Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe

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!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Filipino

Keyword chicken adobo

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 40

Marinate Time 2

Total Time 2 50

Servings

Calories 609kcal

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

To store: Leftovers will last up to 5 days in the fridge or 3 months the freezer.

To make ahead: You can freeze the raw chicken in the marinade for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and cook as instructed within 24 hours of thawing.

Nutrition