my recipe, Laura! Yes, this dish traditionally has a tangy acidic taste but if you prefer it more savoury, you can add equal parts soy sauce and vinegar and that should help make it more savory than tangy.

        Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Asian Recipe Blogger sharing delicious recipes that you can make at home! Her goal is to make Asian cooking approachable and less intimidating. With a social media following of over 500k, she has been featured on Buzz Feed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn and more! Christie's recipes have been made over and over again by her loyal readers.

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