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Meat, South and Southeast Asian

Chicken adobo with rice

Chicken adobo is the national dish of the Philippines, chicken braised in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and bay leaf, served with white rice. For 4 people, it takes 55 minutes and no special skills, it's very easy. Budget around €2.40 per serving. The key is letting it boil without stirring at first so the vinegar mellows out.

The Philippines' favorite dish, adobo, chicken braised in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and bay leaf, served with white rice.

Chicken adobo with rice
Total time
55 min
Difficulty
Very easy
Cost per person
€2.40
Calories per person
430 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall
The kids
They generally like it

Adobo starts with a smell, vinegar and garlic simmering with soy sauce and bay leaf. After an hour, that sharp acidity turns into a dark, salty, slightly sweet sauce that coats tender chicken with golden skin. It's a bold, straightforward dish, no fuss involved, meant to be eaten with plenty of white rice that soaks up every drop.

It's exactly the kind of dish Mon Chou likes to suggest for a weeknight, since it mostly cooks itself while you do something else. Kids generally love the sweet and salty combo and the sauce to dunk their rice in. You can also make it the day before for a Sunday dinner, adobo only gets better reheated.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 8

Fruits and vegetables

  • Garlic 8 cloves

Pantry

  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 10 cl
  • Cider or rice vinegaroften in the pantry 8 cl
  • Bay leavesoften in the pantry 3
  • Black peppercornsoften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Brown sugaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • White riceoften in the pantry 300 g

Allergens Soy, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Put the chicken thighs in a pot with the soy sauce, vinegar, crushed garlic, bay leaves, and pepper. Let marinate. 20 min

    If you have time, marinating overnight in the fridge gives an even deeper flavor.

  2. Bring to a boil without stirring, then lower the heat, cover, and let simmer. 30 min

    Keep the heat low, the chicken should barely simmer.

  3. Remove the thighs, pat them dry, and brown them in a skillet with the oil. 8 min

    This step gives a golden skin and a rounder flavor.

  4. Reduce the sauce with the sugar until syrupy, then put the chicken back in. 8 min

    Watch closely, the sauce can go from liquid to caramel very quickly.

  5. Cook the rice in salted water and serve the chicken with plenty of sauce. 12 min

    Make extra rice, the sauce is meant to be soaked up with it.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick bone in chicken thighs with the skin on, they hold up better during simmering and brown nicely in the skillet.
  • Use a pot with a tight fitting lid so the chicken simmers in its own juices without evaporating too much.
  • Taste the sauce before adding the chicken back, you can adjust with a bit more sugar if the acidity still feels sharp.

The variations

  • Swap the thighs for boneless chicken thighs, the cooking time will be a bit shorter.
  • For a vegetarian version, use firm tofu and shiitake mushrooms instead of chicken.
  • For a faster weeknight version, skip the marinating step and just simmer everything together from the start.

What to serve it with

  • White rice, to soak up the sauce
  • Steamed vegetables, for freshness
  • Unsweetened green tea

Storage

Chicken adobo keeps for 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container, and it's often even better the next day. It freezes well for up to 2 months. Reheat it gently in a skillet or saucepan with a splash of water to loosen the sauce.

Questions about this dish

What vinegar works best for adobo?

Cider vinegar or rice vinegar both work well, that's what this recipe uses. Avoid balsamic vinegar, it's too sweet and strong, and it would throw off the balance of the dish.

Can you make chicken adobo ahead of time?

Yes, it's actually recommended, adobo gets deeper in flavor after a night in the fridge. Just reheat it gently before serving with freshly cooked rice.

Why shouldn't you stir at the start of cooking?

Letting it boil without stirring lets the vinegar lose its sharpness naturally. If you stir too soon, the sauce stays more acidic and less rounded in flavor.

Do kids usually like adobo?

Yes, generally the sweet and salty mix and the sauce soaked into rice are a hit with kids. You can simply remove the whole peppercorns before serving it to younger children.

How long does it take to make a chicken adobo, the national dish of the Philippines, braised in vinegar and soy sauce, served with rice?

Count 55 min in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “very easy”.

How many calories are in a chicken adobo, the national dish of the Philippines, braised in vinegar and soy sauce, served with rice?

About 430 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken adobo, the national dish of the Philippines, braised in vinegar and soy sauce, served with rice cost?

About €2.40 per serving, or €9.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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