Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
2 lbs chicken
3 pieces dried bay leaves
4 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons white vinegar
5 cloves garlic
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons cooking oil
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon whole peppercorn
Method
Marinate the chicken in soy sauce and garlic. The garlic needs to be crushed for best results. This process takes 1 hour to 12 hours depending on how flavorful you want the dish to be. Sometimes marinating for an hour is not enough. I think that 3 hours is optimal. The chicken absorbs most of the flavors from the soy sauce and garlic during this step. It is noticeable when you taste the dish after cooking. Note that it is also possible to include the vinegar in this step.
Separate the chicken from the marinade. Make sure to set the marinade aside because it will be used later on.
Pan-fry the chicken. Fry for 1 to 1 ½ minutes per side. This will partially cook the outer part. It also makes the skin tough enough to withstand stewing later. This means that it will remain intact, which is nice for presentation.
Pour marinade into the pot and add water. Let boil. The bay leaves and whole peppercorn can now be added.
Simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. It can take a it longer depending on the quality of the chicken. However, feel free to cook longer in low heat for a super tender chicken adobo. Add the vinegar. This can also be added as a part of the marinade. Let it cook for 10 minutes.
Season and serve. Add sugar and salt. I only add salt if needed. It is important to taste your dish before adding seasonings. Filipino chicken adobo can be served with or without sauce. If you like it very tasty then continue to cook on an uncovered cooking pot until the liquid
Tips & Tricks
Use any chicken part when cooking Filipino chicken adobo. The common parts that I use are thigh, drumstick, and breast.
The most important part of cooking chicken adobo is the marinade. The longer you let your chicken marinate in the rich combination of adobo flavors, the tastier it’ll be! I tend to make multiple batches of chicken adobo, so I can cook adobo whenever I feel like it. The longer it stays in the freezer, the more your chicken is able to absorb adobo’s amazing taste.
Dark Soy Sauce is common when for adobo. However, you may use any kind of soy sauce that you prefer. Using light soy sauce is not bad. Coconut aminos will also work.
White vinegar is commonly used. Cane vinegar and apple cider vinegar works too.
Garlic helps make adobo delicious. Use as many garlic as you prefer.
Onions can also be used for chicken adobo. If this is the case, it will need to be sautéed after pan frying the chicken.
If you want your chicken to be a lot tenderer before cooking, another option is to cook the chicken in a slow cooker or crockpot overnight. This will enhance the flavors and make the chicken much juicier.
