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Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

How to make Instant Pot Chicken Adobo. Classic Filipino chicken adobo and rice is a quick and easy one pot meal. Bursting with a caramelized flavor punch of savory, tangy, umami with a hint of sweetness. No need to marinate ahead. Sarap!

Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 661 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian , Filipino

Ingredients

  • 6 (995g) chicken thighs or 2 pounds chicken meat
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) peanut oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 (150g) medium onion , sliced
  • 12 cloves (34g) garlic , crushed
  • 1 teaspoon (4g) whole black peppercorn
  • 1 dried red chili
  • 4 dried bay leaves
  • 1 stalk green onions , thinly sliced for garnish
Adobo Sauce (See Notes)
  • ¼ cup (63ml) Filipino soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup (83ml) Regular soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup (83ml) Filipino vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon (12.5g) sugar
Optional - Pot in Pot Rice
  • 1 cup (235g) jasmine rice , rinsed and drained well
  • 1 cup (250ml) cold water
Thickener
  • 2½ tablespoons (22.5g) cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) cold water

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Prepare Instant Pot: Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function. Wait until Instant Pot says “HOT” (roughly 8 minutes).
  2. Make Adobo Sauce: In a medium glass measuring cup, mix and combine 1 tbsp (12.5g) sugar, 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce, ¼ cup (63ml) Filipino soy sauce, ⅓ cup (83ml) regular soy sauce, and ⅓ cup (83ml) Filipino vinegar.
  3. Sauté Onions and Spices: Add 1 tbsp (15ml) oil in Instant Pot. Sauté onions for 2 minutes. Add 12 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp (4g) whole black peppercorn, dried red chili, and 4 dried bay leaves, then sauté for another 45 seconds.
  4. Deglaze Instant Pot: Add adobo sauce mixture (from Step 2) in Instant Pot. Deglaze by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
  5. Pressure Cook Chicken Adobo and Pot in Pot Rice: Coat the chicken with adobo sauce by dipping the skin side into the adobo sauce. Then flip to place the chicken skin side up in Instant Pot. Place a steamer rack in Instant Pot. Layer a stainless steel bowl of 1 cup (235g) Jasmine rice and 1 cup (250ml) cold water on top of the rack. With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 6 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Open lid carefully.
  6. Thicken Chicken Adobo Sauce: Remove stainless steel bowl & steamer rack. Set aside chicken in a serving bowl. Press Cancel button, then Sauté button to heat up the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, mix 2.5 tbsp (22.5g) cornstarch with 3 tbsp (45ml) cold water. Mix it into the adobo sauce one third at a time until desired thickness. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more vinegar, sugar, or soy sauce accordingly. Coat chicken with adobo sauce by placing them back in the pot.
  7. Optional Step - Crisp Skin: Place chicken adobo (coated with a thin layer of sauce) on a baking tray. Put it under a broiler for 5 to 10 minutes to maximize the flavor and crisp up the skin.
  8. Serve: Serve chicken adobo with rice. Lightly drizzle the adobo sauce and garnish with green onions. Enjoy~

Notes

  • Chicken: Best to use chicken thighs or chicken legs, but you can substitute them with other parts of the chicken.
  • Filipino Soy Sauce & Vinegar: Different soy sauces and vinegar have different flavors, saltiness, or acidity. Make sure to taste and adjust the amount to get the right balance for your tastes. If you prefer a milder adobo sauce, you can reduce the amount of soy sauce.
  • Fish Sauce: The amount in this recipe won't make your chicken adobo taste fishy. But you can omit it if you like. Your chicken adobo will still be delicious.
  • Amy + Jacky's Adobo Sauce: 
  • Is the Chicken Adobo Spicy? Don't worry! The 1 dried red chili and 4g whole black peppercorns won’t make this chicken adobo spicy.
  • Pot-in-Pot Rice: If you want to make Chicken Adobo without rice, you can skip the pot-in-pot rice and use the same pressure cooking time.
  • Shopping Tip: Try to buy these sauces from your local Asian market. They're usually available at a lower price. 
  • Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
  • Substitute: You can substitute them with regular soy sauce (or light soy sauce) and white vinegar. It'll work but the flavor profile will change according to your soy sauce and vinegar. Make sure to taste and adjust the amount accordingly!
  • Soy Sauce: Silver Swan Filipino Soy Sauce + Lee Kum Kee Light Soy Sauce
  • Fish Sauce: Red Boat Fish Sauce
  • Vinegar: Lorins Sukang Sasa Filipino Vinegar

Nutrition Information

Calories 661kcal (33%) Carbohydrates 20g (7%) Protein 43g (86%) Fat 45g (69%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 10g Monounsaturated Fat 19g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 244mg (81%) Sodium 882mg (37%) Potassium 641mg (18%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 242IU (5%) Vitamin C 6mg (7%) Calcium 53mg (5%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 661

% Daily Value*

Calories 661kcal 33%
Carbohydrates 20g 7%
Protein 43g 86%
Fat 45g 69%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 10g 59%
Monounsaturated Fat 19g 95%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 244mg 81%
Sodium 882mg 37%
Potassium 641mg 14%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 242IU 5%
Vitamin C 6mg 7%
Calcium 53mg 5%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.