This authentic Filipino Chicken Adobo recipe was shared with me by a Filipino chef whose family sells Adobo in the Philippines. It's an easy recipe- marinade optional- and perfect with white rice bowls. Traditionally, it's served with potatoes but I've substituted them for carrots to make the braised dish lower-carb.
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🥘 Ingredients
You will need a few simple ingredients:
- 1.1 lb or 500g boneless, skinless chicken thighs: cut into 2 inch pieces. I recommend dark meat as it's juicier and has more flavor. You can also use chicken breast but you will need to reduce the braising time and time it exactly to keep the meat succulent. (I would also increase the marinating time to overnight- this ensures the chicken stays tender.) Alternatively, you can also use bone-in, skin-on chicken: brown the chicken pieces for 2-3 minutes per side, then follow the recipe below. Cover and simmer for about 35-40 minutes till cooked.
- 2 Tablespoons of light soy sauce
- ¾ Tablespoon light brown sugar
- 4 cloves fresh garlic
- 1 small red onion
- 1 thumb ginger
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce: only ½ teaspoon is sufficient for flavor but you can increase this to give the chicken stew a nicer, deeper color which will make it more appetising
- 1 Tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black pepper: grind half of it and leave half of it as whole peppercorns (The whole peppercorns will add a lovely texture to the dish so don't omit them.)
- 1-2 Cups of water
- 1-2 small carrots: cut into rounds. Carrots add a natural sweetness so you can slightly reduce the sugar added if you add more carrots.
- Optional garnish: sliced red chili (the color makes the chicken stew more appetising), sliced spring onion
📖 Variations & Substitutes
- Pork Adobo: You can also use pork in this recipe- either pork belly, pork shoulder or pork neck work best. (Go for the latter 2 if you don't like too much fat in your food.)
- Chicken Wing Adobo
🔪 Step-by-Step Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with the soy sauces and sugar, for at least 1 hour (ideally overnight if possible.)
- Heat the skillet over a medium-high fire, and add the oil. Once simmering, sauté the onion till transparent then add the ginger and bay leaves, stirring continuously. Once fragrant, reduce the heat and add the garlic. (It burns easily so don't cook it on higher heat unless you're a stir-frying pro.)
3. Increase back to medium high heat- I use 7 on a Bosch induction stove- and carefully place the marinated chicken in the wok and leave untouched to brown for 3 minutes (per side.)
Note: if you're in a rush, you can skip sautéing of the aromatics- just add it to the chicken marinade. Brown the chicken as above, then add the adobo marinade and aromatics to the wok as per the next step. The rest of the recipe is unchanged. The stew won't be as aromatic but this is what my friend's family does to save time when selling Adobo in Philippines.
4. Add the marinade juices to the pan, followed by the water, and whole black peppercorns. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. (Keep an eye and add more water if the stew looks dry.)
5. 7 minutes before switching off the fire, add the sliced carrots. Add the vinegar and ground black pepper.
6. Once the chicken is cooked, salt to taste then switch off the fire.
Garnish and serve with brown or white rice.
🥡 How to Store
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat over a low-medium fire till all the meat is fully heated up.
🥗 Suggested Accompanying Recipes
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Filipino Chicken Adobo
Equipment
- 1 Knife & cutting board
- 1 Large Skillet or Deep Pan
Ingredients
- 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs 500g. cut into 2 inch pieces. I recommend dark meat as it's juicier and has more flavor. You can also use chicken breast but you will need to reduce the braising time and time it exactly to keep the meat succulent. (I would also increase the marinating time to overnight- this ensures the chicken stays tender.) Alternatively, you can also use bone-in, skin-on chicken- scroll up for how to cook them.
- 2 Tablespoons light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ¾ Tablespoons light brown sugar
- 4 cloves fresh garlic minced
- 1 small red onion minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger julienned
- 1 Tablespoon neutral vegetable oil
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black pepper grind half of it and leave half of it as whole peppercorns (The whole peppercorns will add a lovely texture to the dish so don't omit them.)
- 1-2 Cups of water
- 1-2 small carrots cut into rounds. Carrots add a natural sweetness so you can slightly reduce the sugar added if you add more carrots.
- Optional garnish: sliced red chili (the color makes the chicken stew more appetising), sliced spring onion
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken with the soy sauces and sugar, for at least 1 hour (ideally overnight if possible.
- )Heat the skillet over a medium-high fire. Sauté the onion till transparent then add the ginger and bay leaves, stirring continuously. Once fragrant, reduce the heat and add the garlic. (It burns easily so don't cook it on higher heat unless you're a stir-frying pro.)
- Increase back to medium high heat- I use 7 on a Bosch induction stove- and carefully place the marinated chicken in the wok and leave untouched to brown for 3 minutes (per side.)
- Add the marinade juices to the pan, followed by the water, and whole black peppercorns. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. (Keep an eye and add more water if the stew looks dry.)
- 7 minutes before switching off the fire, add the sliced carrots. Add the vinegar and ground black pepper. Once the chicken is cooked, salt to taste then switch off the fire.
- Garnish and serve with brown or white rice.
Notes
Note: the nutritional information is an estimate automatically calculated using the WPRM recipe maker and I am not responsible for its veracity.
Nutrition
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