Description
Filipino Style Chicken Adobo is a classic and flavorful dish featuring marinated bone-in chicken simmered in a savory blend of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and spices. This comforting main course is perfect served with steamed rice and can be customized with potatoes or hard-boiled eggs for added heartiness.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Marinade
- 2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup white vinegar
- ½ cup water
- 6 cloves minced garlic
- 1 medium sliced yellow onion
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
Cooking
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- Optional: 2 medium potatoes, cut into chunks
- Optional: 2 to 3 hard-boiled eggs
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a large bowl, combine soy sauce, white vinegar, water, minced garlic, sliced onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and brown sugar. Add the chicken pieces and toss well to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours in the refrigerator to allow the flavors to infuse.
- Brown the chicken: Heat cooking oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the liquid. Carefully place chicken pieces in the pot, browning on all sides for 5 to 7 minutes to develop flavor and color.
- Simmer the chicken: Pour in the reserved marinade and bring the mixture to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and let the chicken simmer gently for 35 to 45 minutes until tender and cooked through.
- Add optional ingredients: If including potatoes, add them to the pot during the last 20 minutes of cooking so they become tender without disintegrating. Near the end of cooking, remove the lid and continue simmering for an additional 10 minutes to slightly thicken the sauce.
- Finish and serve: Stir in optional hard-boiled eggs if desired. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning by adding more soy sauce, vinegar, or sugar to balance the flavors according to preference. Serve the chicken adobo hot alongside steamed rice for a satisfying meal.
Notes
- For a richer sauce, caramelize the onions before adding the marinade to deepen the flavor.
- To achieve a drier, more concentrated sauce, simmer the adobo uncovered until the sauce reduces to your liking.
- Coconut milk can be added during simmering for a creamy variation called adobo sa gata.
- Using gluten-free soy sauce makes this recipe suitable for gluten-free diets.
