Filipino Chicken Adobo

Chicken Adobo

Savory. Tangy. Deeply comforting.

Chicken adobo is the backbone of Filipino home cooking — a dish found in every region, every household, and every generation. Its method predates colonization: vinegar preserves, soy sauce seasons, garlic protects. This was survival cooking long before refrigeration existed, shaped by intuition and necessity.

Each family has its own version — darker, lighter, more sour, more garlicky — but the heart remains the same. Adobo is not rushed. It simmers gently, filling the home with a scent that signals safety, nourishment, and belonging.

Ingredients

  • 1 kg chicken (thighs or drumsticks)

  • ½ cup soy sauce

  • ½ cup cane vinegar

  • 1 cup water

  • 6 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 1 tsp whole black peppercorns

  • 1 tbsp oil

Directions

  1. Place chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and water in a pot.

  2. Do not stir. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

  3. Lower heat and simmer for 30–40 minutes until chicken is tender.

  4. Remove chicken and lightly brown in oil (optional but traditional).

  5. Return chicken to the sauce and simmer until sauce reduces and thickens.

  6. Taste and adjust the balance of salt and sourness.

Best served with: Hot white rice.
Even better the next day.

Filipino's Favorite FoodsKristeva Dowling