Easy Chicken Adobo Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the most important ingredient in adobo? ›

Most modern-day Filipino adobo is prepared with vinegar and soy sauce. Some families keep it simple with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper. Others add fresh ginger or coconut milk.

Many Filipino chicken adobo recipes will also tell you that using entirely white vinegar is fine. The first time I made chicken adobo, I used white vinegar and it was quite tasty, though I like this recipe better. Other recipes prefer apple cider vinegar, which is a bit less sharp and acidic than white vinegar.

In Mexico, adobo sauce starts with dried chiles like guajillo and ancho peppers. The chiles are rehydrated and combined into a thick paste with an acid like vinegar or citrus juice and flavorful additions like onions, garlic, cumin, and oregano.

On the other hand, the Filipino adobo base is comprised almost exclusively of vinegar, which not only flavors but also tenderizes the meat.

You can stir it while it's simmering or boiling. But, as for my father's words, do not stir it after you add the vinegar because "it may ruin the taste of the adobo." Bay leaves are quite optional to put when I cook my adobo. Salt is optional, too, because all the salty taste will be coming from the soy sauce.

In its base form, meat, seafood, or vegetables are first browned in oil, and then marinated and simmered in vinegar, salt and/or soy sauce, and garlic. It has occasionally been considered the unofficial national dish in the Philippines. Some sugar for sweet-salty taste. Adobo with no broth, only coating on the chicken.

I've since learned that the technique of searing and then softening in sauce extends to other vegetables: Mushrooms, cabbage, cauliflower, okra, squash, and even wilted greens like water spinach all welcome the process of adobo. Writer Ria Elciario makes green bean adobo, topped with crumbled tofu.

Place the bay leaves into the mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low, and cook 1 hour, or until the pork is easily shredded with a fork. (For a thicker consistency, blend a small amount of flour with coconut milk, chicken broth, or water, then stir into sauce.)

Traditionally, cane or coconut vinegar is used. For my own recipe, I chose rice vinegar because it's a little less sharp on the palate. But truthfully, I've made so many last-minute adobos with white vinegar, apple cider, or a combination of whatever I have left in my pantry, and they've all turned out great.

Can I use regular vinegar for adobo? ›

If you are referring to the Filipino version of Chicken or pork adobo, then it usually calls for Filipino palm vinegar, but if palm vinegar is not readily available you can most certainly use white, rice-wine, or cider vinegar. Chicken adobo is a great dish to eat with rice as a side-dish.

Soy Sauce: I like to use low-sodium soy sauce, but regular works too. Vinegar: Use a third cup of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar can also be used. Garlic: Crush a small head of garlic – about eight garlic cloves. Peppercorns: Grind six black peppercorns with a mortar and pestle.

“Some people add coconut milk; some cooks add a bit of sweetness in the form of sugar, honey, ripe fruit or even preserves to round out the adobo's sharp acidity and saltiness,” Ponseca writes.

The dish remains tangy, but the flavors are all in harmony, making it a delicious and satisfying meal. To enjoy chicken adobo at its best, serve it over a bed of fragrant jasmine rice to soak up the luscious sauce, and add a vegetable, such as roasted carrots or roasted asparagus, to complete the dish.

Bay leaves, while optional, imparts an earthy, slightly bitter flavor that cuts nicely through the soy sauce, giving the adobo more dimension.

Adobo is a dish that is usually made with meat (chicken, pork, or beef) marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and other spices. The meat is slowly cooked until it becomes tender and flavorful. Adobo is often served with rice and is a staple dish in many Filipino households.

Typically, pork or chicken, or a combination of both, is slowly cooked in vinegar, crushed garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and soy sauce. It is served with white rice. It was traditionally cooked in small clay pots (palayok or kulon); but today, metal pots or woks (kawali) are largely used instead.

Adobo seasoning is an all-purpose dry spice blend often found in Caribbean and Latin American cuisine. It typically contains salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, black pepper, cumin, and oregano.

Dry adobo can also be used in much the same manner as any seasoning salt. You can add it to sauces, stews, soups, and at any point in a sauté or stir-fry to punch up the flavor and give it some Latin life. Sprinkle it directly on meat as you're searing, melt it down into beans, or add it to rice as you're cooking.