Chicken Adobo
My take on a Filipino classic with a creamy twist
Chicken Adobo is a much-loved dish from the Philippines, known for its bold, tangy, salty-sweet flavours. Traditionally made with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and bay leaves, it’s a great example of how a handful of simple, low-cost ingredients can create something deeply rich and satisfying.
My version adds coconut milk to round out the acidity and make the sauce extra luscious, perfect for spooning over a bowl of rice. It’s a one-pan wonder made with budget-friendly chicken cuts and pantry staples, and it only gets better the next day.
QUICK TIP: Don’t panic if it tastes super vinegary at the start. Try to resist the urge to adjust the seasoning too early. That sharpness will mellow out beautifully as it simmers, so trust the process and wait until the end to taste and tweak.
Chicken Adobo
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 80-90 minutes
Servings: 4+
GFO, DF, Freezer-friendly
INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp vegetable or coconut oil
6-8 pieces of skin-on, bone- in chicken (seen notes)
1 tsp ground black pepper
8 large cloves garlic, smashed
1/4-1/2 tsp crushed chilli flakes
1 tsp whole black peppercorns
5 dried bay leaves
1/2 cup light soy sauce
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
400g tin coconut milk
2 Tbsp brown sugar (see notes)
To Serve
steamed rice
green onions, thinly sliced (optional, for garnish)
STEPS
Prep
Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel and season with the ground black pepper
Use the flat side of a large knife or the bottom of a glass to press down firmly on each garlic clove until slightly crushed. Peel and set aside in a small bowl with the whole peppercorns and crushed chilli flakes.
Cook
Heat the oil in a large frypan or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken skin-side down and cook for 4–5 minutes until the skin is lightly golden. Flip and cook the other side for another 2–3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium and scoop out most of the fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon behind. Add the smashed garlic, whole peppercorns, and crushed chilli. Fry gently for 30-45 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the soy sauce and vinegar, crank up the heat to medium-high and simmer for about 5 minutes.
Add the coconut milk, brown sugar and bay leaves and give everything a good stir.
Once the sauce begins to simmer again, reduce the heat back to medium-low and return the chicken to the pan, skin-side up. Partially cover and simmer for 1 hour, turning the chicken skin-side down halfway through. If you’re serving this with rice, pop it on to cook about 45 minutes into the simmer time.
After an hour, remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate. Strain the sauce through a fine metal sieve into a jug or bowl. Return the strained sauce to the pan and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat to reduce and thicken. Taste and add an extra 1–2 tablespoons of brown sugar if you prefer a sweeter sauce.
Optional: If you'd like a crispier chicken skin you can place the chicken on a tray and grill for a few minutes until golden brown while the sauce is reducing- keep an eye on both the sauce and the chicken!
Return the chicken to the pan, skin-side up, and warm it through while the sauce finishes thickening. Serve over steamed rice, spooning the sauce over both the chicken and rice. Garnish with green onions and serve with your choice of veg side.
NOTES
Chicken: I serve 2 drumsticks or 1 large thigh cutlet per person. If using Maryland, 1 per person is usually plenty.
Garlic: To smash, place the flat side of a large knife (like a chef’s knife) over the garlic clove. With your palm, press down firmly (but carefully!) on the top surface until the clove crushes slightly and the skin splits. You can then easily peel off the skin. You can also use the bottom of a glass to achieve the same result.
Sugar: You may want to sweeten the sauce by adding an extra tablespoon, sweeten to taste before serving.
Vinegar: You can also use white vinegar for this recipe but I prefer the rice wine vinegar. Traditionally, cane or coconut vinegar is used. If you find that the vinegar flavour is too strong after simmering, you can balance it by adding a pinch of baking soda. It will foam up a bit but you'll notice a difference. Do not do this until right at the end because the strength of the vinegar flavour reduces as it cooks.
Consistency: If you want to thicken the sauce quickly- you can add in a cornflour slurry near the end. Do this when the chicken is removed after the sauce has been strained. Mix 2 tsp of cornflour with 2 tsp of water and add a little at a time, stirring and simmering until the sauce reaches the perfect consistency.