Super Easy Chicken Adobo

We are kicking off the new year with a Filipino classic, Chicken Adobo! This chicken recipe is quick, easy, and perfect for an everyday meal. I like to plate this Chicken Adobo with warm rice and broccolini for a well-balanced meal!

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 6 pieces (2 lbs/1 kg) Chicken Thighs/Legs, bone-in, skin on

• 1 tsp Ground Black Pepper

• 4 Garlic Cloves, minced

• 4 Bay Leaves

• ½ cup (130 ml) Cane Vinegar/Rice Wine Vinegar/Apple Cider Vinegar

• ⅓ cup (80 ml) Soy Sauce, regular

• 2 tbsp (30 ml) Dark Soy Sauce

For Cooking

• 2 tbsp Oil

• 1 White Onion, sliced

• 4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

• 1 tbsp Black Peppercorns

• ¼ cup (50 grams) Brown Sugar/Cane Sugar

• 1½ cups (350 ml) Water

For Garnishing 

• 1 Green Onions, sliced finely

Method

1. Wash and pat dry the chicken pieces and add them to a bowl.  

2. Season them with freshly cracked black pepper, minced garlic cloves, bay leaves, cane vinegar, regular soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. 

3. Flip the chicken around in the seasonings and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and marinate for 20 minutes or overnight for best results.

4. In a heavy-bottom pot, add some oil and then add the pieces of chicken skin side down. When the chicken pieces have seared on one side, flip them over and let them sear on the other. Remove the chicken from the pot and place it on a plate.

5. To the same pot, add the sliced onions and the garlic and sauté till the onions turn translucent and the garlic loses its raw flavour.

6. Pour in the left-behind marinate before tossing in the peppercorns, brown sugar, and water.  Stir it all together till well blended.

7. Return the seared chicken to the pot, skin side up, and pour all the left-behind juices.

8. Lower the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and allow the chicken to cook for 20 minutes. Then remove the lid and continue cooking the chicken for another 10 minutes by which time the chicken would have cooked and the sauce thickened.

9. Switch off the heat and garnish with finely sliced green onions.

10. It is best enjoyed with hot steaming rice and a side of vegetables.