Published May 30, 2019 Updated Aug 29, 2024
What Is Adobo
Filipino adobo is a delicious stew or a simmer of meat and vegetables cooked with vinegar. It’s an iconic dish in the Philippines, just like lumpia. The most common versions use chicken or pork or even both, with soy sauce to flavour. Additionally, bay leaf, black pepper, and garlic are used as the pillars of adobo. That being said, we also have versions using squid (adobong pusit), long beans (adobong sitaw), and water spinach (adobong kang kong). I have seen people use everything from baby back ribs to catfish in adobo. I don’t think there is, or will ever be, a truly definitive recipe for Filipino adobo.
Ingredients For Adobo
White cane vinegar Toyo Chicken (legs, drumsticks, thighs) Pork belly Black peppercorns Laurel leaves
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients. I like my adobo dark, which is why I use soy sauce. Additionally, I like to mix pork and chicken, despite arguments to the contrary. I may make adobo using only pork, but I will hardly ever make it using only chicken. The pork makes the whole dish, especially the sauce, more robust so I consider having to fish out of the chicken mid-way a step well worth it.
Cooking Tips
Use pork belly that still has the bones attached and skin on – then make your butcher cut it into nice chunks (I like biggish pork chunks in my adobo). The bones and skin will work wonders towards giving your sauce more body. Frying the chicken and pork after they’ve been cooked is a messy affair, but it really does make a difference. The caramelized bits of fatty pork and chicken skin will make cleaning an oil spattered kitchen seem like a small price to pay. One of the oldest adobo adages is not to stir the sauce until the vinegar burns off most of its “acid”. Another bit of advice I’ve heard is to always leave the garlic skin on.
Optional Tips
Pop one star anise into the pot to give it a brilliant fragrance and a Chinese flavor. If you would like, add a peeled hardboiled egg towards the end of cooking. Add one peeled sweet potato to add a touch of sweetness. Experiment with different types of vinegars! I also make a version that uses red wine vinegar – and instead of chicken and pork I use lamb shanks and I add in some peeled pear quarters. Add a handful of peeled pearl/spring onions to the mix – they will get all melty as the adobo cooks and enrich the sauce. Slow cook your adobo in the oven while you do chores around the house. Use leftover adobo (flake the meat) for awesome fried rice!
What To Serve With Adobo
This dish is best served as the main entree. For a wholesome Filipino meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes. I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
