Chicken Adobo

When I saw this recipe on New York Times Cooking it looked too good to resist. I was quite curious how it would turn out since it used some strong-flavored ingredients like lots of rice vinegar, soy sauce, coconut milk, and tons of fresh garlic. The meat marinated for several hours prior to cooking and helped make the meat so tender and flavorful. It’s great that you cook this recipe in one pot and that it doesn’t take very long so it works well on weeknights. The house smelled incredible while the meat simmered in the marinade and my entire family thought the chicken was wonderful, although my son said it was a bit spicy for his tastes. I paired this chicken adobo with Jasmine rice and roasted green beans with shiitake mushrooms and garlic for a healthy and very delicious meal. This chicken will be on regular rotation in my house.

How to Make Chicken Adobo

Combine the seasoned rice vinegar, coconut milk, soy sauce, 12 cloves of garlic, 3 chilies, 3 bay leaves, and black pepper together in a large zip lock bag. Mix until very well combined. Add the chicken thighs and seal. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours (I marinated for nearly 7 hours). Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Place the chicken and marinade in a large pot or Dutch oven over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat immediately to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 30 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the sauce and place it on a baking sheet.

Raise the heat under the saucepot and boil until the sauce reduces down until it’s the consistency of cream, about 15 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and chilies.

Place the oven rack near the top of the oven and turn the broiler on. Place the baking sheet into the oven and brown the chicken for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are starting to caramelize. Remove, turn the chicken, baste with the sauce, and repeat, 3-4 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the oven and place back into the sauce on the stove and cook for a few minutes more on medium-low. Place the chicken on a platter and drizzle with the sauce and the softened garlic cloves. Sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve. Enjoy!