Filipino Chicken Adobo is a comforting, flavor-packed dish that brings together tender chicken, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, and aromatic seasonings. Served with a generous spoonful of savory sauce over steamed rice, this classic Filipino recipe makes a satisfying dinner for anyone who loves bold, homemade food. The combination of salty, tangy, and deeply savory flavors gives adobo its distinctive character.
What makes chicken adobo especially appealing is the way simple ingredients develop into something memorable. Chicken thighs are marinated with soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, black pepper, tomatoes, and bay leaves, allowing the flavors to work their way into the meat. The marinade becomes the foundation for the cooking sauce, so nothing goes to waste.
This recipe takes a little planning because the chicken benefits from a long marinade. Preparing it the day before gives the ingredients time to come together and makes the cooking day feel much easier. When you’re ready to cook, the chicken simmers gently until tender. It is then browned in a Heavy-bottomed sauté pan or pot while the cooking liquid is reduced into a more concentrated sauce.
The finishing steps are worth the extra attention. Browning gives the chicken a rich color and adds another layer of flavor, while the reduced sauce brings everything together. Sliced onions are cooked alongside the chicken, adding sweetness and a delicious savory note to the finished dish. A little sliced scallion makes a fresh garnish if you like.
Serve Filipino Chicken Adobo hot with steamed rice, letting the rice soak up the flavorful sauce. It is a wonderful choice for a family dinner, a weekend cooking project, or a meal to make ahead and enjoy again. If you enjoy exploring international recipes at home, this classic is a delicious way to bring Filipino-inspired cooking to your table.
Make this Filipino Chicken Adobo when you’re craving a hearty chicken dinner with plenty of character. Follow the recipe below for the ingredient amounts and cooking directions, and enjoy a comforting dish built around simple ingredients and satisfying flavor.
Related Recipes: Asian Recipes and Chicken Recipes
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Filipino Chicken Adobo
- Total Time: 1:00
- Yield: 4 1x
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 10 large garlic cloves, coarse chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 1–1/4 cups Filipino palm vinegar, or cider or white vinegar
- 1 cup whole canned tomatoes with their liquid
- 2 bay leaves, broken
- 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 8; organic if possible)
- Good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions, thin sliced
- 2 whole scallions, thin sliced (optional garnish)
Instructions
- The day before cooking the chicken, take a large glass or stainless steel bowl and combine in it the soy sauce, garlic, black pepper, vinegar, tomatoes (break them up with your hands as you add them to the bowl), and the bay leaves. Add the chicken, making sure it is almost completely submerged in the marinade. Lightly cover and refrigerate for 1 to 24 hours.
- When ready to cook the chicken, turn the mixture into a heavy 4-quart pot. Bring it to a gentle bubble, cover and cook 25 minutes, or until the center of a chicken thigh registers 175 degrees F on an instant reading thermometer.
- With tongs, remove the chicken to a plate. Skim as much fat as possible from the cooking liquid, increase the heat, and start briskly boiling it down by half. While the liquid reduces, film a straight-sided 12-inch sauté pan with the olive oil. Heat it over medium high. Arrange the chicken pieces skin down to brown, standing back because they may spatter. Adjust heat so chicken doesn’t burn.
- When the chicken pieces are a deep rich brown on one side, turn the pieces and scatter the onion around them. Continue browning the chicken, and move the onions around so the pieces don’t burn. Then, with a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and onions to a serving bowl. Pour the boiled-down pan juices over them and serve. You could garnish the adobo with a scattering of thin-sliced scallions.
- Prep Time: :10
- Marinade: 2-24hrs
- Cook Time: :50
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Filipino