Filipino Chicken Adobo - My Gorgeous Recipes (2024)

FAQs

Should you stir vinegar in adobo? ›

It's important not to stir the simmering chicken once the vinegar is added. The vinegar tightens up the chicken, preparing it to work with the soy sauce and take on that rich brown color. In a large pot over medium high heat, add oil and garlic, cooking until garlic is golden brown. Add onion and cook until softened.

As in Puerto Rico, adobo is beloved in most Filipino households; it's the unofficial dish of the Philippines, even as it varies by region or household. Most modern-day Filipino adobo is prepared with vinegar and soy sauce. Some families keep it simple with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper.

Many Filipino chicken adobo recipes will also tell you that using entirely white vinegar is fine. The first time I made chicken adobo, I used white vinegar and it was quite tasty, though I like this recipe better. Other recipes prefer apple cider vinegar, which is a bit less sharp and acidic than white vinegar.

Unlike the Spanish and Latin American adobo, the main ingredients of Philippine adobo are ingredients native to Southeast Asia, which includes vinegar (made from palm sap or sugarcane), soy sauce (typically substituting salt), black peppercorns, and bay leaves (traditionally Cinnamomum spp.

TLDR: adding a pinch of baking soda to a dish that you put too much vinegar will fix it.

What is Filipino adobo sauce made of? Soy Sauce: I like to use low-sodium soy sauce, but regular works too. Vinegar: Use a third cup of apple cider vinegar, white vinegar can also be used. Garlic: Crush a small head of garlic – about eight garlic cloves.

Vinegar: White vinegar is the most common type to use for adobo. Sometimes I use cane or rice vinegar too.

Adobo is a delicious Filipino dish with nutritional value, primarily as a source of protein and essential vitamins and minerals. However, be aware of portion sizes, the type of meat used, and the sodium content to enjoy the dish as part of a balanced and healthy diet.

To enjoy chicken adobo at its best, serve it over a bed of fragrant jasmine rice to soak up the luscious sauce, and add a vegetable, such as roasted carrots or roasted asparagus, to complete the dish.

In Mexico, adobo sauce starts with dried chiles like guajillo and ancho peppers. The chiles are rehydrated and combined into a thick paste with an acid like vinegar or citrus juice and flavorful additions like onions, garlic, cumin, and oregano.

Can you use distilled white vinegar for chicken adobo? ›

If those two vinegars are not available to you, you can also use just distilled white vinegar or palm vinegar. Soy sauce - We recommend using light sodium soy sauce. Water or stock - Chicken stock would provide more flavor and nutrition, but water will work just fine.

“Some people add coconut milk; some cooks add a bit of sweetness in the form of sugar, honey, ripe fruit or even preserves to round out the adobo's sharp acidity and saltiness,” Ponseca writes.

Filipino Chicken Adobo is the national dish of the Philippines and like all traditional dishes, there are many variations – including different proteins like pork and beef.

The word adobo is derived from the Spanish word adobar, which means “marinade” or “pickling sauce.” The existence of the tangy dish was first recorded in 1613 by the Spaniard Pedro de San Buenaventura.

In the Philippines, adobo is considered the unofficial national dish, taking many forms across the country, but the base ingredients for the stew are typically the same: vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, black pepper and bay leaves, along with some kind of marinated meat or vegetables.

By not stirring the vinegar into the dish just yet, the vinegar is not distributed throughout the dish, making it more difficult to cook the vinegar. After all, you're specifically cooking the vinegar, and it's easier (and faster!) to cook off its sharpness if it's at a concentrated spot instead of throughout the dish.

One of the oldest adobo adages is not to stir the sauce until the vinegar burns off most of its “acid”. Another bit of advice I've heard is to always leave the garlic skin on.

It works just as well uncooked, such as in vinaigrettes or pickles, as it does cooked. Try it in barbecue sauces or glazes. Use it to create a pan sauce — the vinegar will help lift off the flavorful browned bits — or add brightness to a soup or stew at the end of cooking.

Dry adobo can also be used in much the same manner as any seasoning salt. You can add it to sauces, stews, soups, and at any point in a sauté or stir-fry to punch up the flavor and give it some Latin life. Sprinkle it directly on meat as you're searing, melt it down into beans, or add it to rice as you're cooking.