Juicy bone-in chicken thighs are baked in a sweet and savory glaze that clings to every bite. This is a mindlessly easy recipe with just 6 main ingredients and minimal hands-on prep!
This Is One of the Simplest Chicken Dishes EVER
I’m racking my mind trying to think of a simpler weeknight chicken dinner than this Filipino chicken adobo, and I’m drawing a blank. It’s just that quick and easy!
Succulent chicken thighs are first marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and brown sugar, then browned in a skillet to amp up the color and flavor before being finished in the oven. The salty-sweet sauce thickens as it cooks and transforms into a sticky glaze that coats every bite of chicken.
You can whisk together the adobo marinade in the morning and let the chicken soak in the fridge all day, then bake it off in about 30 minutes when you’re ready to serve.
If you love bold, Asian-inspired dishes, you’re going to love the one-two flavor punch this easy chicken adobo delivers with little to no work on your part!
Enjoy!
Heidi’s Tips for Recipe Success
Bone-in, skin-in chicken thighs are key. Chicken legs would work too, it’s just important that you use a bone-in, skin-on cut of chicken for flavor and texture purposes. Chicken breasts are far too lean for this recipe and won’t deliver the same ultra juicy results as thighs.
Brown the thighs before baking. Many people skip this step, but searing the chicken for just a couple minutes per side renders some of the fat from the skin, leaving golden bits of fond in the bottom of the pan. When the adobo marinade mingles with the fond, a flavor explosion ensues and is what makes this recipe SO good.
Rotate your pan to ensure even cooking. I always turn my baking dish around at the halfway mark to help the chicken thighs cook more evenly and to prevent any bits of the skin from burning. (If the skin does start to burn, loosely tent the pan with foil.)
The 6 Main Ingredients
The full recipe, with amounts, can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken thighs — You need the fat and flavor that only bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs can deliver. If you use chicken breasts, the glaze won’t thicken as much and will turn out more saucy than sticky.
- Rice vinegar — Has a sweet and tangy flavor that balances out the salty soy sauce.
- Soy sauce — I used regular soy sauce, but you can use tamari or coconut aminos if you need to keep the marinade gluten-free.
- Garlic — Fresh minced garlic infuses the marinade with aromatic flavor. Don’t sub with garlic powder.
- Brown sugar — Just 2 tablespoons makes the sauce perfectly sweet and salty.
- Bay leaves — Lend the adobo marinade a more complex flavor.
How to Make Filipino-Style Chicken Adobo
- Marinate the chicken. Whisk together the adobo marinade and pour over the chicken thighs. Ideally you’d let the chicken sit in the marinade for at least 2 hours, but even 30 minutes will create a richer tasting dish.
- Sear the chicken on both sides. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with a paper towel (if you don’t pat the chicken dry, it will steam in the skillet rather than sear). Brown the chicken in a lightly oiled, oven-safe skillet, beginning with it skin-side down to help render some of the fat into the pan. Then, transfer it to a plate while you cook the sauce.
Heidi’s Tip: Let the chicken sit on your counter for 20 – 30 minutes before searing. This will help it brown more evenly and develop a darker crust.
- Cook down the sauce. To the now-empty pan, add the adobo marinade. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any fond stuck to the bottom of the pan (those are bits of pure flavor!). After a minute or two, the sauce should have thickened up.
- Finish the chicken in the oven. Return the chicken to the skillet and bake for 30 minutes, or until the thickest part of the thigh registers 165ºF.
If you make this recipe, please let me know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below, leave a comment to tell us what you think, and tag me on Instagram @foodiecrush.
Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- chopped green onion
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Trim any extra fatty parts or skin from 2 ½ pounds of chicken thighs and place in a resealable plastic bag or casserole dish. In a small bowl, whisk together ½ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup soy sauce, 6 cloves garlic minced, 2 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper. Pour the sauce into the freezer bag or dish, seal, and chill for 2 hours up to 24 hours. Flip the bag or rotate the chicken several times while chilling.
- Brown the chicken thighs. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat the oven to 350°F and place the oven rack 6 inches from the broiler. Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserve the sauce, and pat thighs dry with a paper towel. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium then add half of the chicken thighs, skin-side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the thighs release from the pan, then flip to the other side and cook for another 2 minutes, transfer to a plate, and repeat with the rest of the chicken thighs. Add the thighs to the plate, and tent with foil.
- Boil the sauce. Wipe out any burned bits from the skillet then carefully add the soy sauce mixture to the skillet, and bring to a low boil, whisking so the sauce doesn’t boil over. Cook for 1-2 minutes for the sauce to reduce and thicken. Add the chicken thighs back to the pan and spoon sauce over the thighs.
- Bake the chicken thighs. Bake the chicken thighs, uncovered, for 15 minutes, rotate the pan and check that the skin isn’t burning (if it does, tent with foil), then bake 15 minutes more or until the chicken registers 165-170°F. Serve topped with the sauce and green onion alongside white rice.
Notes
Nutrition
FAQs
Not to be confused with the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that are common in many Latin American dishes, Filipino adobo is a common cooking technique that involves braising cuts of meat in a soy, vinegar, and garlic-based glaze.
Bon Appétit has a great article that discusses the many different types of adobo from around the world. Give it a read!
Nope, not this time. In my recipe testing, the chicken adobo I made with chicken breasts was dry and tough, whereas all of my chicken thigh recipe tests turned out succulent and juicy every time.
Yes! You can marinate the chicken for up to 24 hours in the fridge or you can freeze it in the marinade just after assembling. Then, thaw the chicken in the fridge overnight (it will marinate as it thaws) and cook as instructed within 24 hours of thawing.
What to Serve With Chicken Adobo
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