Are you on the hunt for Filipino chicken recipes that are not just delicious but easy to prepare? One dish that has gained popularity for these very reasons is the Filipino Chicken Adobo. I have no doubt that this meal may very well become your new favorite as it is a staple and a national dish of the Philippines.
What is Chicken Adobo?
Chicken Adobo is one of a kind of Filipino chicken stew. Though, it involves marinating of chicken pieces in the right balance of ingredients such as soy sauce, vinegar, and many spices. With just it simmering, your kitchen gets saturated with an aroma that leaves you with intense anxiety to eat.
More than just the pleasant and attractive sight of the chicken Adobo is its savory and sweet glaze with a tang hint, and a distinct depth of soy flavor. Responsible for the savory base are the garlic and onion along with the bay leaves, and then to add little subtle pops of heat is the peppercorns.
As is common with most Filipino stews, the Chicken Adobo goes along perfectly with rice. For those that may be counting calories, I recommend going for Cauliflower Rice. To take it a step further and achieve a seriously delicious meal, you can introduce Smashed Cucumbers.
The sauce is something else in its flavor. Even when there’s a leftover, I do not throw it out. Instead, I use it in making fried rice which I call Filipino Chicken Adobo fried rice. I just fry up my cooked rice in the sauce together with chopped up pieces of the chicken and some chopped Asian greens. With its “flavorsomeness”, there’s no need to add anything else.
Origin of Chicken Adobo
History has it that the delicious Chicken Adobo was first encountered in the Philippines. This dish makes use of a cooking technique and style known as Inadobo. This is where meat or seafood is cooked using vinegar and sauce, mostly soy.
This cooking method came about as an alternative to freezer or refrigerator for preserving foods and increasing their shelf. More so, it was developed by the native Filipino inhabitants from their Spanish Colonists that heavily relied on marinating.
The Spanish word for describing it is adobar, which in turn is the root word for adobo. Originally, Adobo referred to the vinegar and spices used the process of marinating. For the native Filipino and Spanish colonists, this technique was majorly for preserving food, but in recent times it’s more for its seasoning.
What Chicken Adobo has to Offer
More than just satisfying your stomach, Chicken Adobo goes a step further to satisfy the body’s well-being. This we can see from the ingredients used in its preparation.
High-Quality Pastured Chicken
Chicken is no doubt a good source of protein, and this makes it essential for several bodily functions. For meat that will be healthier and safer for your body, I always recommend the organic, free-range chicken.
Free-range chickens are those allowed to roam outdoors and hunt for their food such as worms, insects, plants, and seeds. This type of chicken meat minimizes the injection of toxic chemicals, which as the name implies will be toxic and harmful to the body when consumed.
Vinegar
Vinegar is a product of fermentation of ethanol from a variety of sources such as grapes, apple cider, coconut, and sugarcane. Its well-known sour taste is a function of the fermentation process consistency. With the different sources of ethanol, the sourness also has different variations.
Also, with Vinegar known for its strong antimicrobial properties, you’ll be effectively killing any bacteria inside the food or meat. This makes it very safe to be consumed.
The Soy Sauce
This is a staple ingredient in countries around and widely used across the world. The manufacturing process of soy sauce is like that of vinegar. The fermentation of the Soybeans done alongside water and salt creates a signature salty flavor.
More than just the flavor is the potential health benefits they have to offer. According to recent studies, there’s a chance of soy sauce providing some benefits to the digestive tract, blood pressure, and cardiovascular health. They also have antioxidant and cancer-inhibiting effects.
Spices (Garlic, Peppercorn and Bay Leaves)
Garlic has over the years been one of the most commonly used cooking ingredients for a reason – its health benefit. They are an excellent source of manganese which is essential for healthy, absorption of calcium and proper thyroid gland function. They are also a great source of vitamin C.
Bay leaves are not left in health benefits even though they are commonly known for their role in enhancing aroma. They are known to help improve cardiovascular health, digestive health, and management of stress levels. More so is their antioxidant ability, thereby battling free radicals in your body and reducing the risk of cancer.
Pepper is also a good source of Vitamin K, manganese, fiber, and iron which are all considered essential for the health of the healthy body. Pepper is also known for its carminative ability, thus it helps in preventing the formation of intestinal gas.
Filipino Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Chicken, cut into serving pieces
- 8 tbsp Soy sauce
- 4 tbsp White vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups Water
- 3 tbsp Cooking oil
- 5 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 1 tsp Whole peppercorn
- 3 pcs Dried bay leaves
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 1 tsp Salt, optional
Instructions
- Prepare your chicken, combine with soy sauce and garlic, and marinate for at least 1 hour.
- Under high heat, place cooking pot; add cooking oil and allow to heat.
- When oil gets adequately hot, add your marinated chicken and fry for about 2 minutes per side.
- Add the reserved marinade, together with garlic and water, and bring to a boil.
- Add the peppercorns and bay leaves, and simmer for about 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- Add vinegar then stir and cook for some more time (say 10 minutes).
- Add salt and sugar, and then stir.
- Turn off the heat and serve hot over steamed rice.
Video
Final Words On Filipino Chicken Adobo
Chicken Adobo is an easy-to-prepare recipe and requires just a handful of ingredients. That shouldn’t fool you to thinking it’s one of those foods you come by. As much as they are simple to prepare, they are tasty and nutritious as well.
This simple but delicious dish has been around and a Filipino staple for years; this should mean something. Just a bite will give you a clue. It’s a perfect meal to have on a tiring day. This is one recipe you want to treat yourself whenever you find yourself in the Philippines.
I hope you got value from the information contained in this article? If you have questions about the Filipino Chicken Adobo dish, I would like to hear from you. Kindly drop your questions in the comment section. In case you have had a taste of this chicken stew, I’ll be glad to share in your experience.
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