About this Dish
The Philippines' national dish — meat braised in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and black pepper until the liquid reduces to a dark, glossy glaze. Every Filipino family has their own adobo recipe. The vinegar is the essential Filipino element — its sourness and preserving quality define the dish.
IngredientsServes 4
🍗Chicken thighs and drumsticks, 1kg bone-in, skin-on
🧄Garlic, 1 whole head (about 10 cloves), crushed
🍶White cane vinegar or white wine vinegar, 120ml (½ cup)
🫙Soy sauce, 80ml (⅓ cup)
🌿Bay leaves, 4–5 dried
🫙Whole black peppercorns, 1 teaspoon, lightly crushed
🧅Brown sugar, 1 teaspoon (optional, to balance)
💧Water, 120ml (½ cup)
🫒Neutral cooking oil, 2 tablespoons
Method
1
Combine the chicken pieces, crushed garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaves, and peppercorns in a large bowl. Toss everything together and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge if you have time — the longer the better.2
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and brown the pieces skin-side down for 3–4 minutes until golden. Turn and brown the other side, then set the chicken aside.3
Pour the reserved marinade and the water into the same pot, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Return the chicken to the pot, skin-side up. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25–30 minutes.4
Remove the lid and taste the sauce — if you'd like a touch less sharpness, stir in the brown sugar now. Increase the heat to medium and let the sauce cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally, until the liquid reduces to a dark, glossy glaze that coats the meat.5
When the sauce is thick and sticky and the chicken is tender, give everything a final taste and adjust with a splash more vinegar or soy if needed. Remove the bay leaves before serving.6
Serve hot over steamed white rice, spooning the dark glaze generously over everything. Leftover adobo tastes even better the next day as the flavours deepen.User Reviews
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