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Two piece of Filipino chicken adobo - two braised chicken thighs coated with rich brown adobo sauce - on a bed of white rice, on a plate, with a sprig of bay leaves on the side.

Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe


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4.8 from 21 reviews

  • Author: Lisa
  • Total Time: 1 hour 45 mins
  • Yield: 4-6 Servings 1x

Description

Chicken adobo is the national dish of the Philippines. It's easy to cook, uses a handful of common ingredients, and tastes amazing! Fall-apart tender chicken thighs in a tangy flavorful vinegar sauce. Serve Filipino chicken adobo with white rice to soak up all the tangy delicious sauce.


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 4 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in and skin-on (7-8 thighs)
  • 1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar
  • 1 head of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped (6 tablespoons), divided
  • 2 tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced (1 1/2 cups)
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce or Filipino fish sauce
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • Chopped cilantro or chopped scallions, optional garnish

Instructions

Marinate:

  1. Put chicken into a large bowl. In a small bowl combine vinegar with 1 tablespoon of the chopped garlic,  pour over chicken and toss, to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge or in a cool place. Remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess liquid to drip back into the bowl, and transfer chicken to a clean plate. Reserve the marinade.

Cook:

  1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels (this helps it brown).
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat in a large dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid. Brown chicken in batches (4-5 pieces at a time), starting skin side down for 3-4 minutes. Then turn and brown for a minute or so on the other side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Pour out all but 2 tablespoons fat from the pot.
  3. Turn heat down to medium-low, add onions and remaining garlic to the pot and sauté, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the onions are softened.
  4. Return chicken to the pot along with any accumulated juices. Pour in reserved vinegar-garlic marinade, soy sauce, fish sauce, 1 teaspoon of black pepper, 2 bay leaves and ¼ cup of water. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, lower to a simmer, cover and cook at a low steady simmer for 1 hour or until the chicken is very tender and the sauce is a rich brown color. 
  5. Serve chicken adobo with rice and top with chopped scallions or cilantro, if desired. (See recipe post for more side dish ideas)

Notes

  • Nutrition Disclaimer: We do our best to provide accurate nutrition values using an online nutrition calculator however our nutrition information should only be used as an approximation.
  • If you are sensitive to salt or on a reduced-sodium diet, you can make this with low-sodium soy sauce.
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Cook Time: 1 hour
  • Category: Main Dish, Dinner
  • Method: Braise
  • Cuisine: Filipino