Chicken Adobo | The Modern Proper (2024)

May 7, 2024

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

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.

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)

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• Fresh garlic

• Black peppercorns

• Bay leaves

• Brown sugar

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.

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.

Tools You’ll Need

• Mixing bowl

• Large skillet

• Sharp knife

• Instant-read thermometer

More Ultra-Easy Chicken Thigh Recipes

• Lemongrass Chicken Thighs

• Cilantro Lime Chicken Thighs

• One-Pot Braised Chicken with Kale and White Beans

• Chicken Cacciatore

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!