Chicken Adobo, or Adobong Manok, is a Filipino dish with juicy chicken thighs braised in a blend of tangy, sweet, and savory sauce. What's even better? You can whip it up quickly with just a few simple ingredients!
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What is Chicken Adobo?
Chicken Adobo is a dish where chicken is soaked in a marinade of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns, then braised until it's perfectly tender. It has a savory and slightly tangy flavors.
Adobo, often seen as the national dish of the Philippines, comes in various regional variations. Some incorporate vegetables, seafood, coconut milk, or hard-boiled eggs.
Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Chicken Thighs: I recommend bone-in chicken thighs because they stay juicy and flavorful. If you prefer other cuts, drumsticks or whole chicken legs are good choices. While chicken breasts tend to be leaner, they will likely produce a drier final dish.
- Soy Sauce: I used regular soy sauce with some dark soy sauce to add more color. If dark soy sauce is unavailable, regular or light soy sauce will work fine. For those looking to reduce salt or needing a gluten-free option, low-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari are great alternatives. Just note that the saltiness can vary from brand to brand, so adjust to taste.
- Vinegar: Traditional options are cane or coconut vinegar. If those aren't available, you can use apple cider, rice vinegar, or regular white vinegar. Just note that different vinegars have varying acidity levels, so tweak the amount to get the flavor right.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prepare chicken
Start by trimming any excess fat from the chicken thighs. Once trimmed, lightly season both sides with salt.
Step 2: Sear chicken
Heat up a bit of oil in a sauté pan or Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Place the chicken in skin-side down and don’t move it for 6-8 minutes, or until the skin turns golden brown and comes off the pan easily.
Then, flip it and sear the other side for about half that time. The goal is to brown the chicken for flavor, not to cook it all the way through at this stage. Transfer to a plate.
PRO TIP: Give the chicken pieces a good sear to brown the outside. This adds a rich, deeper flavor to the dish.
Step 3: Sauté aromatics
If there's a lot of extra oil in the pan, use a paper towel to soak up most of it, leaving just enough for sautéing. Start with the ginger, sautéing it until it's lightly browned and aromatic.
Then, toss in the garlic and onion and continue to sauté until all the aromatics are slightly softened.
Step 4: Combine ingredients
Return the chicken to the pan. Pour ⅓ cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, ⅔ cup vinegar, and ½ cup water.
Add 2 tablespoons sugar, whole or cracked peppercorns to taste, and 2 bay leaves. Stir them to combine the ingredients.
Step 5: Simmer
Once the mixture starts to boil, lower the heat to medium. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Step 6: Taste and adjust
Remove the lid and make sure the chicken is fully cooked and tender. The sauce should also have slightly thickened at this point. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then turn off the heat.
If you find that the sauce is too dry, feel free to add a bit more water as necessary. Taste the sauce and adjust your preference.
To add a finishing touch, garnish with sliced scallions and fried garlic or shallots. Serve it with a side of steamed white rice—or take it up a notch with Sinangag or Java Rice— and enjoy your delicious homemade Chicken Adobo!
Don't forget, you can turn your leftovers into delicious Adobo Fried Rice.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken Adobo is tangy, savory, and slightly sweet. The garlic and peppercorns give it an extra kick. Some recipes add ginger for its warm, spicy note and to help neutralize the natural smell of the chicken. Others add coconut milk for a creamy, rich flavor.
Absolutely! One of the best things about Chicken Adobo is that it tastes even better the next day. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and you've got a flavorful, reheatable meal ready to go.
Yes, you can use an Instant Pot or any other electric pressure cooker. Start by searing the chicken in the Instant Pot, then add all the ingredients. Set it to cook on high pressure for about 15-20 minutes. Once done, release the pressure and your Chicken Adobo will be ready to enjoy!
What to serve with Chicken Adobo
- Ginisang Togue: Sautéed mung bean sprouts with tofu and shrimp.
- Tortang Sayote: Pan-fried chayote omelet with grated chayote, aromatics, and beaten eggs.
- Tortang Talong: Grilled eggplant dipped in beaten eggs, then pan-fried.
- Ginisang Sayote: Sautéed chayote with garlic, onions, and tomatoes.
- Pinakbet: Mixed vegetables like squash, yardlong beans, bitter melon, eggplant, and okra stewed in shrimp paste.
- Ampalaya con Carne: Stir-fried bitter gourd with beef in a savory sauce.
- Adobong Kangkong: Similar to Stir-fried Kangkong, this dish is cooked adobo-style.
- Ensaladang Talong: Smoky, custardy grilled eggplant salad with tomatoes and onions.
- Ensaladang Pipino: A refreshing salad with thinly sliced cucumbers, onions, and tomatoes, seasoned with vinegar.
Other chicken recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Chicken Adobo
Equipment
- Dutch oven or large sauté pan
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs (about 2½ pounds) bone-in and skin-on (see note)
- 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger julienned or minced
- 8 garlic cloves crushed or smashed
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- ⅓ cup regular soy sauce (see note)
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce for color (see note)
- ⅔ cup cane or coconut vinegar (see note)
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar more to taste
- Cracked or whole peppercorns sub: ground black pepper; to taste
- 2 bay leaves dried or fresh
- Salt to taste
- Neutral-flavored oil (for searing and sautéing)
- Garnish: scallions, fried garlic or shallots optional
Instructions
- Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs, then lightly season both sides with salt.
- Heat up a bit of oil on medium-high heat. Place the chicken in skin-side down and don’t move it for 6-8 minutes, or until the skin turns golden brown and comes off the pan easily.Then, flip it and sear the other side for about half that time. The goal is to brown the chicken for flavor, not to cook it all the way through at this stage. Transfer to a plate.
- If plenty of excess oil is left in the pan, use a paper towel to soak up most of it, leaving just enough for sautéing. Sauté the ginger until lightly browned and aromatic.Then, add the garlic and onion and continue to sauté until all the aromatics are slightly softened.
- Return the chicken to the pan. Add your regular soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, and ½ cup of water.Add the sugar, whole or cracked peppercorns, and bay leaves. Mix the ingredients.
- Once the mixture starts to boil, lower the heat to medium. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- Remove the lid and make sure the chicken is fully cooked and tender. The sauce should also have slightly thickened at this point. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, then turn off the heat.If you find that the sauce is too dry, feel free to add a bit more water as necessary. Taste the sauce and adjust your preference.
Notes
- Chicken Thighs: I recommend bone-in chicken thighs because they stay juicy and flavorful. If you prefer other cuts, drumsticks or whole chicken legs are good choices. While chicken breasts tend to be leaner, they will likely produce a drier final dish.
- Soy Sauce: I used regular soy sauce with some dark soy sauce to add more color. If dark soy sauce is unavailable, regular or light soy sauce will work fine. For those looking to reduce salt or needing a gluten-free option, low-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari are great alternatives. Just note that the saltiness can vary from brand to brand, so adjust to taste.
- Vinegar: Traditional options are cane or coconut vinegar. If those aren't available, you can use apple cider, rice vinegar, or regular white vinegar. Just note that different vinegars have varying acidity levels, so tweak the amount to get the flavor right.
Steve
I don't know much about Filipino Cuisine, all i know is that its absolutely delicious. My pinoy co-worker suggested that adobo can be the first dish i try making. This looks so good, can't wait to try it!
Nora Reyes
Hi Steve, That's wonderful to hear! Adobo is a good choice to start with. I'm sure you'll enjoy making it. If you have any questions or need tips along the way, feel free to ask. Happy cooking! 😊🍽️
Mark
Delicious!!!!
Nora Rey
Thanks, Mark!