Filipino Chicken Adobo
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An iconic Filipino dish, this chicken adobo recipe features succulent chicken simmered in a bright vinegar-soy sauce enriched with creamy coconut milk. It’s tangy, savory, and deeply comforting—the kind of craveable dinner your family will ask for again and again.
Adobo is a beloved dish in the Philippines that involves simmering meat in a tangy sauce made with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper. There are many ways to make adobo, but my personal favorite is a regional variation made with chicken and coconut milk, inspired by Filipino Chef Romy Dorotan from the now-closed Purple Yam in Brooklyn. The addition of coconut milk helps to temper the tanginess of the vinegar while adding a velvety texture to the sauce. The dish remains tangy, but the flavors are all in harmony, making it a delicious and satisfying meal.
To enjoy chicken adobo at its best, serve it over a bed of fragrant jasmine rice to soak up the luscious sauce, and add a vegetable, such as roasted carrots or roasted asparagus, to complete the dish. Whether you’re a fan of Filipino cuisine or just looking for a new and exciting recipe to try, chicken adobo is sure to impress!
“This dish was absolutely amazing. Such wonderful flavor and the recipe was so easy to follow.”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Adobo
- Chicken thighs: Bone-in, skin-on thighs work well here due to their ability to stay juicy and flavorful, especially when cooked using the slow simmering method. Trim any excess fat or skin from the chicken thighs using kitchen shears (which is much easier than using a knife). If you like drumsticks, they’d work nicely too. If you prefer chicken breasts, go for bone-in, skin-on to keep them moist—boneless, skinless breasts will dry out with this method.
- Soy sauce: Acts as the salty base of the adobo marinade, contributing depth and umami to the dish.
- Coconut milk: Adds creaminess and a subtle sweetness, balancing the savory and acidic components of the marinade.
- Rice or cider vinegar: Introduces acidity to the dish, tenderizing the chicken and adding a bright contrast to the richness of the coconut milk and soy sauce.
- Garlic: A generous amount of garlic cloves infuse the dish with a pungent aroma and flavor, a key component in the depth of adobo’s taste profile.
- Bay leaves: Add a distinctive fragrance and herbal note.
- Scallions: Also known as green onions or spring onions, scallions provide a mild, slightly sweet onion flavor that enhances the dish without overwhelming the other flavors.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Marinate. Combine the chicken and soy sauce in a bowl and marinate for for about an hour.
Step 2: Brown the chicken. In a skillet over medium heat, sear the chicken skin-side down for about 10 minutes until crisp and deeply browned. (Don’t move the chicken too soon—letting it sit undisturbed ensures a deeper sear and prevents tearing the skin. If the chicken sticks to the pan, it likely needs more time before flipping.) Set aside.
Step 3: Make the sauce. In a medium bowl, whisk together the coconut milk, vinegar, sugar, and pepper into the soy sauce.
Step 4: Simmer the chicken in the sauce. Discard the fat from the pan, wipe it clean, and pour in the sauce. Add the garlic and bay leaves, then return the chicken to the pan skin-side up. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for about 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Keeping the skin above the liquid ensures it stays crisp rather than becoming soggy.
Step 5: Finish the sauce and serve. Transfer the chicken to a platter and simmer the sauce until thickened. Return the chicken to the sauce or pour it over the chicken on a platter. Scatter with scallions and serve. Alternatively, make the chicken a day or two ahead (it tastes even better as the flavors deepen and meld together). Leftovers can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Video Tutorial
More Chicken Dishes You may like
Filipino Chicken Adobo
Spice dinnertime up with this flavor-packed chicken adobo recipe—a Filipino favorite.
Ingredients
- 3½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs (6-8), trimmed (see substitutions note below)
- ½ cup soy sauce (use gluten-free if needed)
- 1 (13.5 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
- ½ cup rice or cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- 8 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 bay leaves
- 3 scallions, green parts only, thinly sliced
- White rice, for serving
Instructions
- Toss the chicken with the soy sauce in a large, shallow bowl. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
- Remove the chicken from the soy sauce, allowing the excess to drip back into the bowl. Transfer the chicken, skin side down, to a cold 12-inch nonstick skillet. Set the soy sauce aside.
- Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook until the skin is crisp and dark golden, 8-10 minutes. While the chicken is browning, whisk the coconut milk, vinegar, sugar and pepper into the soy sauce.
- Transfer the chicken to a plate and discard the fat in the skillet. Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel. Pour the soy sauce-coconut milk mixture into the pan; add the garlic and bay leaves. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, for about 35 minutes, or until the chicken registers 175 degrees. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm by tenting loosely with aluminum foil.
- Fish out the bay leaves and skim any noticeable fat off the surface of the sauce. Return the skillet to medium-high heat and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary (if it is too assertive, add a few tablespoons of water and/or a bit more sugar). Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the scallions. Serve with rice. (Note: if you'd like the skin to be extra crispy, place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet and broil for a few minutes before serving.)
- Note: Drumsticks, similar to chicken thighs in terms of flavor and juiciness, are a great alternative. If you'd like to use white meat, use bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. If you'd like to use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, skip the first cooking step of searing the skin, and reduce the simmering time to about 20 minutes.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: This dish is wonderful prepared ahead of time. After reheating, transfer the chicken to a foil-lined baking sheet, skin side up, and quickly crisp the skin under the broiler.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 752 g
- Fat: 58 g
- Saturated fat: 24 g
- Carbohydrates: 10 g
- Sugar: 5 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 47 g
- Sodium: 1392 mg
- Cholesterol: 259 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Made recipe as is – really fantastic! Just two notes: first, I cooked the Adobo one day ahead to deepen the flavor, then refrigerated it, and next day easily lifted the hardened chicken fat from the top. I saved the fat and used it later to sauté onions and also to flavor some garlic fried rice. Yum! Secondly, I didn’t have any green onions so when serving the Adobo, I put a dollop of store-bought Tabouli on the side. Lovely combo of two culinary traditions!
Made as is and wouldn’t change a thing. Delish. Can’t wait to get your new book. Congratulations. You rock!
This is the second time I’ve made this recipe and both times I forgot to add the scallions, but it’s easy and delicious–even my 8 year old niece liked it. I did add a small amount of sugar (about 1/2 t. ) to the sauce at the end.
Some Questions: Should I put any oil in the cold pan before I add the chicken skin side down or is that not necessary here? Also, do you recommend a nonstick skillet like you used in picture rather than a regular–All Clad type of thing? Sorry–new to cooking and am nervous I will screw this up. If I make ahead for guests–definitely crisp skin under broiler–any idea how long? And does it splatter everywhere? I think they may only like white meat and wonder if I leave the skin on/bone in if it will still be pretty dry compared to thighs? Overall it sounds FANTASTIC. Thrilled to think about trying this. Thanks, Jenn.
Hi Diane, No oil is needed if you use a nonstick skillet. It’s fine to use stainless steel but you’ll likely need a tablespoon or so of vegetable oil to prevent sticking. As for crisping the skin, every broiler is different but it should take longer than a few minutes. I don’t recommend using this recipe for white meat as I think it would dry out. You might check out this chicken recipe – it’s great for company and you can do most of it ahead. Hope that helps!
Thanks a million for this tip–so great to know. Can’t wait to try it out on people who like thighs. I’ve made it with boneless skinless breasts simmered in the sauce before and everyone raved. Look forward to trying the recipe as written for people who will appreciate it. Fantastic combination of flavors. Another huge hit, Jenn.
Can i marinate the chicken with soysauce overnight, and wake up early in the morning to cook them for lunch gathering, or will it make the chicken too salty?
And i have reduced sodium soy sauce, will it work or i should add a bit of salt?
Thank you and i love your recipes,
Julia!
Hi Julia, I wouldn’t recommend it; even with reduced sodium soy sauce, I think it may make the chicken too salty. Sorry!
Can I use heavy cream instead of coconut milk? If so do i need to add anything to it?
Sure, that should work. Hope you enjoy!
This dish is so tasty, and most amazing, all of us loved it. It can be hard, with kids and adults, to fin something everyone likes. This one is it! The first time, I followed the directions exactly and it was wonderful. The second time, I tried to make it faster on a weeknight by using boneless, skinless breasts and just cooking them in the sauce. Not so great, the chicken was a little dry. So now I do it as directed and it’s perfect every time.
Hi there,
I have tried at least 10 of your recipes and will give all of them 5 stars. The flavors are just on-point! Excited for your cookbook – will be pre-ordering it 🙂
Made this 4 times! It’s now in our permanent weekly rotation in our home. The recipe is genius because it’s all done in one pan = less clean up. The chicken is tender and so flavorful, we are all practically licking the pan clean! The very best part is that it’s not greasy at all. It’s a winner with pasta or rice, YUM!!
I have tried many chicken adobo recipes over the years, and this one is my favorite. I did not mke any changes to the recipe, and it turned out perfectly. Timing to make the dish was also accurate as well. This is now a staple in my household.