Filipino
Chicken Adobo
Chicken thighs simmer in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and bay until the meat is tender and the sauce turns dark. It tastes salty, sour, and garlicky, with a peppery broth you can spoon over rice.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 40 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Vinegar is added with the soy so the sauce tastes balanced, not just salty.
- A covered simmer takes the chicken past 165°F and into tender.
- Uncovering at the end reduces the sauce to a glaze.
- Bay and peppercorns perfume the pot without a long spice list.
Ingredients
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Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken dry. Heat the vegetable oil in a wide pot over medium heat. If the oil smokes, turn the heat off and let the pot cool slightly before continuing.
- 2
Brown the chicken on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.
- 3
Add the garlic, soy sauce, white vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaves, brown sugar, and water.
- 4
Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 25 minutes, until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F.
- 5
Uncover and simmer 8 to 10 minutes more, until the sauce darkens and coats a spoon.
- 6
Discard the bay leaves and serve the chicken with the sauce.
Pro tips
- Do not skip the browning step; it keeps the sauce from tasting thin.
- If the sauce tastes too sharp, simmer it a few minutes longer rather than adding more sugar.
- Smash the garlic so it perfumes the pot without burning as minced garlic would.
Easy substitutions
- bone-in chicken thighs
- boneless thighs, checked at 165°F a few minutes earlier
- white vinegar
- cane vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon honey
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Reheating
Reheat in a covered saucepan over medium heat until the chicken is hot and the sauce is simmering.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 356
- Protein
- 38 g
- Carbs
- 6 g
- Fat
- 20 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Budget friendly · Stovetop, One Pan · Dairy-Free, High Protein
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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