This Filipino Chicken Adobo recipe is the one pot weeknight dinner you've been waiting for. Easy to make, full of flavor, and ready in less than an hour.
Sometimes the simplest recipes are the best. Chicken adobo is a perfect example of this – it’s made without any fancy ingredients, and is so much more than just the sum of its humble parts.
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What is Filipino Chicken Adobo
Not to be confused with the Mexican adobo, Chicken adobo is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines, and for good reason! This humble yet magnificent dish features chicken braised in a tangy-savory sauce made with vinegar, soy sauce, and plenty of garlic. While the word “adobo” might sound Spanish (and yes, there is a connection there), Filipino adobo is entirely its own creation, born from the ancient cooking method of preserving meat in vinegar and salt. All chicken adobo recipes are made using:
- Soy Sauce
- Vinegar
- Garlic
- Bay Leaves
- Black Peppercorns (whole!)
It should be noted that there are variations of the basic formula (my version for example, includes a teensy bit of ground ginger and brown sugar). These five ingredients are the foundation of Filipino adobo cooking.
What does adobo actually mean?
The word "adobo" translates to "marinade" or "sauce" so chicken adobo is just marinated chicken or chicken with sauce. It makes sense then that the result of adobo cooking is tender, fall-off-the-bone meat and a rich flavour.
Dumb fact
For the longest time, I confused the word adobo, for "Abobo" - a villain in the Double Dragon games. What? I’m dyslexic!
Ingredients
- Soy sauce
- White vinegar
- Garlic cloves, smashed and peeled (Don’t be shy with the smashing - they’ve had it coming!)
- Black peppercorns, whole (you can get away using ground black pepper too, but whole is better)
- Dried bay leaves
- Ground ginger
- Brown sugar
- Skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
How to make Filipino Chicken Adobo
One of my favorite things about this beloved Filipino dish is how easy it is to make. We’ll begin by preparing the backbone of our adobo - the sauce. Into your pan goes the soy sauce, vinegar, and those smashed garlic cloves (remember, we want them properly smashed to release all their flavor). Add in the black peppercorns, bay leaves, ground ginger, and brown sugar. Give it a gentle stir to combine.
Place the chicken thighs carefully into the pan, skin-side down. This is important because you want that skin to get friendly with the sauce right from the start. Turn the heat up to medium-high and wait for the liquid to come to a boil. Once it’s bubbling away, you’ll want to cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Let it simmer gently for around 20 minutes.
Time to flip the chicken pieces over. Use a good pair of tongs to carefully turn each piece, then generously baste with the sauce. Cover the pan again and let it continue simmering for another 10 minutes.
Remove the lid (watch out for the steam!) and turn the heat back up to high or medium-high heat. Let the sauce boil and reduce, while you occasionally turn and baste the chicken pieces. This should take about 5-7 minutes, depending on how saucy you like your adobo.
What you’re looking for is a sauce that’s slightly thickened and gloriously rich - it should coat the back of a spoon, but still be liquid enough to soak deliciously into rice. The chicken should be deeply colored, tender, and practically falling off the bone.
If you find that your chicken is fully cooked before your sauce has reached the perfect consistency, don’t worry! Simply remove the chicken pieces and set them aside while you continue to reduce the sauce to your liking. Once everything is perfect, return the chicken to the pan, give it a final baste, and you’re ready to serve!
Tips
Want to take your adobo to the next level? Try marinating the chicken overnight. Yes, it requires more planning, but oh my, is it worth it!
For that Instagram-worthy crispy skin, give your chicken a quick trip under the broiler for 3-4 minutes. Or if you’re feeling fancy, break out the kitchen torch - careful though, we’re making dinner, not an action movie!
If your chicken is fully cooked before your sauce has reduced, don’t panic! Simply remove the chicken (using tongs - we want dinner, not a trip to the emergency room) and continue reducing the sauce.
You can make chicken adobo with different parts of chicken. My favorite is skin-on bone-in chicken thighs, but this recipe works also well with boneless skinless chicken thighs or chicken legs. I do recommend avoiding chicken breast as it doesn’t have as much fat as thighs, and the sauce doesn’t develop as well with it.
Leftovers taste great. This super easy Filipino chicken adobo recipe tastes even better the day after it's been cooked. Having extra time for all the flavour to come together does wonders.
What kind of pot to use? I personally recommend a Dutch oven for this recipe. But a pot or a large skillet will work fine too.
Two things you should know!
- Soy sauce in the Philippines is slightly different to what we typically get here in North America. The difference is nothing crazy, but Filipino soy sauce ("toyo") typically has a thinner consistency and is a bit saltier. (You can add salt to the sauce if you want, I've tried it. It works fairly well.)
- Typically, in the Philippines, cane vinegar or coconut vinegar are used. I tested this recipe using good ol' regular, run of the mill, everyday from the store-kinda white vinegar. So unless you're feeling fancy, you can use that too.
Serving Suggestions
Serve your adobo over a bed of steaming white rice (you can also opt for rice with vermicelli). The rice soaks up that gorgeous sauce, creating the perfect bite every time. Some steamed vegetables on the side wouldn’t hurt either, but let’s be honest - the adobo is the star here.
If you somehow manage to have leftover chicken adobo, use it in a sandwich. It’s a great lunch!
And if you’re feeling frisky, you can serve your chicken adobo over pappardelle. Pasta doesn’t soak up the adobo sauce as well as rice does, but it does allow itself to be coated in it.
Storage Suggestions
Like many stewed dishes, adobo actually gets better with time. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. The flavors will continue to develop, making your leftover lunch something to look forward to!
More chicken recipes to check out
Here are a few other delicious chicken recipes you'll want to try:
Helpful tools
Heads up, bestie! The link below is an affiliate link. That means that if you happen to purchase using the link below, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. These small commissions help me keep the blog free, thank you.
If you want to learn more about the adobo style of cooking, The Adobo Road Cookbook by Marvin Galputtos is a good place to start!
Final thoughts
Filipino Chicken Adobo is more than just a recipe - it’s a testament to how a few simple ingredients, when treated with care and respect, can create something truly extraordinary. Whether you’re making this for the first time or the hundredth time, each pot of adobo carries with it the warmth and heart of Filipino cuisine.
So go ahead, gather your ingredients, and get ready to fill your home with the intoxicating aroma of this beloved dish. And remember, the best adobo is the one made with patience, love, and maybe an extra clove of garlic (I won’t tell if you won’t!).
That's all for today, bestie! If you tried this super easy Filipino chicken adobo recipe, let me know what you thought in the comments below, and of any variations you made!
Print📖 Recipe
Super Easy Filipino Chicken Adobo
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
Description
This super easy Filipino Chicken Adobo recipe is the one pot weeknight dinner you've been waiting for - easy, no fancy ingredients, and delicious!
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 8 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled (smash ’em good!)
- 1 tsp black peppercorns, whole
- 3 dried bay leaves
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp brown sugar
- 4–5 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
Instructions
- Place soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, ginger, and brown sugar into a large pan (I used a French oven).
- Add chicken thighs, skin side down. And turn the heat to high to bring the liquid to a boil. Cover, and let simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.
- Flip over the chicken, give it a quick baste, and then cover and simmer for a further 10 minutes.
- Uncover, return the sauce to a boil by bringing heat back to high. Occasionally baste and turn the chicken. Continue boiling for 5-7 minutes or until the sauce is reduced to the desired consistency. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you want to brown the chicken skin a little more, you can put it under the broiler for 3-4 minutes. Alternatively, a quick session with your blow torch will work too!
- It's a much slower process, but I personally find that this recipe turns out even better if you marinade the chicken in the sauce for at least an hour or two (ideally, overnight) before you start cooking.
- Depending on your pot, and heat, it's possible that your chicken might cook completely before the sauce has reduced enough. In this case, simply remove the chicken from the pot (use tongs, bestie…No burnt fingers today please!) and set aside until the sauce has reduced sufficiently.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Lunch & Dinner
- Method: Adobo
- Cuisine: Filipino
Yasmin
I love the recipe , but I would use light soya sauc as it is less salty , sounds great to me , will definitely give it a try as the method is quick and easy 👍👍
Riz
Thank you for passing by and commenting! I hope you enjoy the recipe!
Nicole
Looks and sounds yummy! Thanks for the recipe!
Riz
Thanks for commenting Nicole! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Elaine
Fabulous flavours in this recipe! I’m making it with boneless thighs because I have them on hand. Love how easy this recipe is!
Riz
Hi Elaine, that’s awesome I hope you enjoy the recipe!!! (And yes, love that you’re adapting it with the boneless thighs you have on-hand!)
Elaine
I made this tonight and we loved it. Super easy (as you said) and tons of flavour! Thanks for a great recipe.
Riz
AHHH! Amazing. Thank you very much for trying out my recipe! I’m thrilled to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks Elaine!
hm
interesting. i was always taught that it should be a 1:to 1 ratio between vinegar and soy sauce or fish sauce. that way, there’s a balance of taste and not overly salty. so, it’s 1/2 cup soy sauce or fish sauce and 1/2 cup vinegar plus 1 and 1/2 cup of water. you don’t want adobo to be salty.
Riz
Hey there! Thanks for commenting! So that’s the interesting about a lot of rustic/traditional recipes – there is often no exact way to do things (aside from a few basic points). As far as I know, what makes this an adobo style recipe is the core ingredient set and the marination/stewing process…so it’s perfectly natural that you have been taught a different composition using the same ingredients. From my understanding (and I’m certainly no historian), there’s no set/official ratio that must be adhered to. The saltiness would be dependent on what type of soy sauce you use (I mentioned the differences between western and Filipino sauces in the post), as well as the potency of your other ingredients.
In your recipe, I notice an additional 1 1/2 cups of water…I’m assuming that would dilute some of the saltiness of the extra 1/4 cup of soy sauce you use compared to my recipe (…which actually uses a smaller amount of soy sauce, and therefore would be less salty than yours). The end result might be comparable depending on how long you reduce the sauce. 🙂
Cari
Do you think this recipe could be doubled? It sounds great, but I would love to make it with 8 chicken thighs. Thanks!
Riz
Hey Cari,
I’ve not tried doubling the recipe, but I don’t think it should be an issue! I hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Cari
Thank you — I’m sure we will love it!
Riz
I hope so too! 🙂
florida
Hi, thank you for this recipe. It was very tasty!
I can understand that you are truly knowledgable about the foods you blog about.
Continue up the very good writing!
Riz
Hi there! Thank you so much for your lovely comment. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe, and I hope you try out some more!
Jack Tyrell
I see some people putting laurel leaves in their for this dish. I personally prefer not putting the leaves but they say it’s so that the dish smells better and less “oily”.
Riz
Thanks for the insight, Jack!