During the week I am all about the one pot meal and chicken adobo with garlic rice is such a comforting weeknight dinner. I work up enough dishes as it is testing recipes, so when I can make it easier on myself, you better believe I absolutely will. I’ve been wanting to make chicken adobo for a while now and I finally had chicken thighs on hand (plus some potatoes I wanted to use up), so it was time!

If you are unfamiliar with chicken adobo, it’s a classic Filipino dish of braised chicken or pork in a tangy sauce made up of soy, vinegar and sugar plus some bay leaves, garlic cloves and black peppercorns. It’s definitely one of my favorite Filipino dishes and it’s so simple to throw together. Especially since most people have all the ingredients necessary on hand. You might think that the dish would be too sour or salty, but everything is balanced and the result is comforting heaven. Don’t take my word for it, just make it!

I also made this recipe step by step in my Instagram stories last night (saved to my highlights here) but since It was my first time making it in a while, I adjusted the recipe slightly here. The method is more or less the same but searing the chicken quickly means there is less fat at the end of the braise. Other than that, it came out really well and the garlic rice was AMAZING.

It reminds me of the super garlicky rice you can get at a teppanyaki restaurant with your meal. I threw some peas in because, health, and also because I had 1/3 of a bag left that I wanted to use up. Plus, the color was so pretty. I love bright green veggies in a dish. The whole thing required so little effort on my part and the garlic rice is perfect for using up leftover steamed rice from takeout. Happy cooking!

Products I used in this recipe:

Le Creuset Signature Enameled Cast-Iron 5-Quart Round Braiser, Cerise (Cherry Red)

dinner

chicken adobo with garlic rice

Chicken Adobo is a classic Filipino dish that is really easy to make and so comforting for a weeknight dinner!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 1 hour hr

Makes: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

• Chicken Adobo
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil
• 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 lb. baby yukon gold potatoes cut in half
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons crushed black peppercorns
• 6 bay leaves
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup white vinegar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon dark soy
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• sliced green onions for garnish
• Garlic Rice
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 6 cloves garlic finely minced
• 3 stalks green onions white/light green parts only, sliced (saved the green tops for garnish)
• 5 cups steamed short/medium grain white rice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 cup frozen peas
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

• To make the chicken: Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F. In a large, high sided skillet or dutch oven (oven safe), heat the oil over medium-high heat until the oil is shimmering and very hot. Pat the chicken thighs very dry with a paper towel. Place the chicken, a few pieces at a time, skin side down into the skillet and sear for 5-7 minutes until the skin is golden brown. You may have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your skillet. Transfer chicken to a separate place.
• Throw the potatoes in the dutch oven and cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Add the garlic cloves, crushed peppercorns and bay leaves and cook for 1 minute. Mix together the soy sauces, vinegar, water and brown sugar in a small bowl. Return the chicken to the pan and cover with the sauce. Cover and place the whole pan in the oven for 45 minutes. After 45 minutes, transfer the pan to the stove, uncover and simmer until the sauce is thickened. Sprinkle with green onions and serve.
• To make the garlic rice: Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet or wok. Add the sliced white/light green parts of the scallions and the butter and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the rice, tossing to coat well with the butter and garlic. Add the peas and soy sauce and cook until the peas are warm. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sliced green onion tops.

Notes

I crush my peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or a coffee grinder so that you have a nice, coarse grind.