How to Cook Chicken Adobo

Adobo is one of the more famous Filipino dishes, be it chicken or pork, or a combination of the two.  It is usually present in the dining table because it is easy to cook and the ingredients are usually available in the kitchen.

It is also practical to cook adobo because it doesn’t spoil easily. And it has also been said that adobo tastes better with time.

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how to cook chicken adobo

6 Easy Steps to Cook Chicken Adobo

Adobo has been part of the Pinoy dining table for a long time. The ingredients are easy to find, and the cooking process is also easy to follow. To start cooking, here are the ingredients:

  • 6-8 pieces chicken, cut into serving size
  • 5 pieces dried bay leaves
  • 6 tablespoon soy sauce
  • ¾ cup white vinegar
  • 1 head crushed garlic
  • ½ cup water
  • 1 ½ teaspoons whole peppercorn
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 tablespoons cooking oil

Here are the steps to cook chicken adobo, as inspired by Panlasang Pinoy:

  1. Put chicken, ¼ amount of the garlic, peppercorn, dried bay leaves (laurel), vinegar and water in a cooking pot. Cover to pot and wait to boil. When the mixture is boiling, stir well to mix all ingredients evenly.
  2. Add sugar. Stir and boil for another 10 minutes.
  3. Turn the chicken over and cook the other side for another 10 minutes. Separate the chicken from the adobo sauce.
  4. Heat oil in a separate pan. When oil is hot enough, sauté the remaining garlic until it become light brown.
  5. In the same pan, pan fry the chicken for 1 minute, for each side. Then pour the adobo sauce into the pan. Allow the mixture to boil for about 10 minutes on low fire.
  6. Transfer to a serving plate.

Chicken adobo is best served with steamed rice, but it also goes well with fried rice. And since adobo does not spoil easily, it can still be recycled to become adobo flakes after a few days.

A more adventurous cook can experiment with different types of vinegar to be used. Aside from the white vinegar mentioned above, why not try cane vinegar or sukang Iloko? Just remember to allow the mixture, including the vinegar, to boil thoroughly first before stirring so it does not become bitter.

Another option is to add potato to chicken adobo. This can be helpful to those who are cutting back on rice, but still needs carbohydrates in their meal. One way to do it is to use baby potatoes. Just clean the potatoes (depending on how many can be consumed) and fry without removing the skin. When these are thoroughly fried, place them on the serving plate together with the chicken adobo. Pour some adobo sauce for good measure.

Adobo is a simple but nutritious meal to try. The ratio of ingredients can also vary depending on the preference of the cook.

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