The only Filipino Adobo chicken recipe you will ever need
Hey guys! Day 5 lockdown #4.0 here in Melbourne. Hope you are all keeping sane. I am on a mission to make your life easier and am sharing this delicious…

Hey guys! Day 5 lockdown #4.0 here in Melbourne. Hope you are all keeping sane. I am on a mission to make your life easier and am sharing this delicious Filipino adobo chicken recipe with you.
Are you familiar with Filipino cuisine? Unfortunately, I am not, but I kind of think this adobo chicken tastes authentic. All I know it doesn’t taste anything like what I have ever cooked before and it is finger-licking delicious. It tastes like the food you get at the food court at the market somewhere in Singapore. Tender, sweet, and just a little tangy. I always wished I could cook like this and guess what, yesterday I did and I strongly encourage you to give this recipe a go. My whole family absolutely loved it and I know yours will too.

This family-friendly chicken dinner recipe is a great plan-ahead meal. You can marinate the chicken the day before, ready to go on the next day, or you can marinate it and freeze it. Take it out in the morning and let it defrost naturally and it will marinate while defrosting. I am pretty sure it will taste amazing cold the next day, but I never had a chance to test it, we don’t have leftovers in our house. 🙂
Don’t get discouraged by the long cooking time. As with all my recipes, this recipe too is extremely easy to make. A little bit of chopping, a little bit of stirring, is all it takes. The chicken cooks on its own.
I suggest you serve this adobo chicken over basmati rice, it is really the perfect match. I also made my favorite pickled cucumber salad to go with it.

Here comes the only Filipino Adobo chicken recipe you will ever need! Don’t forget to pin it!
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The only Filipino adobo chicken recipe you will ever need
- Total Time: 45 minutes + time to marinate
- Yield: 4 serves 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
The only adobo chicken recipe you will ever need. So simple, so easy, and oh sooo delicious. No time to cook it now? Pin it for later!
Ingredients
Marinade:
6 chicken boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 garlic cloves, minced or finely chopped
1/3 cup of soy sauce (I use Tamari, which is gluten-free)
1/3 cup white vinegar
3 dry bay leaves (or fresh if you have)
COOKING:
2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves minced
1 small onion, finely chopped (I actually used the white parts of the spring onions)
1 cup water
2 tsp of organic raw sugar
1/2 tsp whole black peppercorns
Spring onions and basmati rice to serve
Instructions
- In a medium-size bowl combine the chicken thighs, soy sauce, white vinegar, garlic, and bay leaves. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
- Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken for two minutes on each side. Keep the marinade. Take the chicken out and set it aside.
- Add 1 tbsp of olive oil and fry the onions and garlic for 1-2 minutes.
- Add remaining marinade, water, sugar, and peppercorns and let it simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken thighs and let them cook on medium-low heat for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and the sauce became thick and sticky.
If your sauce hasn’t thickened during the cooking time, take the chicken out and simmer the sauce on its own for a couple of minutes. Add the chicken back into the frying pan and stir well so that the chicken is coated with this delicious sauce.
Your chicken is done! Sprinkle some spring onions and serve over the basmati rice.
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 40
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Keywords: Adobo chicken, chicken dinner, family-friendly dinner
EQUIPMENT:



Thank you so much for this fabulous recipe, which I made last evening. I wouldn’t change anything. Soooo tasty.
★★★★★
So happy to hear you enjoyed it, Lina!
Your recipe looks similar to how I prepare mine. Well done. But it’s spelled and pronounced ADOBO!
★★★★
Hi Paisley, thank you so much for letting me know! Silly mistake 🙂
And glad to hear you like the recipe! Elena