This delectable chicken Filipino adobo, the national dish of the Philippines, is super simple to make yet BIG on flavor! In Ebie Guevara's recipe, chicken is treated to a marinade that perfectly balances savory, tangy, and umami-rich. The adobo marinade reduces to a glaze-y coating over juicy, fall-apart tender chicken. In just 30 minutes, you can whip up a wholesome weeknight meal using pantry staples. It's sure to become a regular in your recipe rotation!
16clovesgarlic, smashed with the side of your knife - see notes
4bay leaves
1tablespoonwhole black peppercorns, or 1 teaspoon ground pepper
2lbbone-in chicken thighs, see notes
2tablespoonscooking oil
Instructions
Mix the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar if using, lemon juice juice, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper in a baking dish. Add the chicken pieces and mix them around so that the chicken is well coated with the marinade. Cover the dish and put it into your fridge for 30 minutes to 24 hours to marinate.
¼ cup lemon juice, 1 cup soy sauce, ½ cup cane vinegar, 16 cloves garlic, 4 bay leaves, 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, 2 lb bone-in chicken thighs, ¼ cup brown sugar
Remove the chicken from the marinade (save the marinade!) and pat it dry with paper towels. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and sear the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side, until it is nicely browned. The chicken won't be cooked at this point.
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Turn the chicken so that it is skin side facing up and then pour the reserved marinade into the pan. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let it simmer for 10 minutes. Uncover the pot and continue to simmer the chicken for another 5-10 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced by half, stirring occasionally.
Serve the chicken with some rice and lightly steamed greens on the side.
Notes
Silver Swan is the Filipino soy sauce that we use in this recipe. If you don't have any in your pantry, you can substitute Chinese soy sauce. Only use Japanese soy sauce in a real pinch as the flavor isn't quite right. If you need to reduce the sodium, go ahead and use low-sodium soy sauce.If your grocery store sells calamansi, traditional Filipino citrus, use that instead of lemon juice.This sounds like a lot of garlic, but it's the right amount. Smash each clove with the side of your knife. The chicken in Gaile and Danielle's chicken adobo always has the skin on as it adds so much extra flavor. But the skin is soft so if that is not something you enjoy, you can use skinless thighs. If you're running short of time, you can make this recipe in just 30 minutes. Skip marinating and browning the chicken and simply put all the ingredients into the pot and let it simmer for 20 minutes, until it's cooked through. It will still be delicious!