Filipino Chicken Adobo
The first time I tasted chicken adobo, the national dish of the Philippines, I was blown away. The salty sourness of the sauce, the fall apart tenderness of the chicken, it’s the kind of thing you want to eat often and quickly (sometimes finding yourself a little breathless and exhausted at the end of the meal). I knew this dish had to become part of the dinnertime cannon.
Researching chicken adobo became a little project for me. Two of my friends (sisters, and members of Team Mom 100) are Filipina on their mom’s side and there was no way I was going to put up this recipe unless I got their thumbs up. There was a lot of reading, and even some right-in-the-moment texting for advice with Victoria and Cialina (and their mom!). And after a few tries, I landed here, and not only got the thumbs up from my friends, but also their brother AND their mom, which I do not take lightly.
What is Adobo?
Adobo is a stewed dish, usually made with chicken or pork. It reflects the Spanish and Mexican influences on Filipino food, but it has an emphatic level of sourness, which is one of the hallmarks of Filipino food. I learned much about adobo and the flavors of the Philippines from “I am a Filipino: And This is How We Cook” by Nicole Ponseca and Miguel Trinidad, and if you are a fan of Filipino food, you should lay your hands on this book.
As with any beloved national dish recipes vary widely, and many cooks have little tricks and techniques that they use (and again, as with many coveted recipes, not everyone wants to share all of their techniques!). If you talk adobo with anyone who grew up with adobo they will probably tell you their mom’s (nanay’s) or grandmother’s (lola’s) is the best.
Dry vs. Wet Adobo
There are two kinds of adobo: dry and wet. In both cases the meat is marinated, but there are differences in the cooking process.
With a dry adobo the liquid is allowed to evaporate, and the meat finishes cooking and caramelizing in the pan in its own fat once the liquid is gone. If you’ve ever made carnitas, you’ll not that there are some similarities in that the meat starts by cooking in liquid and then once the liquid reduces and disappears, the meat continues to cook in its own fat, getting caramelized in spots, and becoming fall apart tender.
In a wet adobo, also called adobado (which translates to little sibling of adobo), the meat finished cooking in liquid, also becoming fall apart tender, but with the results being more stew-like. The sauce thickens into a gravy like consistency.
There are also versions of adobo that fall somewhere in between the two – I landed in this dry/wet intersection for this chicken adobo recipe.
Dark Meat Chicken Adobo
White meat is rarely used in chicken adobo. As Victoria said, “Pinoy (a person of Philippine descent) don’t like white meat.” Dark meat is juicier, more flavorful, and better suited to long and slow cooking than white meat, which can dry out. You can use a combination of thighs and legs, or choose one or the other.
Chicken Adobo: Fall-apart tender chicken in a salty-sour sauce is one of the hallmark dishes of the Philippines, and for excellent reason.
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Best Pan for Making Adobo
You will want to use a wide-bottomed pan, like a brazier, as you want as much the evaporation of the liquid to be slow but steady. A deep large skillet works well, a large Dutch oven is also a good choice, but avoid deeper stew or soup pots which won’t allow the liquid to evaporate at the pace it should for everything to get to where it needs to be at the same time. A rondeau is the type of pan used in the Philippines for making adobo, shaped similarly to a brazier.
Make Ahead Adobo
As with many soups and stews, it’s best to plan to prepare the dish ahead of time, and let it sit in the fridge for a day or so. Then when you reheat it gently, you’ll get a dish with the best expression of the flavors. The flavors will meld together in a very rewarding way. Not that the adobo won’t be delicious right after you make it! It will, but the dish will just have a deeper, more cohesive flavor which develops over a bit of time.
And the sourness from the vinegar will have a chance to mellow slightly – you still want it to be tart and sour, but the flavor should be pronounced but not overwhelming. In the Philippines, chicken adobo is usually made the day before eating, as it really does improve with a day or two in the fridge
Vinegar in Adobo
The presence of vinegar in Filipino food is a constant, one of the most prevalent flavors in the cuisine. Vinegar was originally used not only as a flavoring but as a preservative. Pre pre-refrigeration times, vinegar helped in preventing meat and other perishable foods from going bad. And even now, with refrigeration, the vinegar helps the cooked adobo stay good for up to a week.
The most used type of vinegar in Filipino cooking is white vinegar made from sugarcane. It is called sukang maasim, and it is slightly less acidic than distilled white vinegar. If you can’t find it you can use white wine vinegar, rice vinegar, or cider vinegar.
Another vinegar used often in Filipino cooking is called sukang iloco, and it is a dark brown, made of the molasses that is left over from making sugar from sugarcane. In the Philippines there are lots types of vinegars available, and if you have a good source for them, it‘s a fun way to play with your favorite recipes (and this one!).
Key Adobo Ingredients
Again, there are as many adobos as there are cooks, but there are some ingredients that make frequent appearances. Soy sauce, garlic, black peppercorns, and bay leaves are staples. Silver Swan is the most popular brand of soy sauce in the Philippines, thick and salty. But you can use whatever soy sauce you have on hand. Some people add an ingredient with some heat to their adobo, like chile oil, but my adobo advisors liked a milder, full on comfort food adobo. I definitely recommend this two-pack of the most popular vinegar and sauce sauce used in making adobo.
What to Serve with Chicken Adobo:
- Rice (rice is a must with adobo! White rice is traditional, brown would also be lovely.)
- Japanese Cucumber Salad
- Citrusy Mango Ginger Salsa
- Sauteed Spinach
- Spinach Salad (skip the burrata!)
Other Braised Chicken Recipes:
- Chicken Thighs with Onions and Green Olives
- Braised Chicken with Baby Artichokes and Mushrooms
- Coq au Vin
- Chicken Paprikash
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Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
- ¼ cup minced garlic
- 1 cup white wine or rice vinegar , or sukang maasim (Filipino vinegar)
- ¾ cup soy sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- 4 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or legs , or a combination
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- Hot white rice for serving
- Fresh cilantro leaves to serve
Directions
- Mix the garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves, fish sauce, brown sugar and pepper in a large container or a heavy duty sealable bag. Add the chicken, turn to coat well with the marinade, and seal the container. Refrigerate from 6 to 24 hours.
- Transfer the mixture to a large (as wide as you have it!) deep skillet or a Dutch oven. Add the chicken broth and water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked and tender, and the liquid has evaporated by about ¾, about 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. After the initial boiling, make sure the liquid stays at a gentle simmer, and doesn’t return to a boil. Turn the chicken every 10 to 15 minutes so that it cooks evenly.
- When the chicken is cooked through and tender, remove it with tongs (carefully, it should be falling apart tender!) to a plate. Continue simmering the liquid until it has reduced a bit further, and has slightly thickened. You should have about 1 ½ cups of sauce. Return the chicken to the reduced sauce in the pan and turn it to give it a final glazey coating of the sauce.
- Place rice on a serving platter, and place the chicken on top of the rice, pouring any extra sauce over the chicken . Serve hot, with the fresh cilantro sprinkled on top, if desired.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition values are provided as an estimate. It is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a qualified healthcare professional.
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Katie –
The directions call for chile oil in the marinade but it is not in the ingredient list. How much chile oil should I use?
My family has enjoyed all of your recipes I have made. When my kitchen was unusable for 5 months due to remodeling, your website was my “go to” place for delicious recipes I could prepare in my slow cooker or on a hot plate.
Thank you the fabulous recipes.
I ended up skipping the chili oil, but feel free to add a teaspoon or more to the recipes along with the brown sugar if you want some more heat! My adobo “advisors” Prefer a milder heat level in their adobo, so I ended up taking it out.
I made this for dinner last night and it was amazing. My entire family loved it.