Comfort Food...Filipino Style

Chicken Adobo. Every Filipino kid I know grew up on chicken adobo and everytime I eat this dish it takes me back to my childhood waiting for my grandma or my mom's version of this dish to finish simmering on the stove. With so many versions of adobo out there I wanted to share my techniques and ingredients for making this Filipino staple.



Mike's Chicken Adobo - Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken Cut Up
2 Medium Onions
4 Garlic Cloves
2 Bay Leaves
1/2 Cup Soy Sauce & 1/2 Cup Distilled Vinegar Mixed
1/4 Cup Honey
Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste
1/2 Tablespoon of Vegetable Oil

First step is to coat a stainless steel pan with vegetable oil and turn the heat up to high. Sear the chicken pieces in batches until both sides of the chicken parts are golden brown.


Once the chicken is finished set aside and pour the excess oil out leaving the "burnt" bits in the pan. With the pan on medium-high, deglaze the pan with a 1/2 of the soy sauce and vinegar mixture. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to get all the crispy tasty bits. After deglazing the pan, mix in the honey then add the cooked chicken, garlic, onions, and cracked pepper. Continue to add the rest of the soy sauce and vinegar mixture and bay leaf. When adobo starts to boil bring down to a simmer and let it braise for an hour. Be sure to turn the chicken over at the 30 minute mark to ensure the chicken will be cooked evenly. After an hour the adobo should be done and ready to serve with rice.



Be sure to taste frequently when cooking. To me adobo is the best dish to balance the four S's:

Sweet - Honey & Onion
Sour - Vinegar
Salty - Soy Sauce
Spicy - Pepper (Tabasco optional)

Anyway, this is my version of Adobo - let me know if you're ready for an adobo throwdown!