Chicken adobo
Adobong manok
Filipino chicken braised in vinegar, soy, garlic and pepper — a method more than a single official recipe.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Adobong manok.
0 people cooked this in the public kitchen yet. Kitchen-tested by I Want Some Food. Not a purchased rating.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Weeknight budget$8–16 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Adobo means to braise in acid and salt. Filipino chicken adobo is garlic, vinegar, often soy sauce, bay, peppercorns, and a reduction that turns glossy. Every family is sure theirs is correct. This one is soy-and-vinegar balanced, chicken thigh, and a finish where you reduce the sauce until it clings. Serve with rice. Always rice.
Ingredients
- Chicken, thighs, bone-in if possible900 g
- Vinegar, cane or coconut vinegar if you can120 ml
- Soy sauce80 ml
- Garlic, crushed8 clove
- Bay leaf3
- Black pepper, whole peppercorns, lightly crushed4.9 ml
- Sugar (optional)4.9 ml
- Water120 ml
- Rice, uncooked, to serve400 g
- Spring onion (optional)2
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
In a bowl, combine chicken, vinegar, soy, garlic, bay and pepper. Marinate 20 minutes if you have them; skip if you don't.
20 minStep 2
Tip everything into a pot, add water, and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer, uncovered, 30–35 minutes, turning the chicken now and then.
35 minStep 3
Lift chicken out. Reduce the sauce until glossy and slightly syrupy, 5–8 minutes. Taste: sour, salty, garlicky. A pinch of sugar only if the vinegar shouts.
8 minStep 4
Return chicken to coat. For extra flavour, you can brown the chicken in a little of the fat before the simmer, or crisp the skin in a pan at the end.
5 minTip: Some families fry first; some simmer first. Both are adobo.
Step 5
Serve with rice and a little sauce. The leftover sauce is why you cooked extra rice.
Adapt this recipe
The canonical recipe stays intact. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are maths, not AI.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 24 August.
Substitutions
Chicken → Pork belly or shoulder
Adobong baboy. Simmer longer until tender.
Soy sauce → Salt only
A soy-free regional style. Increase salt carefully and keep the vinegar.
Tips
- Do not use balsamic. It is the wrong sour.
- Adobo improves overnight. The fridge is part of the method.
History & culture
Adobo is weekday food and celebration food. Regional versions skip soy, add coconut milk, or use pork. Calling one plate 'the authentic adobo' is how you start an argument at a party. We are offering a Manila-leaning home pot.
Vinegar-and-salt preservation predates Spanish naming. Soy sauce in many modern adobos reflects Chinese influence. The Spanish word 'adobo' stuck to a Philippine method that was already there.
Regional variation — Soy sauce included (many households). Cane vinegar preferred. Coconut milk not used here — that's a regional fork.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation. Original editorial adaptation for I Want Some Food. Photograph: Kabu Sawsaw via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chicken%20Adobo%20with%20Potatoes.jpg
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips — not a chatbot.
How long does Chicken adobo take?
1 hr all in — 15 min prep, 45 min cook. That is the time on this recipe, not a guess.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 people. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Soy, Wheat. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free.
What does it cost to cook?
Weeknight budget — about $8–16 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Dutch oven, Saucepan.
How much salt do I put in?
This recipe does not list salt as its own ingredient. Saltiness comes from Soy sauce — 80 ml. Taste at the end rather than adding a number we did not write.
How much vinegar?
120 ml (cane or coconut vinegar if you can) of Vinegar.
How much soy sauce?
80 ml of Soy sauce.
How much sugar?
1 tsp (optional) of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Chicken → Pork belly or shoulder. Adobong baboy. Simmer longer until tender. Soy sauce → Salt only. A soy-free regional style. Increase salt carefully and keep the vinegar.
Any tips from this recipe?
Do not use balsamic. It is the wrong sour. Adobo improves overnight. The fridge is part of the method.
Can I prepare this ahead?
Adobo improves overnight. The fridge is part of the method. Serve with rice and a little sauce. The leftover sauce is why you cooked extra rice.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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