What is Filipino adobo sauce made of?

The classic Filipino adobo sauce is made with vinegar and soy sauce simmered in garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns. Some recipes call for sugar or some type of sweetener to help balance out the acidity from the vinegar. You can adjust the ratio based on your taste preferences to make it more sour, sweet, or salty.

What does Filipino adobo taste like?

Filipino adobo has a unique combination of tangy, savory, salty, and slightly sweet flavors. The vinegar and soy sauce give the dish its signature tanginess, while the garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns provide depth of flavor. Depending on the recipe, chicken adobo can be slightly sweet, sour, or salty.

Classic Filipino Chicken Adobo

This family favorite chicken adobo recipe is to die for! The tender chicken is tangy, savory, and sweet and has just the perfect balance of flavors. There is a reason why this dish is arguably the most popular Filipino dish out there. Some might even say it is the national dish of the Philippines.

Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4-6 1x

Ingredients

Scale

8–10 skinless chicken thighs

1/2 cup of water or chicken stock

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

8 garlic cloves

1 tbsp black peppercorns

6 bay leaves

avocado oil for searing the chicken

salt and pepper

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Instructions

Add some oil to a pan.
Brown the chicken on both sides. Lightly salt and pepper on both sides. Remove the chicken pieces once browned.
Remove some of the oil. I like to use paper towels.
Add the garlic and black peppercorns. Saute for a minute until it is fragrant.
Add the rest of the ingredients and add back the chicken.
Let it come to a boil, and turn the heat down to a low-medium simmer. Cover with lid.
Cook for 20 minutes on a low simmer.
Open the lid and turn the heat up to medium-high heat to let the braising liquid reduce to your desired consistency for about 5-7 minutes.
Serve and enjoy!

Author: Carmen
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Category: asian
Method: braising
Cuisine: asian

Keywords: filipino chicken adobo, filipino chicken adobo recipe, adobo chicken