I think I’ve heard of Chicken Adobo before, but I honestly don’t know.  When one of Jim’s cousins was over a couple weeks ago he was telling me about how he makes his Chicken Adobo and how his kids love it, and his trick is to use Apple Cider Vinegar (which many recipes call for just plain white vinegar).  I was intrigued and looked up the recipe and learned that it’s a traditional Filipino dish.

I looked at a variety of recipes, they were all fairly similar, with just minor differences.  Some people use regular vinegar, others prefer rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, some even use red wine vinegar!  Some call for ginger, some don’t.  Some say to marinate the chicken in the sauce first, some say to cook the chicken first then coat with the sauce, some say to cook the chicken and the sauce together.  Some say to reduce the sauce before serving.  Almost all the recipes called for chicken thighs, or a cut up chicken, but I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts.

I ended up using a compilation of recipes and the meal turned out fabulous.  The kids all really liked it, too!  Even had seconds!

I served the chicken with Jasmine Rice and a side of lightly sauteed cabbage and mushrooms.  I drizzled the sauce over the chicken once plated and it was perfect.

CHICKEN ADOBO

INGREDIENTS:
2 T vegetable oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 t minced garlic
3/4 cup vinegar (white or apple cider)
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp crushed black peppercorns
3 bay leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and chicken.   Cook the chicken pieces until golden brown on both sides, then remove to a separate dish and keep warm.

2. To the skillet, pour in vinegar and soy sauce, and season with garlic powder, black pepper, and bay leaf.  Add the browned chicken, increase the heat to high, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through, about 35 to 40 minutes.

3. When the chicken reaches 165-degrees, remove from the pan and keep warm.  Transfer the sauce to a small saucepan and begin simmering the sauce at medium heat, uncovered, until it is reduced by half.

4. When the sauce is just about finished, reheat the skillet used previously, using medium-high heat, and re-brown the cooked chicken.  Just a couple minutes per side.

5.  Strain the reduced sauce to remove the particles.  Serve the chicken along with rice, drizzling the reduced sauce over the top.  Enjoy!

(For a printable recipe with nutrition data, click here)

 

UPDATE:  I now have an Instant Pot, so what I do is just throw everything (except the chicken) into the pot, stir it, then put the chicken in, toss it slightly so it has some coating on it, hit the “poultry” button on the IP and set it for 18 minutes.