Sticky Filipino Chicken Adobo with Garlic Fried Rice
Chicken adobo is the soul of Filipino home cooking, with chicken thighs slow-braised in soy, vinegar, garlic, and bay until glossy and deeply savory. We pile it over quick garlic fried rice so every grain soaks up that sticky, tangy glaze. It is a one-skillet weeknight dinner that tastes like it simmered all day.
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Nutrition (per serving)
Chicken adobo is the soul of Filipino home cooking: chicken thighs slow-braised in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and bay until the sauce turns glossy, savory, and just a little tangy. Every region and family has its own version, but the magic is always in that sticky reduction.
We pile the adobo over quick garlic fried rice so every grain soaks up the glaze, turning a handful of pantry staples into a deeply satisfying one-skillet dinner that tastes like it simmered all day.
Step-by-step instructions
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with a little salt. Sear skin-side down in a hot, dry skillet until deeply golden and the fat renders, about 6 minutes, then flip briefly and set aside.
Add the smashed garlic to the rendered fat and toast until fragrant, then pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaves, and black peppercorns and let it come to a gentle simmer.
Nestle the chicken back into the pan skin-side up, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced by half.
Uncover and turn the heat to high, basting the chicken as the sauce reduces into a glossy, sticky glaze that coats the back of a spoon.
In a second pan, fry the minced garlic in oil until golden, toss in the day-old rice until crisp and fragrant, then plate the adobo over the garlic rice and shower with sliced scallions.
Leftovers only get better overnight as the flavors deepen, making this adobo a perfect make-ahead lunch. Spoon the extra sauce over fresh rice and you have a second meal ready to go.
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lb)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup white or cane vinegar
- 8 garlic cloves, smashed (plus 4 cloves minced, for the rice)
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 cups cooked day-old jasmine rice
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Step-by-Step
- 1
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with a little salt. Sear skin-side down in a hot, dry skillet until deeply golden and the fat renders, about 6 minutes, then flip briefly and set aside.
- 2
Add the smashed garlic to the rendered fat and toast until fragrant, then pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaves, and black peppercorns and let it come to a gentle simmer.
- 3
Nestle the chicken back into the pan skin-side up, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced by half.
- 4
Uncover and turn the heat to high, basting the chicken as the sauce reduces into a glossy, sticky glaze that coats the back of a spoon.
- 5
In a second pan, fry the minced garlic in oil until golden, toss in the day-old rice until crisp and fragrant, then plate the adobo over the garlic rice and shower with sliced scallions.
Recipe
Sticky Filipino Chicken Adobo with Garlic Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lb)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup white or cane vinegar
- 8 garlic cloves, smashed (plus 4 cloves minced, for the rice)
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 cups cooked day-old jasmine rice
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with a little salt. Sear skin-side down in a hot, dry skillet until deeply golden and the fat renders, about 6 minutes, then flip briefly and set aside.
- 2
Add the smashed garlic to the rendered fat and toast until fragrant, then pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, bay leaves, and black peppercorns and let it come to a gentle simmer.
- 3
Nestle the chicken back into the pan skin-side up, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes until the meat is fork-tender and the sauce has reduced by half.
- 4
Uncover and turn the heat to high, basting the chicken as the sauce reduces into a glossy, sticky glaze that coats the back of a spoon.
- 5
In a second pan, fry the minced garlic in oil until golden, toss in the day-old rice until crisp and fragrant, then plate the adobo over the garlic rice and shower with sliced scallions.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.