Filipino Chicken Adobo (Printable View)

Chicken simmered in a savory tangy blend with garlic, vinegar, and soy sauce. Perfect with steamed rice.

# What You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks

→ Marinade & Sauce

02 - 1/3 cup soy sauce
03 - 1/3 cup cane vinegar or white vinegar
04 - 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
05 - 2 bay leaves
06 - 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns or 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
07 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
08 - 1/2 cup water

→ Finishing

09 - 2 tablespoons cooking oil
10 - Steamed white rice, for serving
11 - Chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)

# How To Make It:

01 - In a large bowl, combine chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and brown sugar; toss to coat evenly. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
02 - Remove chicken from marinade, reserving the liquid. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
03 - Heat oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin-side down and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side until golden.
04 - Pour reserved marinade and water into the skillet. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, turning chicken once halfway through.
05 - Uncover and continue simmering for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken sauce, skimming off excess fat as desired.
06 - Discard bay leaves, taste, and adjust seasoning. Serve hot over steamed rice, garnished with chopped scallions if preferred.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The braising liquid becomes this glossy, concentrated sauce that tastes better than it has any right to, with layers of tangy and savory that unfold as you eat.
  • Bone-in chicken thighs stay impossibly tender and actually taste like chicken, not like something that lost its flavor somewhere in a freezer.
  • It's genuinely easy—you're really just combining things and letting time do the work, which means you can pour a drink and relax while it cooks.
02 -
  • The marinade needs to be reserved before you brown the chicken—pouring cold liquid into a hot pan is half the magic, and throwing it away is a crime against flavor.
  • Don't skip the browning step thinking it saves time; that initial sear creates a foundation of caramelized flavor that the whole dish builds on.
  • The sauce needs to reduce down to something glossy and concentrated—if you serve it soupy, it tastes diluted and sad, so give it that extra uncovered time to tighten up.
03 -
  • Buy chicken pieces that still have bones attached—they braise faster and taste infinitely better than boneless chicken, which dries out before the sauce even finishes reducing.
  • Don't be tempted to skip the marinade step or rush it; that acidic bath is what softens the chicken and builds the foundation of every flavor in the dish.
Go Back