I made an Adobo Chicken that combines intense flavor with incredibly quick prep and yields thighs so tender they mimic slow cooking.
I never thought a weeknight could taste this dramatic until I made my Chicken Thigh Adobo Filipino. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs soaked in soy sauce give a punchy, caramel kind of saltiness, and it’s like it’s been slow cooked for ages even when I’m in a hurry.
People keep calling it my Famous Chicken Adobo, and I can’t blame them, the flavours dig in and don’t let go. It’s intense, a little aggressive even, but stupidly easy, and every time I serve it someone whispers “what is that” like they can’t believe it came from my tiny stove.
Ingredients
- Chicken thighs: High in protein and fat, juicy and makes the adobo hearty and comforting.
- Soy sauce: Salty and full of umami, adds colour and sodium, some protein too.
- Vinegar: Sour backbone, tenderizes meat, low calorie, balances salt and sweetness in sauce.
- Garlic: Pungent, adds savoury depth, small fibre and vitamin content, sings when browned.
- Bay leaves: Aromatic, subtle herb note, negligible nutrients, lifts overall flavour without overpowering.
- Peppercorns: Whole cracks gives warm spicy hits, contain antioxidants, good for balance and bite.
- Brown sugar: Optional sweetener, adds caramel notes and carbs, helps round the sharp vinegar tang.
Ingredient Quantities
- 2 to 2.5 lb (about 1 to 1.1 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (6 to 8 pieces)
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce, regular or low sodium (prefer Filipino soy if you can)
- 1/3 cup (80 ml) cane vinegar or white vinegar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) water or low sodium chicken stock
- 6 to 8 garlic cloves, smashed
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
- 1 to 2 tsp brown sugar or palm sugar, optional
- 1 to 2 tbsp neutral oil, for browning, optional
- 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced, optional
- Salt, to taste
- 2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced for garnish, optional
How to Make this
1. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and, if you have time, toss them in a bowl with half the soy sauce and half the smashed garlic and let sit 20 to 30 minutes; if you’re rushed skip this and just cook.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering, then brown the chicken skin side down in batches until golden, about 4 to 6 minutes; transfer browned pieces to a plate.
3. In the same pan, add the sliced onion if using and sauté 2 to 3 minutes until soft, then add the remaining smashed garlic and cook 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant but not burned.
4. Return all the chicken to the pan skin side up, pour in the remaining soy sauce, vinegar, and the water or chicken stock, add the bay leaves and the crushed whole peppercorns; if you didn’t pre marinate combine the soy and vinegar now.
5. Bring the pot to a gentle boil uncovered for about 1 to 2 minutes (this helps mellow the raw vinegar edge), then lower heat to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook 25 to 30 minutes until the meat is very tender and almost falling from the bone.
6. Remove the lid, turn heat up to medium, add the brown or palm sugar if using, and reduce the sauce 6 to 10 minutes until it thickens slightly and coats the chicken; spoon the sauce over the thighs as it reduces.
7. Taste and adjust seasoning; be careful with salt because soy is salty, add a pinch of salt only if needed. If the sauce is too sharp add a little more sugar or a splash of water to balance.
8. For extra crisp skin and caramelized glaze you can finish the thighs under a hot broiler 1 to 3 minutes or sear them skin side down in a hot pan for 1 to 2 minutes—watch closely so they dont burn.
9. Garnish with thinly sliced green onion and serve hot with steamed rice, spooning extra adobo sauce over everything. Leftovers keep well in the fridge up to 3 days, reheat gently so the chicken stays tender.
Equipment Needed
1. Large heavy skillet or dutch oven, for browning and simmering the chicken
2. Tongs or a sturdy spatula, to turn pieces and move them without tearing the skin
3. Mixing bowl and paper towels, to pat dry and quick marinate the thighs
4. Measuring cups and spoons, for soy sauce, vinegar, water and sugar
5. Sharp knife and cutting board, for slicing the onion and green onions
6. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, to sauté garlic and stir the sauce
7. Plate or rimmed baking sheet, to rest browned chicken between batches
8. Oven with broiler or a second hot skillet, to finish the skin extra crisp if you want
FAQ
Filipino Chicken Adobo (Flavour Kapow!) Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Chicken thighs: swap for bone-in chicken legs or boneless thighs (if boneless, cook shorter), or use pork belly for a pork adobo, just adjust simmer time.
- Soy sauce: tamari for gluten free, or coconut aminos for lower sodium and a slightly sweeter note, use same amount then taste.
- Vinegar: apple cider, rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar, rice vinegar is milder so you might need a tad more, lemon juice works in a pinch but gives citrusy flavor.
- Brown/palm sugar: honey, coconut sugar, or regular white sugar, palm sugar is closest in taste, honey dissolves faster so use a little less.
Pro Tips
1. If you can, toss the thighs in half the soy and smashed garlic for 20 to 30 minutes then pat them really dry before browning. Dry skin = better browning, more flavor, less splatter. dont skip patting or the skin wont crisp.
2. Brown in batches in a hot pan so the pieces arent crowded, let the skin render and get golden before flipping. If you try to cook everything at once youll steam not brown, and the sauce will be dull.
3. Use that quick uncovered boil to tame the vinegar but always taste before salting, soy already has lots of salt. If it tastes too sharp add a little sugar or a splash of water or stock to balance, not a ton all at once.
4. For a shiny glaze and extra crisp finish, reduce the sauce until slightly thick then either sear skin side down fast in a hot pan or pop under the broiler for 1 to 3 minutes, watching it closely. Reheat leftovers gently with a splash of stock so the meat stays tender, they actually get better after a day.
Filipino Chicken Adobo (Flavour Kapow!) Recipe
I made an Adobo Chicken that combines intense flavor with incredibly quick prep and yields thighs so tender they mimic slow cooking.
6
servings
490
kcal
Equipment: 1. Large heavy skillet or dutch oven, for browning and simmering the chicken
2. Tongs or a sturdy spatula, to turn pieces and move them without tearing the skin
3. Mixing bowl and paper towels, to pat dry and quick marinate the thighs
4. Measuring cups and spoons, for soy sauce, vinegar, water and sugar
5. Sharp knife and cutting board, for slicing the onion and green onions
6. Wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, to sauté garlic and stir the sauce
7. Plate or rimmed baking sheet, to rest browned chicken between batches
8. Oven with broiler or a second hot skillet, to finish the skin extra crisp if you want
Ingredients
-
2 to 2.5 lb (about 1 to 1.1 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (6 to 8 pieces)
-
1/2 cup (120 ml) soy sauce, regular or low sodium (prefer Filipino soy if you can)
-
1/3 cup (80 ml) cane vinegar or white vinegar
-
1/2 cup (120 ml) water or low sodium chicken stock
-
6 to 8 garlic cloves, smashed
-
3 bay leaves
-
1 tsp whole black peppercorns, lightly crushed
-
1 to 2 tsp brown sugar or palm sugar, optional
-
1 to 2 tbsp neutral oil, for browning, optional
-
1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced, optional
-
Salt, to taste
-
2 stalks green onion, thinly sliced for garnish, optional
Directions
- Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and, if you have time, toss them in a bowl with half the soy sauce and half the smashed garlic and let sit 20 to 30 minutes; if you’re rushed skip this and just cook.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering, then brown the chicken skin side down in batches until golden, about 4 to 6 minutes; transfer browned pieces to a plate.
- In the same pan, add the sliced onion if using and sauté 2 to 3 minutes until soft, then add the remaining smashed garlic and cook 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant but not burned.
- Return all the chicken to the pan skin side up, pour in the remaining soy sauce, vinegar, and the water or chicken stock, add the bay leaves and the crushed whole peppercorns; if you didn’t pre marinate combine the soy and vinegar now.
- Bring the pot to a gentle boil uncovered for about 1 to 2 minutes (this helps mellow the raw vinegar edge), then lower heat to a gentle simmer, cover partially, and cook 25 to 30 minutes until the meat is very tender and almost falling from the bone.
- Remove the lid, turn heat up to medium, add the brown or palm sugar if using, and reduce the sauce 6 to 10 minutes until it thickens slightly and coats the chicken; spoon the sauce over the thighs as it reduces.
- Taste and adjust seasoning; be careful with salt because soy is salty, add a pinch of salt only if needed. If the sauce is too sharp add a little more sugar or a splash of water to balance.
- For extra crisp skin and caramelized glaze you can finish the thighs under a hot broiler 1 to 3 minutes or sear them skin side down in a hot pan for 1 to 2 minutes—watch closely so they dont burn.
- Garnish with thinly sliced green onion and serve hot with steamed rice, spooning extra adobo sauce over everything. Leftovers keep well in the fridge up to 3 days, reheat gently so the chicken stays tender.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 180g
- Total number of serves: 6
- Calories: 490kcal
- Fat: 38.3g
- Saturated Fat: 11g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Polyunsaturated: 6g
- Monounsaturated: 18.2g
- Cholesterol: 216mg
- Sodium: 1750mg
- Potassium: 420mg
- Carbohydrates: 5g
- Fiber: 0.5g
- Sugar: 3g
- Protein: 45g
- Vitamin A: 120IU
- Vitamin C: 2mg
- Calcium: 30mg
- Iron: 2mg
