What is Chicken Adobo?

Chicken braised glossy in vinegar, soy, garlic, and black pepper — the Philippines’ definitive dish.

Where does Chicken Adobo come from?

Chicken Adobo is a Filipino dish from Central Luzon, Philippines.

Can Chicken Adobo be made vegan, gluten-free, or dairy-free?

Yes. This Chicken Adobo recipe includes ingredient substitutions to make it vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, nut-free, or egg-free — including several of those at once, such as gluten-free and dairy-free together.

How long does Chicken Adobo take to make?

About 55 minutes total (10 minutes prep, 45 minutes cooking), serving 4.

Chicken Adobo — a Central Luzon, Philippines recipe

Name: Chicken Adobo
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients: 2.5 lbs chicken thighs, bone-in; 1/2 cup soy sauce; 1/2 cup cane or white vinegar; 8 cloves garlic, smashed; 3 bay leaves; 1 tsp whole black peppercorns; 1 tbsp brown sugar; 4 cups steamed rice, to serve

Asia → 🇵🇭 Philippines → Central Luzon

Chicken Adobo

Filipino · easy · serves 4

prep 10 min · cook 45 min

~1230 cal · 86g protein · 168g carbs · 19g fat (estimated, per serving)

🍽️

Glossy dark chicken adobo with bay leaves over rice

🇵🇭 Central Luzon

Adobo predates its Spanish name: Filipinos were braising in vinegar and salt long before colonizers arrived, because the acid preserved food in tropical heat. Every household’s ratio of vinegar to soy is settled law, and arguments are futile.

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Make it yours

Toggle a diet and the ingredients rewrite themselves with regional substitutes.

🥕 Vegetarian

🌱 Vegan

🌾 Gluten-Free

🥛 Dairy-Free

🥜 Nut-Free

🥚 Egg-Free

Ingredients

Serves 4 —

•

2.5 lbs chicken thighs, bone-in

•

1/2 cup soy sauce

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1/2 cup cane or white vinegar

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8 cloves garlic, smashed

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3 bay leaves

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1 tsp whole black peppercorns

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1 tbsp brown sugar

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4 cups steamed rice, to serve

Instructions

1

Marinate the chicken in the soy, vinegar, and garlic for 30 minutes if you have it.

2

Tip everything — marinade included — into a pot with bay, peppercorns, sugar, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil without stirring (an old rule: let the vinegar cook off first).

3

Simmer covered 30 minutes, turning once.

4

Uncover and reduce until the sauce turns glossy and clings to the chicken. For extra credit, crisp the pieces under the broiler and pour the sauce over.

5

Serve over rice, spooning sauce generously — adobo improves overnight.

Luzon household standard.

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🌏 While it simmers — know your destination

📍

Central Luzon. The rice bowl of the Philippines and cradle of adobo.

🗺️

Philippines. Sour, salty, sweet — the archipelago of adobo.

🌍

Asia. From street-cart woks to slow monastery kitchens.

The story behind this dish is up top — worth a read while the pot works.

👩‍🍳

Richard Moore & Kelsey Tucker

Recipes cooked, tested, and researched by the creators of Spin the Globe. How we build our recipes →