Filipino-Style Chicken Adobo
Soy-vinegar braised chicken thighs with garlic and bay leaf over rice
Chicken thighs braise in a tangy soy-vinegar-garlic sauce with bay leaf and black peppercorns until fall-apart tender, then get served over rice with the reduced pan sauce spooned on top.
Why crews like it: Salty-sour-savory in a way nothing else on the menu tastes like. One pot, minimal prep, and it holds through call interruptions better than almost anything else in the collection.
Ingredients
- 4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 0.75 cup soy sauce
- 0.5 cup apple cider vinegar
- 12 cloves garlic cloves
- 4 whole bay leaves
- 1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 3 cups long-grain white rice
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 4 whole scallions
Instructions
- Marinate briefly: Combine chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a bowl. Marinate 15–30 minutes at room temperature while you prep everything else.
- Sear the chicken: Remove chicken from marinade, reserving the liquid. Sear in oil over medium-high 3–4 minutes per side until lightly browned—it will finish cooking in the braise.
- Braise until tender: Pour reserved marinade and broth over chicken, add brown sugar, bring to a simmer. Cover and cook 20–25 minutes until chicken is fork-tender and reads 165°F.
- Reduce the sauce: Uncover, remove chicken, and simmer sauce 5–8 minutes until thickened and glossy enough to coat the back of a spoon. Return chicken to the pan to coat.
- Serve over rice: Cook rice according to package directions while the sauce reduces. Serve chicken and sauce over rice, topped with sliced scallions.
Tonight's spread
- Steamed white rice.
- Quick pickled cucumber on the side.
Hall tips
- Adobo tastes even better the next day—make it ahead if your schedule allows.
- A hard-boiled egg simmered in the sauce for the last 10 minutes is a classic Filipino addition.
- Crisp up leftover chicken skin-on in a hot pan for adobo flakes over rice.
Meal prep
Do not stir too often while it simmers—let the sauce reduce undisturbed so it thickens properly. Station: Use real cane vinegar or apple cider vinegar—white vinegar alone tastes harsh and flat. Station: Let the sauce reduce uncovered at the end; a thin, watery adobo is a common mistake. Station: Hold covered at 165°F if calls interrupt—adobo actually improves with extra time in the sauce.
Leftovers
- Shred leftover chicken into fried rice with the extra sauce.
- Reheats beautifully—sauce may need a splash of water to loosen.
- Large Dutch oven or deep skillet
- Rice pot
Related recipes
- Lemon Garlic Chicken Tray
- Chicken Fajitas
- Honey Garlic Chicken Bowls
- White Bean Chicken Chili
- Barbacoa Chicken
- Shawarma Chicken Bowls