Description
Chicken Adobo is a classic Filipino dish featuring tender chicken thighs marinated in a savory blend of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and aromatic spices, then simmered to perfection. This flavorful stew offers a perfect balance of tangy, salty, and garlicky notes and is best enjoyed over steamed rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 chicken thighs, bone-in
Marinade
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup white vinegar
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken: In a bowl, combine soy sauce, white vinegar, minced garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and salt. Add the chicken thighs and coat them thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for 30 minutes to 1 hour to infuse flavors deeply into the meat.
- Brown the chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the chicken thighs and brown them on each side for about 4 minutes until they develop a golden crust, enhancing flavor and texture.
- Simmer in marinade: Pour the reserved marinade into the skillet with the browned chicken and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer gently for 30-35 minutes, allowing the chicken to become tender and fully cooked while the sauce thickens slightly.
- Serve: Remove the bay leaves and transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Spoon the rich sauce over the top and serve hot with steamed rice to soak up the delicious adobo sauce. Enjoy your meal!
Notes
- Marinating the chicken longer will deepen the flavor, but 30 minutes is sufficient if short on time.
- You can substitute chicken thighs with drumsticks or a mix of dark and white meat for variation.
- Adjust salt according to your soy sauce’s saltiness to avoid an overly salty dish.
- For a richer flavor, some recipes add a little sugar or coconut milk, but this traditional recipe keeps it simple.
