Chicken Adobo

Vinegar of all types are a staple in my pantry.  They all have their place in recipes whether it may be for a dressing, poached eggs, pickles, or in this case, Chicken Adobo (the Filipino version which is popular here in Hawaii).  The combination of vinegar, soy sauce, peppercorns, and garlic are sublime. I saved my mom’s recipe card for this dish and noticed she added paprika to the sauce. She didn’t note down how much to use but 1/4 teaspoon seems to be about right. Oh, and my mom also mentioned that she added chili water or “a piece of pepper” to the sauce so I added a few of our homemade nacho rings to add a bit of zing to the sauce.  What a delight!

I use boneless and skinless chicken thighs though bone-in chicken thighs would work well too.  Add another 5 – 10 minutes cooking time if using bone-in chicken thighs.

I’ve loved chicken adobo from my childhood in Honolulu. It is easy on the budget and so delicious.  Plus, everything goes into one pot!

Chicken Adobo

 

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Author: Kiyo Miller

Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs trimmed well
• ¾ cup apple cider vinegar
• ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons water
• ⅓ cup soy sauce (Kikkoman recommended)
• 1 teaspoon packed brown sugar
• ¼ teaspoon paprika
• 3 ounces sliced onion
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced ginger
• 2 nacho rings or hot pepper rings (optional)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1½ teaspoons whole black peppercorns

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Trim any visible fat from chicken.
3. Combine vinegar, water, soy sauce, brown sugar, and paprika in a medium bowl or measuring cup.
4. In a medium sized Dutch oven or other oven-proof pot with a lid, brown half of the chicken pieces in a bit of canola oil over medium - medium-high heat. Remove chicken to a plate and brown the rest of the chicken. Once all of the chicken has been browned, return it to the pot. Add the vinegar mixture, onion, garlic, ginger, nacho rings if using, bay leaves and black peppercorns. Give the sauce a stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Set your timer for 50 minutes.
5. Remove the pot from the oven and let chicken adobo rest for 5 minutes. Serve chicken with steamed white or brown rice and your choice of vegetables. Bok choy, green beans with shiitake mushrooms, snap peas or broccoli go well with this meal. Feel free to drizzle some of the sauce over your chicken and rice.

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