This Twist on Classic Chicken Adobo Is Extra Luxurious (but Just as Easy)

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 45 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate

Servings: 4 Servings

When I first started writing adobo recipes awhile back, I learned that the dish is a great starting point for Western cooks interested in cooking Filipinx food. Many Americans I spoke to would say, “Oh my mom had a Filipino coworker/friend/ex that would always make this for potlucks.” I consider it the gateway drug to what will surely be your Filipinx food infatuation. Adobo in its most commonly known form is meat or vegetables stewed in a combination of vinegar, soy sauce, and aromatics. I have also seen this combination used in a sort of stir-fry, but the stew is the iteration I am the most familiar with

Ingredients

8 cloves garlic
1 red Fresno chile, or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 pounds bone-in chicken drumsticks and thighs
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce, preferably Silver Swan, divided
2 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup cane vinegar, such as Datu Puti
1/2 cup full-fat coconut milk
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoons raw, coarse sugar, such as demerara
4 bay leaves
Cooked rice, for serving
Thinly sliced scallions, green parts only, for garnish

Instructions

Coarsely chop 8 garlic cloves. Holding 1 Fresno chile by the stem end, thinly slice the lower half into rounds. Trim, seed, and finely chop the remaining half of the chile. Pat 2 pounds bone-in chicken dry with paper towels. Season with 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce and 1/2 teaspoon of the black pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a small Dutch or heavy-bottomed pot oven over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken skin-side down and cook until the skin starts to brown and caramelize, about 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, chopped chile or 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1/2 cup cane vinegar, 1/2 cup coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, 2 tablespoons raw sugar, 4 bay leaves, remaining 1/2 cup soy sauce, and remaining 2 teaspoons black pepper. Bring to a gentle boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot and gently simmer for 35 minutes.
Uncover and flip the chicken so it is skin-side up. Gently simmer uncovered, adjusting the heat as needed, until the chicken is very tender, pulling away from the bone, and the liquid is reduced and starting to thicken slightly, about 25 minutes more. Serve the chicken over cooked rice. Spoon the sauce over the chicken and rice and garnish with the scallions and sliced chiles if using.