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    Chicken Adobo

    Our chicken adobo recipe is simple as can be—a one-pot weeknight flavor party to love forever and ever.

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    homemade chicken adobo on a serving platter topped with chopped green onions

    Filipino Chicken Adobo is a One-Pot Flavor Explosion

    Quick, easy, bursting with flavor, our version of the classic Filipino dish known as chicken adobo is here to give your weeknight dinner plans a serious jolt of excitement. Chicken adobo is inherently easy—even the most classic, most authentic recipes are all about ease because the dish simply is, well, simple! Salty, sweet, acidic adobo sauce is bold and basic, and all you’ll need to do is remember to get the chicken marinating at least 90 minutes before you want to eat dinner because it needs at least an hour in the marinade.

    bowl of white vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, brown sugar, chicken thighs and canola oil on the counter

    What Is Chicken Adobo Made Of?

    You’ll want to use chicken thighs for this recipe—you really need at least a little hearty chicken fat in the mix, so ignore any temptation to use chicken breasts on this one, OK? Beyond that, though, chicken adobo is really all about that perfectly balanced adobo sauce. So, what is adobo sauce made of? We’re so glad you asked! Adobo sauce is ultra simple to me. it sort of punches all the four big tastes—salty, savory, sweet, sour—without reserve. It’s sort of like it’s hollering at the chicken thighs to become incredibly flavorful—OR ELSE! And honestly, we love it. Here’s everything you’ll need to make the best chicken adobo sauce ever:

    • White vinegar

    • Soy sauce (or tamari)

    • Fresh garlic

    • Black peppercorns

    • Bay leaves

    • Brown sugar

    vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and brown sugar in a glass bowl of chicken adobo marinade
    chicken thighs soaked in adobo marinade made out of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and brown sugar
    homemade chicken adobo in a skillet that was marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and brown sugar
    marinated chicken adobo chicken thighs being browned in a skillet

    How To Make Our Easy Chicken Adobo Recipe

    Chicken thighs get so thoroughly soaked in adobo sauce in this chicken adobo recipe—first with a good long marinade and then by being fully simmered in the sauce—that they absolutely pop with so much flavorful goodness by the time you’re ready to serve dinner. This recipe isn’t a super time-saver, but it’s largely effortless—simply plan ahead a bit, and make sure you’ve got a good, big skillet handy. Here’s how to make our chicken adobo recipe:

    1. Marinate the chicken thighs in the adobo sauce for at least an hour, or as long as three hours. We put a cap on the marinade time because the white vinegar is super acidic, so it’ll start to mess with the texture of the chicken thighs after three hours.

    2. Brown the chicken thighs! They don’t need to be cooked through—focus on getting a nice golden-brown color and slightly crisp texture.

    3. Pour in the marinade and bring the chicken and sauce to a boil. Simmer until the sauce has reduced by half and the chicken is completely cooked through.

    homemade chicken adobo in a skillet that was marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and brown sugar

    What To Serve With Chicken Adobo

    Keep it classic! You’ve got to serve chicken adobo in the classic Filipino way—over a big bed of perfectly steamed white rice, sprinkled with fresh chopped scallions and plenty of that adobo sauce spooned over everything. If you have a rice cooker, this is its moment to shine. But if you don’t, no sweat! You can follow our stovetop rice cooking method here–simply leave out the lemon juice, zest and garlic powder.

    homemade chicken adobo on a serving platter topped with chopped green onions
    chicken adobo served over white rice and sautéed vegetables topped with green onions on a plate with a fork and knife

    Tools You’ll Need

    More Ultra-Easy Chicken Thigh Recipes

    homemade chicken adobo on a serving platter topped with chopped green onions
    chicken adobo served over white rice and sautéed vegetables topped with green onions on a plate with a fork and knife

    Chicken Adobo?! More Like Chicken We ADORE-O!

    Couldn’t help it. But really, we are butt-crazy in love with this recipe (and if you get that reference, we are butt-crazy in love with you, too.) We hope you love our chicken adobo recipe! It’s just really gosh-darn good, if we may say so. When you try it, let us know how you like it, OK? Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

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    Chicken Adobo

    March 1, 2022

    • Serves: 6
    • Prep Time:  1 hr 5 min
    • Cook Time:  25 min
    • Calories: 340
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    Ingredients

    • 1/2 cup white vinegar
    • 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
    • 8 cloves garlic, minced
    • 1/2 tsp black peppercorns
    • 2 bay leaves
    • 1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
    • 3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed
    • 1 Tbsp canola oil
    • 4 green onions, thinly sliced
    • Steamed rice, for serving

    Method

    1. In a large bowl, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and brown sugar. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least one hour, and up to three.

    2. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the canola oil until glistening. Add the chicken (letting as much marinade drip off as possible) to the pan. Brown the chicken thighs on both sides, about 6 minutes total.

    3. Add the remaining marinade to the skillet and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium to maintain a heavy simmer for 10 minutes. Flip the chicken thighs. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half and is beginning to thicken, about 10 more minutes. When the chicken thigh reads 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, remove from the heat.

    4. Serve the chicken thighs over cooked rice, sprinkled with green onions.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories340
    • Protein46 g
    • Carbohydrates5 g
    • Total Fat14 g
    • Dietary Fiber2 g
    • Cholesterol0 mg
    • sodium1081 mg
    • Total Sugars3 g

    Chicken Adobo

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Tabatha

      Kin I Use Chicken Wings

      The skin might get soggy with this recipe.

    • Amanda

      Could you make this in an air fryer? How long and what temperature would recommend? We usually make this on the grill and love it, but we don't have our grill at the moment.

      We haven't tested this in the air fryer yet.

    • Adrian

      Would this recipe work with other cuts of chicken? Like full sized wings, etc.

      Thank you!

      Sure! You will just need to adjust cook time based on what cut of chicken you choose.

    • Tracy

      Can you eliminate brown sugar

      Hi Tracy we haven't tested eliminating it, it would definitely change the flavor. YOu could substitute a zero calorie brown sugar like "golden monkfruit" etc...

    • F.

      How long should you cook the chicken thighs if you leave the bone in and skin on?

      It will take about 5-10 minutes more probably so maybe cook for 15 minutes before you flip the chicken. Still check for doneness after 10 minutes and if they aren't done continue cooking until they reach a 165F internal temperature.

    • Z

      I've made this a few times now. The first time it was amazing, the second not so much and tonight I made it again and it was so good! The only thing I did differently was I didn't marinade it for a full hour the second time. I will definitely make sure I marinade it in the future. This is now one of my husbands favorites!

      Thanks Z, we are so glad you both love it!

    • Fiona

      Very delicious! I followed the recipe exactly but I did half it as I’m one person. I made plain white rice to go with and it was so tasty! I did marinate it for the full time.

      Thanks Fiona, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Jake

      The steps threw me off especially step #4 like how many 10 minutes are we talking here? Can we separate them in steps please?
      Smells great tho

      Hi Jake & Bridge, It is just the 2 sets of 10 minutes. We will take a look at the instructions and see if they need altered. Thanks for the feedback. Hope you enjoyed!

    • Maria

      What a wonderful dish! Super easy and super yummy! Thanks!

      Thanks Maria, glad you loved it!

    • Maria

      Hi! I saw in the pictures that you use a cast iron skillet. Should we use one if we have one? What is the difference between the cast iron and a regular one? I always have been wondering. Thanks!
      Maria

      Either will work fine. Cast iron keeps the temperature more even which cooks the meat better and it adds a nice sear which non stick doesn't do as beautifully.