How to Make Filipino Adobo
Hopefully you’ve had at least had one Filipino friend who has brightened your day by cooking pancit (noodles), lumpia (fried egg rolls), and the most common of Filipino dishes, adobo.
“You’re Filipino? I love that adobo you guys have.”
Yup! Adobo is like the king ulam dish of Filipinos. Think: steak and potatoes = adobo and rice.
“Ulam” – the Tagalog word for a main dish
Have you ever wanted to learn how to make adobo?
Now, every Filipino cook will claim to have the best adobo recipe of all. But to ask for their special recipe you may get this answer:
“Secreto!”
I also claim to have the best adobo recipe, which I have carefully crafted over time. But I gladly share it with you. The most basic adobo recipe is made with a few simple ingredients: chicken or pork, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, sugar, and ginger.
Everyone has their own preference for the right balance of vinegar and soy sauce, and this adobo recipe has come to be my favorite. Feel free to make adjustments to fit your own taste. That’s the joy of cooking!
Recipe for Adobo Perfection
- Ingredients:
- 1 lb skinless chicken thighs, chopped into large pieces
- 2-3 medium potatoes, chopped into 1 or 2 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp vinegar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 TBSP brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 2 inch chunk of ginger, sliced in small pieces (about 2 tbsp)
- 2 bay leaves
- handful of peppercorns
- 2 TBSP Olive Oil
Heat up olive oil in a frying pan, add the garlic and sauté. Next add in the red onion and continue to sauté, finally adding in the ginger. Add the pieces of chicken and sauté until they begin to sear and brown on all sides. Then sprinkle the sugar over the chicken and sauté for another minute or two. Add the chicken to a medium pot with the soy sauce, vinegar, water, and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat to medium or medium low and let simmer for 30 minutes. Finally add in the potatoes and cook for another 20 mins or until the potatoes are tender.
And don’t forget that adobo is ALWAYS served with tons of rice. Eat up!
Have you tried Filipino food? What is your favorite ulam dish?
Did you enjoy the recipe? Share it with a friend!
