Chicken Adobo Recipe: Authentic Version (Filipino Food)

Apart from the famous Philippines food or dishes such as lumpia and pancit, adobo is surely a crowd favorite — not only for locals but for foreigners too. In fact, it is arguably the (unofficial) national dish of the country, and given its popularity, there are various versions that have come to fruition; however, the chicken adobo recipe is said to always top the charts!

What is Adobo?

The word ‘adobo’ is a Spanish word derived from the word adovar which means “marinade” or “marinated meat”, and it helps to note that the Philippines’ adobo is entirely different from Spain’s adobo or adobar.

The former (Filipino adobo) is a dish in which the meat (usually pork or chicken) is predominantly stewed in vinegar mixed with other ingredients such as soy sauce, bay leaves, garlic and peppercorns; whereas the latter (Spanish adobo), though involving almost the same ingredients, is rather more spiced given that it traditionally uses chilis, paprika, and tomato paste.
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As such, you can imagine how the Philippine adobo tastes saltier (if not sweeter), whereas the Spanish (or Mexican) adobo is spicier.

Besides, historical records have shown that the Philippines has long been stewing meat with vinegar, and when the Spaniards saw how similar it is to their own, they called it ‘adobo‘ — later on, the name just stuck and it has since been used by locals to call such a delectable dish.

Now, if you ask me, the amazing thing about the Philippines’ adobo is how its cooking method results in fork-tender meat that’s steeped in a thick and flavorful sauce. Pair it off with freshly-cooked rice and it will surely turn into your favorite comfort food!

The best part is that it’s simple to make; but it can be quite tricky, especially if you use the wrong cut of meat or if you use too much liquid. Nevertheless, this recipe post will help you make a balanced dish that will knock you off your feet.

Types of Adobo

Like I’ve previously mentioned, the most popular or common type of Filipino adobo uses chicken — but pork is also typically used — and it is stewed in five (5) usual ingredients: vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves, garlic, and peppercorns.

However, adobo is also cooked in other ways in the Philippines! There is no clear number though on how many adobo kinds there are in the country, but below are some that are well-known:

• Adobong Puti: Translated to ‘White Adobo’, the dish actually ends up looking brown (like the most common chicken adobo recipe) but it is called as such because of how they only use three ingredients: vinegar, garlic and peppercorns. A lot of purists love this especially because it is reminicient of how the Filipino natives used to cook dish way before the Chinese introduced soy sauce in the country.
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• Adobo sa Buko: Buko means ‘coconut’ and this type is dominant in Southern Luzon. As the name implies, the dish has both coconut water and coconut meat mixed in which makes it light and sweet.
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• Adobo sa Gata: Similar to the previous one, except that it uses coconut milk (gata) and mixed with some green finger chili peppers too given how this is a common way of cooking in the Bicol region — an area that loves incorporating heat into their food!
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• Adobong Illongo: Popular in Visayas and Southern Luzon regions, achuete or annatto oil is substituted for the soy sauce which results in a reddish look for the dish.
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• Adobong Malutong: (Crispy Adobo) This involves shredding meat from leftover chicken and pork adobo, and then frying them in hot oil until they are crisp. This often results in a viand that has a long shelf-life!
  • My hometown, Batanes, has a dish called luñis similar to this but made mainly of pork cooked with rock salt until its fat is rendered and turns golden brown.
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Adobo is also made with seafood such as fish, squid, as well as shrimp — instead of the usual pork or chicken. Meanwhile, in Cavite, they rather use ‘puso ng saging’ or white banana flowers.

I can explore the recipes for these other kinds of adobo, but for this particular article, I’m rather going to share with you the details on how to make the most common type of them all: a chicken adobo recipe!