Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe
This tender Filipino chicken adobo is super simple to make yet rich in flavor. It takes as little as 30 minutes to make and is a healthy weeknight meal. See the notes for instructions on how to make this Filipino chicken adobo in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy sauce, see notes
- ½ cup cane vinegar, or rice vinegar
- ¼ cup brown sugar, optional
- ¼ cup lemon juice, fresh is best
- 16 cloves garlic, smashed with the side of your knife - see notes
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns, or 1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 lb bone-in chicken thighs, see notes
- 2 tablespoons cooking 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.
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!
Serving: 1 serving = ¼ of the recipe, Calories: 303kcal, Carbohydrates: 7g, Protein: 43g, Fat: 10g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 194mg, Sodium: 1809mg, Potassium: 590mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 3g, Vitamin A: 54IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 38mg, Iron: 2mg