5/22/06 | Chicken Adobo
[ Currently Eating: Jalapeno Kettle Chips ]
I grew up eating a lot of ethnic foods like Adobo, a very popular Filipino dish. The versions I had were mostly Pork Adobo, though often times chicken made an appearance.
According to Wikipedia, the main ingredients for Adobo are some type of meat, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, and bay leaf. It’s really easy to make; I’d suspect that it’s sort of like the American equivalent of learning to make Spaghetti. I like one dish meals, and this is definitely one that makes a regular appearance at Cheap Eats because it is inexpensive and tastes great.
I feel like this dish works better with either pork or dark meat chicken because you’re just throwing it in the pot and cooking it for a long time. Chicken breast would probably get dry and tough, and the same might be true with non-fatty cuts of beef.
Chicken Adobo
1/2 lb boneless chicken thighs — $2.25
2-3 med cloves garlic (from $0.33 head) — $0.08
1/2 med brown onion, sliced — $0.25
1/4 cup soy sauce - $0.10
1/3 cup vinegar - $0.10
2 tsp sugar - $0.02
1 cup water, pepper — negligibleTotal: $2.80
This is often made with pork, or even beef, but I tend to have frozen chicken thighs (CostCo) all the time. I use onions just because I like them and think it imparts a lot of flavors to the sauce, though I’ve never seen it in a recipe. You may have to futz with the amounts of soy sauce, vinegar, water, and sugar to get something you like. I sometimes throw a small piece of ginger in. I think most recipes also use bay leaf, but I didn’t in mine.
Cut up the chicken, slice the onions and mince the garlic. Some people brown the meat first, though it’s not 100% necessary. Throw everything into a medium pot and let it stand for abot 5-10 min. Then cover and cook over medium heat for 30-40 minutes. I usually peek in the pot once after about 20 minutes to make sure that there’s still enough liquid. Add water/soy sauce if needed. Also, give it a taste to make sure it’s all ok.
Serve on top of hot white rice.
For those who aren’t used to the taste, it can take some getting used to. The vinegar, though it is cooked down quite a bit, makes it quite smelly and pungent and the overall dish is often pretty salty. Thus, you definitely need to eat this with something like white rice. It refrigerates fairly well for leftovers and you can skim off the solid fat on the top the next day, add some water and rejuvenate it in a pot or microwave. Delicious.
Price: $2.80
Cheap Eats Score: 8/10
May 23rd, 2006 at 12:19 am
Your picture looks great! You had me sold until the last paragraph..
Do you think adding mushrooms would fit into the taste of this dish?
May 23rd, 2006 at 11:02 am
that sounds like a great dish! vinegar, garlic and soy sauce seem to be the main flavorings. beyond that you can add whatever is on hand. is that correct? i may have to try some version of this soon.
May 24th, 2006 at 8:49 am
What kind of vinegar are you using, white vinegar? Could one use cider vinegar as well do you think?
May 24th, 2006 at 9:25 am
Seeing that picture brought a tear to my eye. We used to have those dishes growing up. Never had chicken adobo in it but it was always something good.
May 24th, 2006 at 9:26 am
skibs - I actually don’t mind it, but one issue is that if you have smaller, unventilated living quarters it can make the house smell a bit. Though, frying fish would be just as bad or worse. The vinegar smell, I think it’s acquired taste. If you’ve ever made homemade sushi rice, it is a similar pungency. Or like salad dressing. I think it’s great personally…
jim - I think there are many many different ways to make this, with each cook putting their own stamp on it. Other additions can include bay leaf, ginger, peppers, onions, vegetables, etc.
andie - I believe it is your standard white vinegar… I’m not sure if cider vinegar would make a difference (I’m pretty sure that you don’t want to use something like balsamic vinegar though). Maybe try it with less to start with? Actually, many recipes say to use a HALF cup of vinegar.. I’ve reduced the amount because it was too strong for me.
mac - what did you usually put in it?
May 25th, 2006 at 7:08 pm
I love Adobo! Having spent 21 years in the Navy, it became a staple in my life. Served at least once a week on our ships due to the large percentage of Filipinos in the USN. The best has both chicken AND pork in it!
May 25th, 2006 at 11:27 pm
Cheap Eats Editor- We had lots of stuff like spaghetti, beef stew, soups, ice cream, cereal, etc. One of my favorites was a veal and pepper stew.
May 26th, 2006 at 7:12 am
marc - yeah, I have made it w/ both chicken and pork before when we didn’t have enough of just one. A very versatile dish…
mac - we got those dishes on a trip up to santa rosa at an antique store… they were on sale and they looked rather nice. It seems to be a good vehicle for stews and soups. I have the same memories with some 50s-60s plates that my parents still use to this day…
May 31st, 2006 at 12:38 am
Glad to see a Filipino dish here. I’m a Filipino and I get to eat adobo all the time. We add hardboiled eggs to it sometimes as a variation. And we often put in bay leaves and peppercorns.
May 31st, 2006 at 6:28 pm
my mother is from leyte and she always made a combo with chicken and pork. i love potatoes, so she would add that too though it’s not really part of the recipe. key is to cook the potatoes last or better yet, on the side, so as not to soak up all of the sabow(sp?). anyway, they really add to the dish. oh yeah…and don’t forget the onions. seriously, my mom’s is literally the best EVER!!!!!
June 1st, 2006 at 5:49 pm
dani - I think I have heard of someone putting eggs in it as well. I’ll try bay leaves next time too…
thom - sounds like a good plan to keep the potatoes from drinking up the juice. So, are onions standard? I haven’t seem as many recipes that call for onions, but I really think they help the dish out.
June 2nd, 2006 at 6:14 am
if its salty, try to reduce the amount of soy sauce. chicken liver is also great in chicken adobo. put 2-3 dried bayleaves for aroma and it does something with the taste.
i like it when its sauce becomes caramelized. or just slightly thick.
dont put water.
its nice to put some chili, and if you hav calamansi/philippine lemon.
roasted garlic is also nice to put on top, “adobo ala pobre”.
June 2nd, 2006 at 6:23 am
fry leftover adobo. nice with garlic fried rice.
and another tip.. boil the chicken with the ingredients. if you think that the chicken is already slightly cooked, take it out and fried it on another frying pan. then put it back in with the sauce.
pork adobo is also great tasting. rib parts are my favorite.
June 2nd, 2006 at 9:05 pm
One of my favorite. I like how simple you made it, and it really is very simple to make. I cook it mostly with chicken but once in a while with pork and mushrooms. I also add boiled eggs(sliced) after it is cooked. To lessen the fat, I trim skin for chicken and no fat at all with pork(try ribs). Boil for 20 minutes and slow cook it for an hour. Try last nights cooking with fried rice or warm sweet roll. You’ll love it!
June 8th, 2006 at 2:19 pm
ron - I’ve had a version w/ whole garlic cloves. whoo! I never tried the adobo fried before or with fried rice. sounds good.
xrey - haven’t tried it w/ mushrooms but i might next time!
December 26th, 2006 at 3:32 pm
I’ve never had adobo before but this was unbelievably good. I used 3/4lb of pork and about 1/2lb of chicken (and upped the other ingredients accordingly) and left it to cook while I got some work done around the house. All told it was under $5 for the amount I made — which was a very decent amount of food.
How many servings is the recipe above supposed to be for? I used fairly small servings (but filling) and it seems like I got a lot more than I figured I would. All four people here had some and a couple went back for some more… and I still have left-overs. I don’t know the specific amount used but basically a ladle of adobo on top of rice was how it was served. And then later in some pita when it had cooled.
Anyway, this was delicious and is something I am going to make again and again. And very easy… I am not known for my skills in the kitchen and the fact that this was edible shocked some people.
January 12th, 2007 at 8:46 am
adobo is integral to pinoy’s diet. almost every family here in the philippines has their own version of this dish. one thing that’s good about this dish is that because of the vinegar, it doesn’t go bad immediately. in fact, i personally like adobo that’s a couple of days old. another variation is to shred the meat into flakes and fry them till crisp…this is best eaten for breakfast in my opinion!
April 17th, 2007 at 2:56 am
yup, adobo is inherently Filipino. easy to cook even for beginners in the kitchen and is no-fuss. am glad to know that even foreigners are beginning to like adobo. when i was abroad, my neighbors in the apartment complex complained of the smell when i cook it. when i asked them to taste it, they were surprised that it was so delicious.
July 8th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
i am a filipino and i grew up with chicken-pork adobo back in manila. at one point i stopped eating it because my mom cooks it all the time, and i mean all time. most of the time she doesn’t get the true taste. too salty, too sour or too sweet yet sometimes it so bland. before going home i always call to ask what’s for lunch or dinner and if they say it’s adobo i’ll eat out. am i too bad? no. read along.
six years ago i migrated in usa. by myself. i know how to cook simple filipino and foreign dishes. but i never cooked adobo for fear of not getting it right. when i came here i was surprised that the americans like our pancit bihon, lumpiang shang hai (or egg roll) and adobo. more surprises even ube ice cream(purple yam). let’s just say that if that’s the last flavor of ice cream in the world i still wouldn’t eat it. two years ago a co-worker and a good friend of mine brought some home made adobo to a pot luck. i ate some and i fell in love again with adobo. it’s exotic taste, a mixture of sweetness, a hint of vinegar and a touch of soy sauce. makes me crave for more. from then on i experimented on adobo. and after two trials i perfected it. i cook adobo at least once every two weeks ( i’m by myself, i can’t eat it all) with chicken and not pork.
now i know why filipinos and americans love adobo so much.
after these trials i told my mom that i’m eating adobo again and that i can cook it good. she just laughed at me.
August 9th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
Oh my god… just tried cooking this tonight and it’s amazing! Delicious!
I added a little ginger and a packet of sazón for color and flavor, and it was just insanely delicious, especially over rice. Thank you!
August 18th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
i was actually really surprised to find this here–chicken adobo was a staple in our house when i was a kid, but i don’t know ANYONE ELSE who has even heard of it!
i haven’t eaten it in years. i tried making it about 8 years ago, but i used balsamic vinegar and it was nasty. i haven’t tried again since, but your post is definitely making me want to…thanks for the trip down memory lane.
September 20th, 2007 at 12:14 am
I tried using balsamic vinegar too, but it came out pretty good.
I guess you just have to adjust the proportions? I’m from the Philippines and there are lots and lots of versions of adobo. I kind of reduce the vinegar in mine and add more soy sauce and loads of garlic, I like it better that way. Potatoes and hard boiled eggs ftw! =) Try making it with apple cider vinegar and pork, the cider gives it a more refreshing flavor and goes really well with pork. 
November 20th, 2007 at 3:54 am
Hmm i love this site!!!!n the recipe(s)……now i neednt get worked up everytym my guyz mom comes ova….ill know wot to cook to b praised!!!heheheLOL im a short cut lady!!!Thanx a bunch!!
January 28th, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Thanks for this recipe - it seems to be really sturdy and versatile. I made it with turkey breast (sorry, can’t stand dark meat and turkey breast was on sale), included ginger and some chili sauce and added carrots and cabbage while cooking. It was great! Was asked if it were a russian dish (the cabbage and vinegar, I guess). Not quite as cheap as I’d hoped (because of the veggies) but very good and I’ll definitely make it again (with whatever ingredients cross my mind next time, probably).
June 23rd, 2008 at 1:19 pm
I was so happy to find this here! I no longer live in an area where Filipino is available, and hadn’t come across anything on the web when I moved. I’d given up then, but I stumbled across your site today looking for something else entirely and found it! Thank you!
August 21st, 2009 at 11:00 am
I discovered this stuff several years ago and use it for cheap beef cuts all the time. My husband LOVES it. The vinegar and relatively long cooking time will tenderize anything and it’s cheap!!!! The vinegar doesn’t so much make the house stink as– smell like vinegar, but I happen to kind of like that.