Adobo Chicken
Tender, juicy meat on the inside, and flavorful, golden skin on the outside – this Adobo Chicken is seriously satisfying. Seasoned to perfection with homemade Adobo seasoning, chicken thighs are seared before being cooked in a bold concoction of vibrant ingredients. This easy Adobo Chicken recipe is anything but bland!
Adobo Chicken
If you’re craving tender, fall off the bone chicken thighs, congratulations! You’ve stumbled upon the right recipe. Bone in, skin on chicken thighs can be prepared a number of different ways, and I don’t know if any of them are quite as delicious as Adobo Chicken. Well, okay… I do have my fair share of favorite chicken thigh recipes. But this one is definitely towards the top of that list!
Besides the absolutely perfect juicy and tender consistency of the meat, the flavor here is what really makes you crave this chicken recipe over and over again. Made with homemade Adobo Seasoning, these chicken thighs are delightfully savory. Notes of garlic, smoked paprika, and more flavor every bite. That’s not all, though! After being deliciously seasoned and seared, the chicken is then cooked in a mixture of ingredients that elevate it even more.
That mixture includes ingredients like garlic, bay leaves, chicken stock, and more. The flavors of these powerful ingredients really have time to settle in the chicken meat as the thighs slowly cook for about half an hour in the mixture. That cooking time not only ensures that the flavors have time to settle, but also that the meat slowly cooks into the most tender bite!
How to Make Chicken Adobo
- Heat the oil. Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed, deep skillet over medium high heat.
- Season the chicken. Season the chicken on both sides with the Adobo seasoning (or kosher salt).
- Sear the chicken. Place the chicken skin side down in the pot, working in batches if necessary, and cook until browned, approximately 7-8 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces over and cook until golden brown, an additional 4-5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Add the aromatics. Add the garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns to the pot and cook until the garlic turns a light golden color, approximately 20-30 seconds.
- Create the mixture. Stir in the chicken stock and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Add the soy sauce and vinegar. Increase to high heat and bring to a boil.
- Cook the chicken. Return the chicken to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165˚F on an instant read thermometer, approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Enjoy! Serve with rice or, for best results, store the chicken in the refrigerator overnight and reheat before serving.
The Le Creuset Cast Iron Chef’s Oven is my go-to pan for just about everything. A kitchen investment that will make anything from slow simmered soups and stews to a crusty loaf of bread. My must have cookware!
Recipe Notes
- Traditional Adobo Chicken calls for regular kosher salt, but I like to season mine with Adobo seasoning for extra flavor! It’s definitely not traditional, but it does taste amazing.
- Also, authentic Adobo Chicken uses rice vinegar, but I like the sweetness of apple cider vinegar. You can replace the apple cider vinegar with rice vinegar cup for cup.
- To make your chicken crispy, arrange the chicken on a baking sheet lined with foil and broil for 2 minutes until the skin is crisp and slightly charred. Serve immediately.
Storage
In an airtight container in the fridge, leftover Adobo Chicken will stay fresh for 4-5 days. To reheat, I recommend using your oven as opposed to the microwave. The microwave has a tendency of zapping the flavor out of this chicken!
Enjoy more of my favorite chicken thigh recipes!
For more easy chicken recipes, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!
Get the Recipe: Adobo Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 bone in skin on chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons adobo seasoning, or regular kosher salt
- 12 cloves garlic, smashed
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons whole peppercorns
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
Equipment
- dutch oven
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or heavy bottomed, deep skillet over medium high heat.
- Season the chicken on both sides with the adobo seasoning (or kosher salt).
- Place the chicken skin side down in the pot, working in batches if necessary, and cook until browned, approximately 7-8 minutes.
- Flip the chicken pieces over and cook until golden brown, an additional 4-5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Add the garlic, bay leaves and peppercorns to the pot and cook until the garlic turns a light golden color, approximately 20-30 seconds.
- Stir in the chicken stock and, using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pot.
- Add the soy sauce and vinegar. Increase to high heat and bring to a boil.
- Return the chicken to the pot and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165˚F on an instant read thermometer, approximately 25-30 minutes.
- Serve with rice or, for best results, store the chicken in the refrigerator overnight and reheat before serving.