If your search on how to make the authentic Filipino Adobo brought you here, welcome! It is a wonder how such a simple recipe as the Filipino chicken adobo can produce such degree of flavour.
The first time I tried adobo was at the home of a Filipino friend back in the spring of 2019. She made it for me and I can unashamedly say now that I got hooked at that exact moment.
This dish is a balanced blend of savoury, salty, tangy, and sweet. The Filipino Adobo Chicken recipe is the true definition of a complete dish.
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What is Filipino Chicken Adobo?
Adobo or what the Spanish call adobar is simply the immersion of meats (mostly chicken or pork) in a combination of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, brown sugar1, and peppercorns.
If you do a Google search on adobo, you will come across myriads of recipes, each having its own twist, you just might end up confused on the one to follow. However, I can confidently say my Adobo recipe is not just simple, it is also endorsed by my dear Filipino friend.
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Filipino Chicken Adobo Ingredients
As mentioned, the main ingredients needed include:
Chicken Thighs
For the choice of meat, traditional Adobo is made with chicken thighs or pork, I went with the former. The meat is marinated in the marinade for a few hours before cooking and the sauce which starts off loose and liquidy turns into a deliciously thick slurry.
Soy Sauce
I use low sodium dark soy sauce for its health benefits. It is best to use good quality soy sauce as it is the key ingredient here.
White Vinegar
Lime juice can be used in the place of vinegar.
Aromatics
Some garlic and chopped shallots for that aromatic appeal.
Herbs & Spices
You will need some bay leaves, black pepper, salt and peppercorns for the marination of the chicken.
For this sauce, a little goes a long way due to the intensity of the flavours produced when the sauce thickens, cooked white rice gives it a nice balance.
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Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe
Ingredients
- 4-6 chicken thighs
- 1 garlic clove peeled and crushed
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup of white vinegar
- 1 shallot optional
- 1 tsp peppercorns
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- Bay leaves
- 1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 cup water
- Spring onions for garnish
- Cooked white rice
Instructions
- Rinse your chicken pieces thoroughly, and pat them dry.
- Into the chicken, add the garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, peppercorns, ground black pepper, and bay leaves.
- Cover the marinated chicken with a plastic wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.
- Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade making sure to save the marinade.
- Heat a large skillet, and add in the vegetable oil.
- Add the chicken skin-side down in the hot skillet. Leave the chicken to sear for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
- Flip the chicken when the skin has browned and pour in the marinade, cover the pan, and let it cook for 15 minutes on medium to low heat.
- Add the cup of water into the sauce, combine well, and leave the pan open so the sauce begins to reduce to a thickened consistency, this process should take another 10-15 minutes.
- You can add 1/2 tsp of dissolved cornstarch if you would prefer a thicker sauce.
- Turn off heat and serve hot with cooked white rice.
