Try my family’s secret recipe for Filipino Chicken Adobo, this popular Filipino dish has been passed down from generation to generation. Simmered in a savory sauce with soy sauce, bay leaves, and other spices low and slow, so the meat falls off the bone.
Filipino Chicken Adobo
After much debate, I am now sharing with you, my famous Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe. My stepmom taught me this recipe when I was 16 years old. She was a very strict teacher where I wasn’t able to actually touch the food, at first, she would make me sit and watch her cook it over and over again until I felt comfortable enough to do it myself.
After about 4-5 times of watching her, I made my first attempt at preparing this dish, although I forgot a few steps it wasn’t that bad. I’ve tweaked it slightly to satisfy my flavor pallet, which I think you would really enjoy.
Traditional Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe
Since then I’ve perfected this recipe and am now ready to share it with you. In a traditional adobo recipe, it calls for whole peppercorns, which is basically non-crushed black pepper.
This never goes well with my kids so I altered that part of the recipe with crushed black pepper. Although if you are making this recipe for a group of adults, you should try to use the peppercorns like the traditional recipe.
Filipino Chicken Adobo Ingredients
- Soy Sauce
- White Vinegar
- Dark Brown Sugar
- Crushed Black Pepper or whole Peppercorns
- Garlic
- Cut Chicken Wings
- Whole Bay Leaves
- Salt and Pepper to season Chicken
It always amazes me how simple Filipino recipes are, and how you don’t really need fancy ingredients to make something special. In my family’s adobo sauce recipe, we use whole peppercorns in place of the crushed black pepper. However, if you only have crushed black pepper on hand feel free to use that.
Filipino Adobo Sauce
- Soy Sauce
- White Vinegar
- Crushed Black Pepper
- 4 Bay Leaves
- Peppercorns (1 Tbs optional)
- Dark Brown Sugar (See Recipe Notes)
We also use white vinegar and NOT apple cider vinegar in this adobo recipe. The reason is that apple cider vinegar is too harsh and tends to make the sauce grainy. I highly recommend you use white vinegar for this adobo recipe, we use a Filipino brand that is found at our local Asian Market.
How To Make Filipino Chicken Adobo
In a mixing bowl combine your Soy Sauce, Vinegar, Brown Sugar, Crushed Black Pepper, and 4 bay leaves. Now mince cloves of garlic and heat frying pan with cooking oil, toss in some of the minced garlic, and fry for 30-45 seconds.
Add in 1/2 of the chicken wings and fry (on medium heat) with salt and pepper for flavoring. Brown on each side and then set aside in a bowl or pan. Repeat this for the other half of chicken wings.
Combine all of the chicken wings and then add the sauce from the mixing bowl. Bring the pot to a low simmer and cook the mixture for 35-45 minutes (Stir every 5-10 minutes). THE LONGER THE COOKING TIME THE MORE TENDER.
The meat will fall off of the bones the longer you let it sit. Serve with Jasmine rice and some fresh steamed broccoli. ENJOY!
Chicken Adobo Cooking Tips
Cooking Tip 1: Using Dark Brown Sugar is optional
When it comes to making Filipino Chicken Adobo, everyone knows each family’s version of this dish can vary. Some versions of chicken adobo are sweeter, or sourer, or they are spicier because they use extra peppercorns. I personally use dark brown sugar in my recipe because that is the way I was taught to make it. Try it and see if your family likes my sweeter version.
Cooking Tip 2: Cook it Low and Slow in the Pan
I highly recommend you cook this recipe low and slow in a shallow cooking pan or large pot. The longer the meat cooks in the pan means the meat will be falling off the bone.
Cooking Tip 3: Slow Cooker Filipino Chicken Adobo Version
Can you make this Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe in a slow cooker? Of course! I recommend doing the first steps of frying the chicken wings in a skillet, then transferring them to the slow cooker.
Cook them on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH 4 hours, without opening the lid during the cooking time. The slow cooker Filipino chicken adobo version is just as good as the stove top, I promise, give it a try!
Try More of My Filipino Recipes
Filipino Chicken Adobo
Try my family's secret recipe for Filipino Chicken Adobo, this popular Filipino dish has been passed down from generation to generation. Simmered in a savory sauce with soy sauce, bay leaves, and other spices low and slow, so the meat falls off the bone.
Ingredients
- 2/3 Cup of Soy Sauce
- 1/3 Cup of Vinegar
- 1/2 Cup of Dark Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon of Crushed Black Pepper
- 12 Cloves of Garlic
- 5 lb’s of Cut Chicken Wings
- 4 Bay Leaves
- Salt to season Chicken
- Pepper to season Chicken
- Cooking Oil
Instructions
- Mince 12 cloves of garlic and then set aside. In a mixing bowl combine your Soy Sauce, Vinager, Brown Sugar, Crushed Black Pepper and 4 bay leaves.
- Heat frying pan with cooking oil, toss in 1/3 of the minced garlic and fry for 30-45 seconds. Add in 1/2 of the chicken wings and fry (on medium heat) with salt and pepper for flavoring. Brown on each side and then set aside in a bowl or pan. Repeat this for the other half of chicken wings.
- Combine all of the chicken wings and then add the sauce from the mixing bowl. Bring pot to a low simmer and cook the mixture for 35-45 minutes (Stir every 5-10 minutes) . THE LONGER THE COOKING TIME THE MORE TENDER. The meat will fall off of the bones the longer you let it sit ( I love that but my kids hate it. )
- Serve with Jasmine rice and some fresh steamed broccoli. ENJOY!
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