Direct answer: Simmer chicken with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and pepper until tender, then reduce the sauce slightly and serve with rice and cucumber.
Chicken adobo is a Filipino staple built on soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and bay leaves. The sauce is salty, sharp and savoury, which makes plain rice and cucumber the perfect sides.
Serves 2 to 4, depending on sides. Time: about 20 to 40 minutes.
Ingredients
- 600g chicken thighs or drumsticks
- 80ml soy sauce
- 80ml vinegar, such as cane, white wine or cider vinegar
- 6 garlic cloves, crushed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tsp black peppercorns or black pepper
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp brown sugar, optional
- Cooked rice and sliced cucumber, to serve
Method
- Put chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and pepper in a bowl or pot. Marinate for 20 minutes if possible.
- Remove the chicken and pat it lightly dry, keeping the marinade.
- Heat the oil in a pot and brown the chicken on both sides.
- Add the marinade and sugar if using. Cover and simmer for 25 to 35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Uncover and simmer for a few minutes to reduce the sauce.
- Serve with rice, cucumber and extra sauce spooned over.
Notes
Do not stir the vinegar too much at the start of simmering; letting it cook briefly helps mellow the sharpness. Bone-in chicken gives a richer sauce, but boneless thighs work for speed.
Storage: Cool leftovers quickly, keep them covered in the fridge, and eat within 2 days. Reheat until piping hot throughout, and do not reheat rice more than once.