Chicken Adobo is the most popular and famous dish in the Philippines. Chicken is braised, low and slow, in tangy, vinegary garlic sauce until it is meltingly tender and falling off the bone. Its incredible! And the good news is, its easy to make Filipino chicken adobo at home with common ingredients.
Have you ever eaten Filipino food? I hadnt until I started testing recipes for this post.
I Googled Filipino restaurants in Massachusetts and theres only one. After more research I discovered that there arent many Filipino restaurants in America. Yet according to the Census Bureau, Filipinos are the second-largest Asian group in the USA, totaling 3.4 million people (based on 2010 estimates).
The Philippines is an archipelago of over 7,000 islands in southeast Asia, not far from Thailand. We all know and love Thai food.
I cant say why Filipino food isnt more prominent in the culinary scene here. But If this chicken adobo is any indication, Filipino food rocks, and we should all be enjoying it!
Some side dishes that go beautifully with Filipino adobo are fluffy white rice, brown rice, quinoa or mashed potatoes. You’ll want something starchy to soak up the delicious sauce. A simple green salad or cucumber salad would be the perfect side dish with chicken adobo.
HOW TO PEEL GARLIC THE EASY WAY
Theres a whole head of garlic in this chicken adobo recipe. Peeling garlic can be tedious but theres a technique Im going to tell you about that makes it easy to get the papery skins off.
Youll be amazed at how easy is it to peel a whole head of garlic when you use this technique. It changed my life when I learned this!
- Place a clove of garlic on your work surface.
- Lay the flat side of the blade of a large heavy knife over the garlic clove.
- Use the heel of your hand, CAREFULLY, to pound the knife once or twice until the clove is flattened a bit.
- That will loosen the papery skin so you can easily pull it off.
- Another benefit of this technique is that the garlic cloves are left bruised and tender, so theyre easier to chop.
I just have to mention that during every step of making this chicken adobo recipe, the smell is intoxicating – even my 16-year-old was lured downstairs to ask whats cooking?
HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN ADOBO:
Filipino Chicken adobo is a simple dish with only 6 main ingredients. Chicken thighs are marinated in vinegar and garlic for a half hour, browned, and then stewed for an hour with onions, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce and fish sauce.
The key to making this wonderful, richly flavored fork-tender chicken is in the braising technique. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs are perfect for braising. When you brown chicken thighs over high heat, you create a delicious layer of flavor in the skin and you seal in the juices. Plus you get lots of tasty browned bits on the bottom of the pan, which will flavor the sauce.
- Marinate The Chicken: Start by marinating the chicken thighs for 30 minutes, with white vinegar and garlic.
- Brown The Chicken: Next, sauté the chicken pieces in your dutch over or heavy pot, over high heat.
- Sauté The Aromatic Vegetables: Transfer browned chicken to a plate, add onions and garlic to the pot and sauté until tender.
- Braise The Chicken: Add the chicken back to the pot along with reserved marinade, soy sauce, fish sauce, black pepper, bay leaves and water. Simmer, covered, for about an hour, until the chicken is falling off the bone and the sauce is rich and dark.
Easy Authentic Chicken Adobo At Home
FAQ
Why should people try chicken adobo?
What comes with adobo?
How healthy is chicken adobo?
What to eat with chicken adobo?
The best side dishes for chicken adobo are garlic fried rice, lumpia shanghai, or some good old Filipino pancit. You can also serve chop suey, fluffy mashed potatoes, or sauteed spinach. For fresh salad options, try a Thai mango salad, smashed cucumber salad, or a ginger and sesame green bean salad. Ready? let’s jump right in.
How do you serve chicken adobo?
The traditional way to serve chicken adobo is on a bed of white jasmine rice. But you can add a little twist to it by adding some coconut milk. Your rice will be creamier and have a nutty flavor that will blend well with the spices in the adobo. Plus the dish only requires three simple ingredients and 20-minutes to make.
What vegetables go with chicken adobo?
When we talk about chicken adobo, there are many vegetable options you can pair with chicken adobo like normal broccoli, carrots, green beans, squash, potatoes, lima beans, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, celery, asparagus, eggplant, and more. What drink goes with chicken adobo? Several drinks go well with chicken adobo.
What drinks go well with chicken adobo?
Several drinks go well with chicken adobo. For a traditional Filipino meal, soda water or buko juice (coconut water) are popular choices. If you’re searching for something slightly more unusual, try pairing chicken adobo with red wine. The wine’s acidity helps cut through the dish’s richness, and the bold flavors pair well with the savory sauce.