Filipino Chicken Adobo
Filipino Chicken Adobo may be the national dish of the Philippines, but the variations on adobo are endless. This is my beloved family recipe for authentic chicken adobo, braised in vinegar, soy sauce, and a generous portion of garlic.
Filipino Chicken Adobo may be the national dish of the Philippines, but the variations on adobo are endless. This is my beloved family recipe for authentic chicken adobo, braised in vinegar, soy sauce, and a generous portion of garlic.
My daughter was rummaging through our video collection, looking for a movie we could all agree on. She called out title after title, each one getting shot down. “Nooo, too scary.” “Nah, we’ve seen that a hundred times!” “Ugh, again!?” At the rate we were going, family movie night was not quite happening.
She pulled out a nondescript case from the drawer. “Mom, what’s this one? Family movies?”
I completely forgot. My dad had sent a dvd of converted home movies, where he captured moments from the time I was six until my graduation from high school, all on one vhs tape. (Incidentally, I laugh, because autocorrect doesn’t even recognize “vhs” anymore.)
We started watching, and my life flashed before my very eyes. Dresses I haven’t seen in years, Christmas memories that were tucked away, my mother’s voice, piano duets, birthday parties, my little sister’s birth, our little house in New York where the neighborhood seemed so green, and whatever became of all the neighbor kids I used to play with?
For me, it was nostalgia overload.
For the kids, it was amusing…eye-opening — to see me at their age — and younger — and acting like a total goof. Exactly like them.
I guess that was eye opening for me, too.
I found myself craving the flavors of home.
For anyone who grows up in a Filipino household, I’m willing to bet that the very first Filipino dish they learn to cook is adobo, and for me, that was certainly the case. It was the first dish that reminded me of home when I left for college; the first dish I cooked for my family after my mother passed away soon after. Filipino Chicken Adobo is the dish I cooked when I moved to Chicago, and it’s the dish I can make with my eyes closed, to remind me of home.
I’ve shared iterations of adobo here with you before. My dad is partial to chicken and pork adobo, and I’ve shared adobo-style pulled pork and burgers, and I even shared this classic recipe with my friend Gina years ago — a slow-cooker version of this recipe even ended up in her recent cookbook.
But why haven’t I shared it with you? The one I make the most, when all I want is tender, juicy, deeply flavored chicken adobo, on a bed of rice with lots of sauce?
As many islands there are in the Philippine archipelago, there are just as many versions of adobo — the national dish of the Philippines; some have coconut milk, some have chilies. This may or may not be like yours. But this Filipino Chicken Adobo is mine, as I was taught by my Tita Leah and continue to make at home, preserving it in my children’s tastebuds, for it is theirs now, too.
Loved this Filipino Chicken Adobo? Try more of our favorite family recipes:
Chicken and Asparagus Sotanghon (Glass Noodle) Soup
Filipino Meatball Noodle Soup
Pancit Bihon (Filipino Rice Noodles)
Costa Rican Gallo Pinto (Rice and Beans)
Arroz Caldo
Filipino Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs on the bone skin on or off, to taste
- 1/3 cup soy sauce I prefer Silver Swan for this recipe
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 small head of garlic mashed or finely minced
- freshly ground black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 thai chili pepper optional
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and pepper in a non-reactive bowl, for 30 minutes to 1 hour, rotating at least once. If you can marinate overnight, even better.
- Place the chicken, marinade, bay leaves and chili (if using) in a deep sided sauté pan and place over medium heat.
- When the sauce begins to bubble, turn the chicken and cook until the meat is nearly cooked through, about 15 minutes.
- Transfer the sauce to a bowl, add oil to the pan, and brown the chicken on all sides, working in batches.
- Return the sauce to the pan, bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the sauce a thick and deep color. If you lose track of time and/or find that the sauce has reduced too much, add a touch of water to the sauce.
- Serve hot over rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Comments
COOKBOOK
The only thing that I see you need to correct Instruction No 4. There is no pork in this recipe, just chicken.
The only thing that I see you need to correct Instruction No 4. There is no pork in this recipe, just chicken.
Oh my, thank you for catching that, Jose! I’ve updated the recipe card — appreciate it!
I bet you could use coconut aminos…might just need to use a little less (to taste) as it can be a bit stronger
Coconut aminos are a popular substitute for soy sauce, though I have to admit I haven’t tried it yet in adobo. I’m very particular with the soy sauce flavor, but I will have to experiment for sure! Thanks!
If I use potatoes, how many and when do I put them in?
Hi Melody! Such a good question, because to be honest, I’ve never had adobo with potatoes, but it sounds delicious! I would add peeled and cut potatoes in step 5 of the recipe, where you return the sauce to the browned chicken and simmer for 20-30 minutes. Hope this helps!
Approximately how many cloves of garlic is a small head? About how many teaspoons of black pepper do you use?
Hi JC, there are usually between 10-12 cloves of garlic per head. For the freshly ground black pepper, I do this to taste. Start with 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon in the marinade, and as you cook, taste as you go and add more if you like!
Hope this helps!
-Liren
You are one of the best sites Thank you for publishing this post
Hi Liren, I’ve been trying to replicate the adobo I remember from my childhood, and i’m looking forward to trying out your recipe. Could I substitute cane vinegar for the apple cider vinegar? Thanks!
Thanks, Tanya
Hi, Tanya! Yes, absolutely, cane vinegar is perfect here! I use apple cider vinegar because depending on where you live it might be hard to find cane vinegar like Datu Puti! I hope this brings back those childhood flavors.
Thank you for sharing the recipe! Gonna try it tomorrow, looks so delicious!
You’re so welcome! I hope you enjoy it!
Liren, just last week, as I crossed that monumental threshold of turning 60, my sister presented me with a DVD of photos she compiled from my birth through to the present. It was such a thoughtful gift and I sobbed as the years flitted past my eyes, stirring up emotions of longing mixed with homesickness and a big helping of joy. Dishes from our childhoods evoke similar nostalgic feelings. It is such a gift to be able to recreate those dishes, relive the memories embedded in them, and create new ones with our children.
Thanks for always sharing your memories so beautifully, and for giving us delicious recipes like this Filipino Chicken Adobo. XX
Mary, I can only imagine how emotional and at the same joyous you must have felt! What a special gift from your sister! As each year passes, I feel more and more of those bittersweet feelings…and thankful for each memory. I hope you had a special birthday, Mary — I think of you often!!! xo
Part of the secret of success in life is to eat, what you like……