I consider chicken adobo the gateway food to Filipino cuisine (lumpia is the crack of Filipino food, but that’s another post). Any country has dishes that will certainly turn off even the most adventurous eaters, but chicken adobo is a safe bet to get everyone in the door. Chicken, a familiar protein, with its harmonious sauce of salty, acidic, and sweet flavors won’t send your most reluctant of friends running for the hills.
Chicken adobo has always been a staple in my home, my comfort food. And like all Filipino dishes, you’ll find varying recipes as to how its made, which is very true in my home. Coming home from school you knew who made the adobo, with my mother preferring a sweeter version of adobo. I remember calling my parents last year to have them walk me through how to make adobo and then suddenly hearing them argue about whether or not to put sugar!
Again, this is a fairly easy recipe for anyone to tackle, including novices in the kitchen. My parents always made it seem like it was hard to cook. And you would think it was hard to make due to the balance of all the flavors. But it’s actually pretty easy.
I also don’t marinade my adobo for too long because I think the vinegar breaks down the protein too much causing it to be chewy and dry. You’ll find other recipes that say you need to marinade it for hours, even overnight. But this recipe is pretty straightforward, especially if you don’t have much time to make dinner.
I hope you enjoy this simple recipe with your family and friends. Just serve it over some milagrosa rice topped with the sauce and a side of atchara, and you’ll have your guests thinking you’ve slaved away for ages!
Chicken Adobo
Chicken adobo is a quick chicken dish that brings together typical Filipino flavors of salty, sweet, and acidic.
Ingredients
- ~4lbs. chicken thighs (8 chicken thighs)
- 1 head of garlic, smashed
- 2/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar cane vinegar
- 1/4 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tsp fresh ground black peppers
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp sugar (optional)
- 1 tbs canola oil (optional)
Directions
- Step 1 In a large dutch oven or pot, add chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic. Massage chicken in the liquid, making sure that both sides get submerged in sauce. Then add the rest of the ingredients and massage the chicken again in the sauce. Do this for about 5 minutes.
- Step 2 Put pot on a burner set to high and bring liquid to a boil then cover. Stir occasionally, making sure to flip the chicken over. Boil for about 15 minutes.
- Step 3 Turn heat down to medium and cover again, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.
- Step 4 Uncover and let sauce simmer. Reduce sauce. About 5 minutes.
- Step 5 Take off heat and skim fat off of sauce.
- Step 6 Serve chicken on top of rice and drizzle sauce on top of both rice and chicken.
- Step 7 (Optional) If you prefer crispy skin, put canola oil in a hot skillet set to medium high. Place chicken skin side down for about 3-5 minutes until skin is crispy, making sure to work in batches.
