Filipino Chicken Adobo

Filipino braised chicken thighs in adobo sauce.

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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.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Filipino

Servings: people

Calories: 220kcal

Author: Zen

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

If you're in a rush, you can skip sautéing of the aromatics- scroll up to the "step-by-step" section to see what to do.

Nutrition