Chicken Adobo
Chicken adobo is one of those recipes that tastes like home to me. Growing up, we ate it about once a week, and it remains one of the dishes I associate most with my dad and my Filipino family. Bone-in chicken simmers in a savory, tangy sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns until tender, then a little ginger and a cornstarch slurry turn the braising liquid into a glossy sauce perfect for spooning over rice.
This version is inspired by my dad’s good friend Mike Sevner, who would cook traditional Filipino meals for my dad and made a version of chicken adobo that always brought him comfort.
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Marinating Time: 1 hour to overnight
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours, plus optional overnight marinating
Ingredients
2½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken, such as thighs, drumsticks or leg quarters
¼ cup soy sauce
½ cup distilled white vinegar
3 dried bay leaves
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tablespoons neutral oil
1¾ cups water, divided
1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Chopped scallions or chives, for serving
Instructions
Marinate the chicken. Add the chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns and garlic to a large bowl or resealable bag. Toss to coat, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, allowing the excess liquid to drip back into the bowl. Reserve all of the marinade.
Heat the neutral oil in a large sauté pan with high sides or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook for about 2 minutes, or until the skin begins to brown.
Pour the reserved marinade and 1½ cups water into the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook uncovered for 30–40 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally so each piece spends some time submerged in the sauce, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
During the last 10 minutes of cooking, add the grated ginger and stir it into the sauce.
Make the cornstarch slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and remaining ¼ cup cold water until completely smooth.
Slowly pour the slurry into the simmering sauce, stirring as you add it. Continue simmering for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened slightly and coats the chicken.
Remove the bay leaves. Serve the chicken and plenty of sauce over jasmine rice and finish with chopped scallions or chives.
Serving Suggestions
Serve With:
Steamed jasmine rice
Garlic rice
Lumpia
Steamed broccoli
Storage
Store leftover chicken and sauce together in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
Like a lot of braised dishes, the flavors are even better after they've had a night to hang out in the refrigerator.
Maddie's Tip
Don’t toss the marinade. It becomes the base of the adobo sauce, bringing all that soy, vinegar, garlic, bay leaf and peppercorn flavor along with it. Once the chicken has marinated, set the liquid aside while you brown the chicken, then pour every last bit back into the pan for the braise.
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