When you want a one-pot wonder of an entree, put on some Slow Cooker Chicken Adobe Crockpot-style.
Chicken Adobo is an infamous national dish of the Philippines, where they like their food full of flavor.
In fact, if you’re a fan of Korean food, you’ll love just about any dish from the Philippines because these two cuisines share a love of spicy, sweet, fermented foods. In fact, Chicken Adobo is a very old Philippine dish and the vinegar in the recipe was added as a preservative before the times of refrigeration. Of course, we love vinegar today for its acidic flavor and chefs rely on it for the acid component of a full flavor bouquet.
Kids love Chicken Adobo because it looks like their favorite oriental foods, like Kung Pao Chicken and Sweet and Sour Chicken. Like these dishes, Chicken Adobo has a definite punch to it, but you’d never call it spicy hot—just spicy.
What I love about Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo is that I get to sit back and let my Crock Pot or other slow cooker do all the work while I sit back and enjoy the rich aromas of this delicious stew wafting about the house. If you have teenagers, watch how quick they decide to stay home and invite friends over instead when Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo is sizzling in the slow cooker.
Rich Stock and Sauce Flavors Come from What?
Bones. In fact, you’ve been doing yourself an extreme disservice if you always reach for boneless, skinless chicken breasts. One of my chefs in cooking school always said, “Why select anything boneless? The bones ARE the flavor.” Bones and their rich marrow are where bone broths come from, so you’re giving you and your family the benefit of a collagen-rich bone broth whenever you toss some bone-in chicken parts to your dishes.
FYI: If you love the meaty boneless chicken breasts, try purchasing airline chicken breasts instead. This is a bone in chicken breast with the added dark meat wing attached and the bones in the wing as well. Then simply discard these once you’ve extracted all their flavorful flavors!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar (optional)
Instructions
Prep time – 10 minutes
Cooking time – 5 hours
Yields – 6 servings
Step 1. Start by browning the chicken. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown the chicken pieces in batches for added flavor. If short on time, you can skip this step and place the chicken directly into the slow cooker.
Step 2. Combine the sauce ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar and soy sauce. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over it. Add the garlic, pepper, and bay leaves, distributing them evenly.
Step 3. Cook the chicken. Set your slow cooker to low and cook the chicken for 5 to 6 hours, or until it is tender and fully cooked.
Step 4. Add sweetness if desired. If you like a touch of sweetness in your adobo, stir in the sugar either into the vinegar mixture before cooking or sprinkle it over the chicken towards the end of cooking time.
Step 5. Serve and enjoy. Serve the chicken adobo over a bed of steaming rice for a complete meal. This dish can be prepared a day ahead and the flavors will deepen overnight.
FAQs & Tips
Chicken Adobo keeps extremely well because of the vinegar content. You can store it in the refrigerator three days or more– not that there will be any more left and frozen up to three months. And yes, making this ahead and storing it in the fridge allows these flavors to really meld and gives it even more flavor, like chili!
Leftover sauce? Never, ever throw it out. Make stir-fry rice or a stir fry and use this as a sauce for an oriental supper that rivals your favorite street food or food truck dish.
For extra flavor, brown the chicken thighs, drumsticks, or whatever parts you use under a broiler until they begin to get brown and crispy. This adds a depth of unimaginable flavor difference to the dish!
Serving Suggestions
Serve this dish with my Cilantro Lime Rice, my Delicious Italian Chopped Salad, and No-Bake Vanilla Cheesecake for a supper that will make your s.o. go, “Wow, am I with the right person!” (or your kids go “WOW! Do I have the best mom or what?!”
Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
- 3 pounds chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 6 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar optional
Instructions
- Start by browning the chicken. Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat and brown the chicken pieces in batches for added flavor. If short on time, you can skip this step and place the chicken directly into the slow cooker.
- Combine the sauce ingredients. In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar and soy sauce. Place the chicken in the slow cooker and pour the sauce over it. Add the garlic, pepper, and bay leaves, distributing them evenly.
- Cook the chicken. Set your slow cooker to low and cook the chicken for 5 to 6 hours, or until it is tender and fully cooked.
- Add sweetness if desired. If you like a touch of sweetness in your adobo, stir in the sugar either into the vinegar mixture before cooking or sprinkle it over the chicken towards the end of cooking time.
- Serve and enjoy. Serve the chicken adobo over a bed of steaming rice for a complete meal. This dish can be prepared a day ahead and the flavors will deepen overnight.
