Chicken adobo is one of the most famous and talked-about dishes in Filipino cuisine. It's great for people with a very busy schedule and who like simple meals that are quick and easy to prepare.

Ingredients

Serves 4 to 5

  • 10-12 chicken drumsticks or 8 thighs, about 3 lbs (1.4 kg)
  • 1/4 cup light soy sauce (60 ml)
  • 1 1/4 cup vinegar: cider, white, rice, or Filipino palm vinegar (300 ml)
  • 10 large garlic cloves, peeled and coarse chopped
  • 1 cup whole canned tomatoes with liquid (240 ml)
  • 2 medium onions, sliced thin
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp. fresh ground black pepper, according to taste (15 ml)
  • 2 bay leaves, broken
Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Cooking in a Pot

  1. 1
    Prep the chicken. Wash the chicken in water and drain well. Leave the skin on and bones in.
  2. 2
    Mix the ingredients the day before.[1] Ideally, your ingredients will marinate for a day before cooking. Use a large glass or stainless steel bowl and combine the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper, and tomatoes.
    • Break up the whole tomatoes with your hands in the bowl.
    • Add the chicken and submerge it almost completely in the mixture.
    • Cover lightly and refrigerate for about 18 to 24 hours.
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  3. 3
    Cook the chicken. Pour the chicken and mixture into a non-stick, 4-quart (3.8 L) pot.
    • Bring to a gentle boil at about 212 degrees F (100 degrees C). Cover and let cook for 25 minutes or until the chicken’s center is 175 degrees F (80 degrees C). Use a meat thermometer to check the chicken’s temperature.
    • Move the chicken to a plate, using tongs.
  4. 4
    Reduce the sauce. Skim as much fat as possible from the liquid as it cooks and increase heat. Boil the water down by half.
  5. 5
    Brown the chicken.[2] As the sauce reduces, grease a 12-inch (30.5 cm) sauté pan with olive oil.
    • Heat the pan to medium-high or 375 to 450 degrees F (190-230 degrees C).[3]
    • Add the chicken, skin down, to brown for up to 8 minutes. Keep the pieces skin down, but move if necessary to keep the chicken from sticking to the pan.
    • Adjust heat so the chicken doesn’t burn. Internal temperature should be about 175 degrees.[4]
    • Watch for splatter!
    • Cook for up to about 8 minutes or until the chicken is a deep golden brown.
  6. 6
    Add onions. When the chicken is a deep brown on one side, turn the pieces and add the onion slices around them. Continue to brown the chicken, and move around the onions to prevent burning.[5] . Cook for 5-7 minutes or until the onions are tender.[6]
  7. 7
    Transfer and serve. As soon as the chicken starts falling off the bones and the sauce starts to have a gravy-like consistency, you are ready to serve. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken and onions to your serving bowl. Pour the boiled-down juices over the chicken and onions.
    • Enjoy with white rice.
    • Serve with pinot noir or red zinfandel. For a non-alcoholic option, consider ice tea, lemonade, or ginger beer.
    • Place leftovers in the fridge. It tastes even better after a day or two.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using a Slow Cooker

  1. 1
    Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. That includes the rinsed chicken. In this method, all ingredients are cooked at once.[7]
  2. 2
    Let sit. Let the ingredients stand at room temperature in the slow cooker for about 15 minutes.
  3. 3
    Cover and cook. Remember not to open the slow cooker while cooking.
    • Cook for 3 hours on high or for 6 hours on low until the chicken is done.
  4. 4
    Serve with rice. Short grain white rice is most common, but you can use brown rice alternatively for added nutrition. Some people like to add salt to the rice.[8]
  5. 5
    Keep the leftovers. Leftovers of Philippine chicken adobe are particularly delicious. Eat leftovers a day or two later, or freeze in a plastic zip bag.[9]
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About This Article

Ed Kuoha
Co-authored by:
Chef
This article was co-authored by Ed Kuoha. Ed Kuoha is a Chef and the Owner of Kuoha Culinary based in Aiea, Hawaii. He has more than 20 years of experience in various culinary kitchens and settings such as Morimoto Waikiki, where he received hands-on training from Iron Chef Morimoto. Chef Ed specializes in small catering events and private chef requests. He holds an Associate’s degree from The Culinary Institute of the Pacific at Kapiolani Community College. This article has been viewed 184,165 times.
2 votes - 100%
Co-authors: 18
Updated: December 28, 2022
Views: 184,165
Categories: Philippine Dishes | Chicken
Article SummaryX

To make Filipino chicken adobo, marinate your chicken in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper, and tomatoes for about a day. When you’re ready to cook, pour the chicken and the marinade into a large non-stick pot. Gently boil the mixture for 25 minutes, then use tongs to move the chicken to a plate and boil the marinade until it reduces by half. As the sauce reduces, brown the chicken for about 8 minutes in a saute pan, then flip it over, add onions, and continue cooking for an additional 5-7 minutes. Place the chicken on a bed of rice and pour the reduced sauce over it. If you want to learn how to make Filipino chicken adobo in a slow cooker, keep reading the article!

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