Chicken Adobo

Chicken Adobo

Serves  5-6

​There are so many different versions of the iconic Chicken Adobo, depending on the Philippine island you are on; it even varies from family to family. My recipe here is that of a classic, simple Adobo, made with a few very basic ingredients from your pantry and yet absolutely delicious. This recipe was first introduced to me by our wonderful helper and my sous chef Marissa - do check out her video below, where she goes through the entire process step-by-step. The recipe is super-simple, great for even beginners, and soooo delicious, I promise it will become a regular on your dinner table. 

​A few things to remember here,

1. It is best to use whole organic chicken in this recipe. The bones impart a ton of flavor to the sauce, and thicken the sauce as well if you decide to keep some for the next day. Alternatively, you can use chicken thighs on the bone
2. Remember to marinate your chicken for at least a few hours before making the dish. The longer you marinate it for, the more delicious the final result will be. If you simply don’t have enough time, you can still marinate it for one hour at room temperature, while prepping other ingredients. This recipe is soooo good it will still yield great results.
3. Do remember to bring marinated chicken back to room temperature by placing it on your counter-top, for about an hour, before searing it. 
4. MAKE MORE - I always make extras and leave some Adobo for Day 2 - it tastes so much better the next day!
5. Adding carrots is not traditional, but it is still one of our favorite vegetables in this dish. Tender, caramelized carrots with their natural sweetness, and saltiness from soy take this dish to a whole new level.

​Enjoy the recipe, and as always, let us know in comments if you have any questions. Happy cooking!

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Chicken Adobo Recipe Video

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Ingredients
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1 whole organic chicken (about 1.2kg), cut into large pieces or 900g chicken thighs on the bone

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​1/2 cup light soy sauce

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​1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

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​5 cloves garlic, finely chopped

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​1 inch ginger, finely chopped

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​3-4 tablespoons coconut oil

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​1 large carrot, cut into discs

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​1 large potato, cut into large chunks

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​3 dried bay leaves

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​1 teaspoon whole peppercorns, or more to taste

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​1.5 cups water

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​3 tablespoons white vegetable vinegar 

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​2 teaspoons brown sugar or 1 teaspoon white sugar

Recipe
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1In a large bowl, place chicken along with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, garlic, and ginger. Stir well, cover and refrigerate for a few hours. Bring chicken back to room temperature by placing it on your countertop for about an hour before cooking.

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2 Heat oil in a heavy-base frying pan or wok. Pan-fry chicken pieces in batches, for about 2 minutes on each side until nicely seared - set aside. Scrape the bottom of the pan and discard burnt bits, in between batches.

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3Continue frying the rest of the chicken in batches. Remember to set aside the marinade for later use.

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4In the same pan, add potatoes and carrots; stir-fry for a few minutes until lightly golden.

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5Next, add seared chicken, bay leaves and black peppercorns - stir well and add leftover marinade.

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6 Pour 1.5 cups water into the pan, stir well, and bring to the boil. Cover, reduce heat to low-medium flame and let adobo cook for about 30 minutes.

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7After 30 minutes, add white vinegar, stir well, cover and continue to cook for another 10 minutes, for flavors to mingle.

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8Finally, add sugar, and stir until it dissolves. Serve hot Chicken Adobo with steamed rice.

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