Quick and easy Paleo Chicken Adobo recipe made soy-free and refined sugar-free. This sweet and tangy Filipino chicken recipe is amazingly flavorful and results in tender, delicious chicken!
Have you ever tried Chicken Adobo?
This healthy chicken adobo is so tender, flavorful, hits the salty-sweet with a little heat flavor essentials.
And, it is plenty saucy, Ideal for those of us who love saucy chicken and/or adore absorbing sauce of all forms with rice.
Filipino Chicken Adobo is often served with steamed rice or boiled potatoes; however, I absolutely love it with my Cabbage Stir Fry too!
Check it!
What is Chicken Adobo?:
Chicken Adobo is a traditional Filipino dish.
“Adobo” comes from the Spanish, adobar, which translates to marinade, seasoning or sauce.
In this sense, adobo is also a term used in referencing a cooking process in Philippine cuisine where meat, seafood, or vegetables are marinated in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorns.
The protein is browned in oil, and simmered in the marinade.
The most important takeaway? The national dish of the Philippines is DELICIOUS!
What Makes This Recipe Different
The classic recipe uses soy sauce and sugar. I make chicken adobo using coconut aminos, which takes the place of both soy sauce and sugar. Coconut aminos have a similar umami flavor to soy sauce, but it is slightly sweeter. Because it is naturally sweet, we can swap out both the soy sauce and sugar for coconut aminos.
If you aren’t concerned about making the recipe soy-free and refined sugar-free, simply swap the coconut aminos for low sodium soy sauce or liquid aminos and add 2 tablespoons of brown sugar to the sauce.
Let’s go over the simple ingredients for adobo chicken. The full list of ingredients can be found at any grocery store.
Chicken Adobo Ingredients:
Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: Chicken breasts and bone-in thighs work too! Use bone-in chicken for the most flavor and crispy skin – just note it takes longer to cook.
Coconut Aminos: Adds umami flavor and sweet flavor. You can find it in the same aisle as the soy sauce in most grocery stores.
Rice Vinegar: Brings tangy flavor to complement the sweet flavor. You can use apple cider vinegar or white vinegar too!
Yellow Onion and Fresh Garlic: Sauteed up and added to the Filipino adobo sauce for extra flavor.
Bay Leaves: For savory herb flavor.
Chicken Broth: Added during the cooking process for extra sauce.
Green Onion: To add vibrant refreshing flavor for serving.
Black Pepper or Whole Peppercorns: Season to taste!
Avocado Oil: For searing the chicken and sautéing the onions. We need a high-temperature cooking oil, and I like avocado oil because it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids.
How to Make Adobo Chicken:
Place the chicken thighs in a zip lock plastic bag and add the rest of the ingredients for the marinade. Seal it up, shake it all around and refrigerate at least 20 minutes (ideally overnight). Note: You can also marinate the chicken in a glass sealable container if you don’t do plastic.
Heat oil in a large skillet and heat over medium-high heat. I use a 12-inch skillet with a lid that has a deep lip.
Once the oil is very hot (but not smoking) carefully add the chicken thighs in a single layer. Save the marinade for later!!
Sear thighs for 3 to 4 minutes, until one side is deeply golden brown.
Carefully flip and brown on the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes, until both sides are golden-brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the chopped onion to the skillet and stir well. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened. If the onion begins to stick at any point, deglaze the pan using about ¼ cup of the chicken broth and stir well.
Transfer the chicken thighs back to the skillet, along with the remaining sauce (reserved marinade), the chicken broth (or water) and the black pepper. Stir well, cover and bring to a full boil.
Cook for 3 to 5 minutes covered at a full boil. Remove the cover and continue cooking, flipping the chicken occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half and chicken is cooked through.
Insert a digital thermometer into the thickest part of the thighs to check their internal temperature. They are fully cooked when they reach 170 degrees F; however, I like cooking them to 180-200 degrees for the best texture.
Serve chicken adobo with choice of side dishes. I like serving it with Cabbage Stir Fry.
Note: the exact cooking time varies if you use a different kind of chicken like breasts or bone-in chicken thighs. Use a meat thermometer for the best results.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Chicken Adobo Side Dishes
In addition (or in lieu of) cabbage stir fry, I’m a huge fan of plain steamed white or brown rice with this dish. If you need something more exciting, my Turmeric Ginger Aromatic Rice or Coconut Lime Rice makes an AMAZING pairing.
Fancy fried rice? Red Curry Fried Rice or Basil Fried Rice are great options too.
If you’re more into potatoes than rice, go for my German-Style Potato Salad with Caramelized Onions.
For a low-carb option, go with cauliflower rice, or serve with roasted or sauteed vegetables.
Instant Pot Option:
Want to make Instant Pot Chicken Adobo? No sweat! Here’s how you do it.
Place the chicken thighs in a zip lock plastic bag and add the rest of the ingredients. Seal it up, shake it all around and refrigerate at least 20 minutes (ideally overnight).
Add the avocado oil to the Instant Pot and press ‘Sauté.’
Once the oil is very hot (but not smoking) carefully place the chicken thighs in the Instant Pot (save the marinade for later!!). Brown for 3 to 4 minutes, until one side is deeply golden-brown. Carefully flip and brown on the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes, until both sides are golden-brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Add the chopped onion to the Instant Pot and stir well. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened. If the onion begins to stick at any point, deglaze the surface using about ¼ cup of the chicken broth and stir well.
Transfer the chicken thighs back to the Instant Pot, along with the marinade, the chicken broth (or water) and the black pepper. Stir well, and secure the lid on the Instant Pot. Press ‘Manual,’ and set the time for 5 minutes. Leave the pressure release valve closed. After the 5 minutes is up, allow the Instant Pot to naturally release at least 15 minutes. Manually release any remaining pressure.
Remove the lid from the Instant Pot and press the ‘Sauté’ button. Bring mixture to a full boil and continue boiling, stirring occasionally, until liquid has reduced in half. Serve and enjoy!
Enjoy this flavorful dish on busy weeknights! The tender chicken swaddled in the delicious sauce is worthy of keeping on constant rotation. Make it for meal prep!
More Healthy Chicken Recipes:
- Instant Pot Chicken Cacciatore
- Paleo General Chicken
- Moroccan Chicken Stew
- Healthy Kung Pao Chicken Recipe
- Sesame Ginger Cashew Chicken
- Keto Chicken Parmesan
Go forth and ADOBO!
Healthy Chicken Adobo Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken & Marinade:
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 cloves garlic or garlic powder
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos or liquid aminos
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
For Cooking:
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- ½ medium-sized yellow onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken broth or water
- 2 tsp coarse black pepper
For Serving:
- 3 stalks Green Onion chopped
- Cabbage Stir Fry
Instructions
- Place the chicken thighs in a zip lock plastic bag and add the rest of the ingredients. Seal it up, shake it all around and refrigerate at least 20 minutes (ideally overnight). Note: You can also marinate the chicken in a glass sealable container if you don’t do plastic 🙂
- Add the avocado oil to a large deep skillet (I use a 12-inch skillet with a lid that has a deep lip) and heat over medium-high. Once the oil is very hot (but not smoking) carefully add the chicken thighs (save the marinade for later!!). Brown for 3 to 4 minutes, until one side is deeply golden-brown. Carefully flip and brown on the other side for another 3 to 4 minutes, until both sides are golden-brown. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the chopped onion to the skillet and stir well. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened. If the onion begins to stick at any point, deglaze the pan using about ¼ cup of the chicken broth and stir well.
- Transfer the chicken thighs back to the skillet, along with the marinade, the chicken broth (or water) and the black pepper. Stir well, cover and bring to a full boil.
- Cook for 3 to 5 minutes covered at a full boil. Remove the cover and continue cooking, flipping the chicken occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half and chicken is cooked through.
- Serve chicken adobo with choice of side dishes. I like serving it with Cabbage Stir Fry.
One of my favourite Filipino dishes🙌🏻
So happy you enjoy it! Definitely a favorite for me too! 🙂