I love chicken adobo for its combination of flavors from soy sauce, garlic, vinegar, and bay leaves. Though I haven’t eaten it in a long while, I was able to cook a baseline version using a recipe that I found online.
Here are links to my Filipino adventure with chicken adobo:
I was introduced to Filipino cuisine not at home, but at a restaurant.
My Story
When I started to explore different foods after college, my go-to place for Filipino dishes was Goldilocks. My favorite items to order were Pancit Sotanghon, Fresh Lumpia, and of course Pork or Chicken Adobo!
To change up the flavors in my cooking, I decided to look for a Filipino recipe to try.
Inspiring Recipe
The recipe that I selected, originating from a region in Asia, was FILIPINO CHICKEN ADOBO from the Kitchen Confidante blog. Not only did Liren Baker include great tips for making this dish, she shared interesting facts and personal stories behind her family recipe!
First Try
Over two months ago, I bought the first ingredient specifically for this recipe and this month, I finally bought the other ingredient that I needed.
Ingredients to Use
I included all the essential ingredients from the recipe, except for the canola oil, which I substituted with avocado oil, the oil that I’m currently using. As for the garlic cloves, I sliced them so they could easily be picked out for anyone who preferred not to eat them.
Steps to Prepare
I followed all the steps in the recipe, but had to improvise on the deep sided sauté pan by using a saucepan instead, the closest non-reactive cookware that I had.
Time to Eat
Here’s the bowl of chicken ready for the family to scoop onto their plate or into their bowl:
Recipe Rating
These are the results of the recipe:
| # of Ingredients | Effort | $ / Serving | Try Again? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 |  | | |
During this first attempt, some of the chicken pieces had decent flavor, but overall, it was slightly uneven.
Second Try
In attempt to get better flavor for each chicken piece this time, I planned to marinate for longer than thirty minutes in a container where the marinade could be absorbed more into the chicken.
Ingredients to Use
I used the same ingredients this time as compared to the first time, but was pleasantly surprised that chicken thighs were on sale, so I was able to get more chicken for a lower price per pound!
Steps to Prepare
I repeated the steps that I took before, but knowing that I wanted more even flavor for each chicken thigh, I marinated the pieces for about two hours in a rectangular container.
Time to Eat
Since the batch of chicken was a little heavier this time, it was still not fully cooked after thirty minutes of simmering, so after multiple checks, it was finally ready for dinner.
Recipe Rating
The results after making some time adjustments to the recipe during the second attempt are as follows:
| # of Ingredients | Effort | $ / Serving | Try Again? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | | | |
The flavors were definitely more even this time, but to make this recipe a family favorite, I’ll need to experiment some more with it.
In the future, I can try the following step based on a suggestion from one family member:
Continuous Improvement
- Add more vinegar.
As part of the process of preparing chicken adobo, I learned that I need to do the following for my cookware:
Lesson for Dumber Self
- Invest in a non-reactive deep sauté pan to make the browning process easier when using acidic ingredients.
What will you do now?
Next Step for You
- Give Liren’s FILIPINO CHICKEN ADOBO recipe a try?
- Share with us your favorite chicken adobo recipe?
- Read another post on this site? (Go to the menu at the top of the page.)
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