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5.0 from 18 votes

The Best Filipino Chicken Adobo

This savory yet tangy chicken dish only requires a few ingredients and lets the marinade do all the work for a flavorful and easy Filipino dish you can make in your own kitchen. {Gluten-Free}

Prep Time
5 mins
Cook Time
1 hr
Total Time
1 hr 5 mins
Servings: 8
Calories: 209 kcal
Course: Main Course

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 lbs skin-on bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks (or boneless skinless thighs)
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 3 cloves garlic , crushed with the side of knife
  • 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 large onion , sliced into rings
  • 4 carrots , peeled and chopped (Optional) (*Footnote 1)
Marinade
  • 1 cup Fillipino cane vinegar (or 3/4 cup white vinegar / cider vinegar diluted with 1/4 cup water)
  • 1/4 cup lime juice , freshly squeezed
  • 1 cup soy sauce

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Combine the marinade ingredients in a large ziplock bag. Add chicken and shake to mix well. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal the bag. Let marinate in the fridge overnight.
  2. When you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken from the marinade and place on a plate. Reserve the marinade juice.
  3. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet or a dutch oven over medium heat until hot. Add the chicken, skin side down. Cook until browned, flip to brown the other side. It takes about 10 minutes in total.
  4. Add the reserved marinade liquid, garlic, whole black pepper, brown sugar, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil then turn to medium low heat. Cover, simmer, until the chicken turns tender, 40 minutes for well-done chicken. Or up to 60 minutes for falling-off-the-bone chicken.
  5. Add the onion rings and carrots. Cook uncovered for another 5 minutes, until the vegetable turns tender.
  6. Serve hot as a main dish with steamed rice.

Notes

  • The recipe is slightly adapted from The Filipino Cookbook by my Miki Garcia.
  • Authentic chicken adobo does not contain this vegetable, but I love to add some veggies to make my fish more colorful. You can skip it, or use other veggies as substitution, such as potatoes or broccoli.

Nutrition Information

Serving 8g Calories 209kcal (10%) Carbohydrates 7.3g (2%) Protein 25.8g (52%) Fat 8g (12%) Saturated Fat 2g (10%) Cholesterol 76mg (25%) Sodium 695mg (29%) Potassium 365mg (10%) Fiber 1.3g (5%) Sugar 3.6g (7%) Calcium 30mg (3%) Iron 1.4mg (8%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 209

% Daily Value*

Serving 8g
Calories 209kcal 10%
Carbohydrates 7.3g 2%
Protein 25.8g 52%
Fat 8g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 10%
Cholesterol 76mg 25%
Sodium 695mg 29%
Potassium 365mg 8%
Fiber 1.3g 5%
Sugar 3.6g 7%
Calcium 30mg 3%
Iron 1.4mg 8%

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