Chicken Sunday Adobo Recipe
Make Chicken Sunday Adobo Recipe in just 1h . Get the full recipe with step-by-step instructions at pekinthechef.com.
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Ingredients
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Marinade & Sauce
Aromatics & Finish
To Serve
Method
Marinade & Simmer
- 1
Marinate the chicken
Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl or resealable bag. Add soy sauce, vinegar, smashed garlic (reserve a couple cloves for frying later if desired), bay leaves, whole peppercorns, and brown sugar. Turn to coat, then marinate at room temperature for 20–30 minutes or refrigerate for up to 2 hours for deeper flavor.
- 2
Brown the chicken
Heat 2 tbs cooking oil in a large heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove chicken from the marinade (reserve marinade and solids) and pat lightly dry with paper towels. Working in batches if necessary, brown the chicken skin-side down for 4–5 minutes until golden and crisp; flip and brown the other side 2–3 minutes. Transfer browned pieces to a plate.
- 3
Deglaze and combine
Lower heat to medium. Add the sliced onion to the pan and sauté 2 minutes to soften slightly. Pour the reserved marinade (including garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns) and 1 cup water into the pan to deglaze, scraping up browned bits. Add the browned chicken back into the pan skin-side up, bring the liquid to a simmer.
- 4
Simmer until tender
Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway through so it cooks evenly and absorbs sauce flavor. Check for doneness — juices should run clear and internal temperature 75°C/165°F. If sauce is too thin, remove lid for final 5–8 minutes to reduce.
Finish & Serve
- 5
Crisp the skin (optional)
For extra-crisp skin, transfer chicken to a sheet tray and broil 3–4 inches from the element for 2–4 minutes until skin crisps (watch carefully). Alternatively, increase skillet heat to medium-high and sear skin-side down for 1–2 minutes to re-crisp.
- 6
Adjust seasoning and reduce sauce
Taste the adobo sauce and adjust: add up to 1 tsp sugar if too sour, or 1 tbs soy if too sharp. Remove bay leaves. If you prefer a thicker glaze, simmer the sauce on medium-high for 3–5 minutes until it coats the back of a spoon; spoon sauce over the chicken.
- 7
Plate and garnish
Arrange chicken over steamed jasmine rice. Spoon warm adobo sauce and softened onions over the chicken. Garnish with sliced scallions, a sprinkle of freshly ground black pepper, and fried garlic if using. Serve with lime or calamansi wedges on the side to squeeze over just before eating.