Easy, Flavorful & Perfect Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe

hands holding Chicken Adobo garnished with sliced green onions.

Easy, Flavorful & Perfect Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe

This Filipino Chicken Adobo is made with chicken simmered in soy sauce, garlic, ginger, bay leaves, and scallions until tender and deeply flavorful. Serve over white rice for an easy weeknight dinner.

Course Dinner

Cuisine Asian, Filipino, Philippines

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 45

Marinate 1

Total Time 2 10

Servings Servings

Calories 187kcal

Author Savory Thoughts

Equipment

Large braiser or heavy-bottomed saucepan

Ingredients

½ whole chicken; cut into serving pieces
3 green onions; scallions, sliced (white and green parts separated)
4 garlic cloves; chopped
¼ cup neutral oil
1 cup seasoning soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup water only if needed to dilute seasoning soy sauce
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes; optional
2 bay leaves

Instructions

In a bowl, combine the soy sauce, water (if using, if not – substitute it with soy sauce. See notes below), garlic, ground ginger, sliced white portions of the green onions and half of the amount of the green portions of the green onions/scallions (reserve the other half for garnish), and red pepper flakes (if using).
Pour the mixture over the chicken and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight for the best flavor.
Heat the oil in a large braiser or heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
Remove the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Brown the chicken in batches for 8–10 minutes, turning occasionally until lightly browned on all sides.
Return all of the browned chicken to the pan. Pour the reserved marinade over the chicken. Add the bay leaves. Cover and simmer for 10–15 minutes.
Remove the lid, stir, reduce the heat to medium and continue simmering uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the chicken is tender and the sauce has darkened and reduced slightly while still leaving enough sauce for serving.
Taste and adjust if needed. Serve hot over steamed white rice. Garnish with the green portions of the scallions before serving.

Notes

Browning - Browning the chicken first creates deeper flavor, while marinating it beforehand allows the soy sauce, garlic, and ginger to penetrate the meat. As the sauce simmers and reduces, it becomes rich enough to coat every bite while still leaving plenty to drizzle over steamed rice.

Soy Sauce – I used seasoning soy sauce, but low-sodium soy sauce works just as well. If using low sodium, you may not need the additional water.

Ginger – Ground ginger adds warmth, but fresh ginger can also be used if that's what you have available.

Chicken – Bone-in chicken pieces develop the richest flavor during simmering. I used half of a whole chicken as it is cost effective.

Savory Thoughts Tip: Don't rush the final simmer. As the sauce slowly reduces, it becomes darker, richer, and more concentrated. That's when the magic happens.

Nutrition