Chicken Adobo is a Filipino classic that has been dubbed the unofficial dish of the Philippines. A simple blend of soy sauce, garlic, vinegar with bay leaves and whole peppercorns yields one of the most incredible sauces you have ever tasted.
I had heard of Chicken Adobo but never had the opportunity to try it until about 6 months ago. Chicken Adobo has been dubbed the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. When I took my first bite of that tender chicken in outrageous sauce, I said "Where have you been all my life??"
The classic sauce is a simple mixture of soy sauce, garlic and vinegar, with bay leaves and whole peppercorns. The vinegar gives the sauce a bit of tang, but it is not overwhelming in the least. In fact, it rounds out the flavors incredibly well. I add a touch of sugar for some sweetness. Some recipes call for coconut milk to give it a creamy, luxurious finish. Feel free to experiment and tweak the sauce to your liking.
It's the perfect weeknight meal because it is so easy to prepare. I bet that as soon as you try it, it will become one of your family's go-to meals like it has in our household. Serve this dish with steamed rice as you will want to savor every last drop of that delicious sauce.
Prepare the sauce by combining ¾ cups of water, ¼ cup of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of vinegar, and 2 teaspoons of sugar. On a cutting board, bruise 5 garlic cloves by placing the flat side of your knife on each garlic clove and then giving it a good firm push with your palm - enough to bruise it a little but not completely mash it. You should be able to easily remove the skin.
With regards to the vinegar, there are several types of Filipino vinegar that are traditionally used in this dish such as cane vinegar. However, plain white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar works well for this dish.
We're using a combination of chicken thighs and chicken drumsticks in this recipe - 8 pieces total. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat, then brown the chicken on each side. This is just to get a nice golden-brown sear on the surface of the chicken; not to cook it all the way through at this point.
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Add the garlic cloves to the pan, along with 4 bay leaves and 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns.
Pour the sauce into the pan, then turn the heat down to low. Allow it to simmer for about 5 minutes or until all of the chicken is cooked through. If the sauce starts to dry out, simply add more water to keep it simmering.
Transfer the chicken and all of that yummy sauce to a serving dish, and serve with steamed rice.
Enjoy!
PS - Love this recipe? You will love my Pork Adobo recipe as well!
Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
- ¾ cups water
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 8 pieces chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 5 cloves garlic bruised
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce by combining water, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken to the pan, searing both sides of the chicken until golden brown on the surface.
- Add the garlic cloves, bay leaves and whole black peppercorns to the pan.
- Stir in the sauce, then turn the heat down to low.
- Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes or until the chicken has cooked all the way through, adding more water if necessary to keep the sauce simmering.
- Serve with steamed rice.
- Enjoy!
tabithatalksfood says
omg I haven't made chicken adobo in forever!!!
Char says
I hope it will be on your meal plan for this week! 😀
Jag says
Madam, confirm one cup equals 250 ml? Thanks
Char says
Hi Jag,
1 cup liquid is 235ml. Hope that helps!
Cheers!
~Char