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Filipino

Chicken adobo

Non-vegetarian

Adobong manok

Chicken braised in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves and black peppercorns until tender and glazed in a tangy, salty, garlicky sauce.

Chicken adobo is a Filipino stew from Philippines, ready in about 1 hour 30 minutes and made with chicken pieces, skin-on, soy sauce and white vinegar. It serves 4 and is rated easy to cook.

Start cooking
A plate of Filipino pork adobo with boiled eggs served alongside rice and fresh vegetables.
Photo: FOX ^.ᆽ.^= ∫ / Pexels · Pexels License
Prep
10 min
Cook
50 min
Rest
30 min
Total
1 h 30 min
Serves
4
Level
Easy
Calories
529

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Combine the chicken, soy sauce (opens in a new tab), half the garlic (opens in a new tab), bay leaves (opens in a new tab) and pepper (opens in a new tab), cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes (or overnight).

    • 30 min

    Food safety: Marinate raw chicken in the fridge if leaving longer than 30 minutes.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Put the chicken, marinade and water in a pot. Bring to the boil, then add the vinegar and let it boil for a few minutes without stirring to mellow the sharpness.

  3. Step 3

    Cover and simmer gently, turning the pieces once, until the chicken is tender.

    • 30 min
    • medium-low heat

    Food safety: Chicken must reach 74 °C at the bone.

  4. Step 4

    Lift out the chicken. Fry the remaining garlic (opens in a new tab) in the oil in a frying pan until golden, then brown the chicken pieces in it.

    Meat searing in a hot pan
    How it looks · Photo: Skylar Kang on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Meanwhile boil the braising liquid with the sugar (opens in a new tab) until reduced and slightly syrupy. Return the chicken, coat in the sauce and serve over rice.

    • 7 min
    • medium-high heat

About this dish

Origin
Philippines · Well documentedAlso popular in United StatesMore food from Philippines
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Braised, Marinated / cured
Taste
sour, salty, garlicky, savoury
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Keto-style · Low-carb · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Make-ahead · Everyday · Budget-friendly · Uses leftovers
Cook more with
Chicken pieces, skin-on · Soy sauce · White vinegar · Garlic · Bay leaves · Sugar
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering · Braising · Marinating · Reduction

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains: Soyfrom soy sauce

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

529 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 349 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 33%
  • Carbohydrate 5%
  • Fat 62%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy529 kcal151 kcal
Protein42.6 g12.2 g
Carbohydrate6.3 g1.8 g
Net carbohydrate5.6 g1.6 g
Sugars1.3 g0.4 g
Added sugars1 g0.3 g
Fibre0.6 g0.2 g
Fat35.6 g10.2 g
Saturated fat9.5 g2.7 g
Trans fat0.2 g0.1 g
Cholesterol159 mg46 mg
Sodium1732 mg496 mg
Salt equivalent4.3 g1.2 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
576 mg
Calcium
63 mg
Iron
2.6 mg
Magnesium
69 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
88 µg
Vitamin C
7 mg
Vitamin D
0.4 µg
Vitamin B12
0.7 µg
Folate (DFE)
17 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: long-grain white rice.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Not stirring right after adding the vinegar is a Filipino kitchen rule — it lets the raw edge cook off.

Common mistakes

  • Reducing the sauce too far makes it overly salty.

Serve with

  • Plenty of white rice to soak up the sauce; garlic fried rice (sinangag) for breakfast leftovers.

Storage

  • Keeps 5 days refrigerated and improves overnight; freezes well.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently in its sauce.

Variations

  • Adobong puti: 'White' adobo made with vinegar and salt only, no soy sauce.
  • Adobo sa gata (Philippines): Finished with coconut milk, as in the Bicol region.
  • Pork adobo: Pork belly or shoulder braised the same way — equally classic.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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