Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe (Adobong Manok)

This delicious Filipino soy and vinegar marinated chicken adobo recipe is cooked to golden brown and served up in under 1 hour.

Chicken adobo is a classical Filipino dish better known as adobong manok. In addition to using chicken, it would also be traditional to use pork as well. Chicken adobo is soy and vinegar marinaded chicken that is then pan-fried until browned and then braised in the marinade liquid until it is cooked throughout.

The word adobo is Spanish for,” adobar” which means to marinade. Pedro de San Buenaventura labeled the Filipino version 'adobo de los naturales' – adobo of the natives, and then name stuck

The most common chicken parts used are thighs and drums, but I believe it is more economical to always fabricate and use a whole chicken so you can use the leftover chicken bodies and bones for chicken stock.

Ingredients for this recipe:

• 1 peeled julienne yellow onion
• 16 smashed garlic cloves
• 1 ½ cups dark soy sauce
• 1 cup coconut vinegar
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tablespoon peppercorns
• ¼ cup palm sugar
• 2 cups water
• 1 whole broken-down chicken into parts
• 3 tablespoons peanut oil

Serves 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Marinade Time: 12 hours

Cook Time: 45 minutes

Procedures:

1. In a large bowl whisk together onions, garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, peppercorns, and water until combined.
2. Divide the marinade into two bowls or containers and set it aside.
3. Add the chicken directly to one of the bowls with the marinades or transfer the chicken and marinade to a plastic zip bag and marinate in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours. Reserve the other marinade in the refrigerator until the next day.
4. Heat the oil in a large frying pan or rondeau pot over medium heat for two minutes and then add the chicken directly from the marinade skin side down into the oil and cook for 10-12 minutes or until well browned. Discard the marinade that the chicken was marinating in.
5. Flip the chicken over and cook for 2 more minutes.
6. Pour the reserved marinade right into the pan and cook covered on low heat for 20-30 minutes.
7. Remove the chicken and serve with some of the braising liquid and garnish with sliced green onions.

Chef Notes:

Make-Ahead: This is meant to be eaten as soon as it is done cooking. You can keep it warm in the braising liquid in the pan and cover it for up to 1 hour over very low heat.

How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to4 days. Cover and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.

How to Reheat: Add the chicken to a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper and bake at 350° for 8-10 minutes or until warm. You can also heat in the microwave until hot. If you reserved some of the braising liquid, you could also reheat the chicken in some of the liquid in a pan over low heat until warm.

You do not have to double the marinade and then split it, you can cook the chicken in the marinade but first, bring it to a boil for 5 minutes before putting the chicken in and finishing cooking it.

Feel free to use all chicken thighs or drums for this recipe.

If you do not have dark soy sauce you can substitute with light soy sauce or you can even use coconut aminos if you are soy-free.

Substitute the palm sugar with brown sugar.