Chicken Adobo is simply to die for, and with the ease of cooking it in the Instant Pot, it’s a definite winner for any night you want a quick, succulent, delicious dinner!
Sometimes one friend stopping over for a visit becomes a gathering of five or more (especially if they like your cooking!). For these pop-up dinner parties, I always get out my Instant Pot because its pressurized-cooking powers impart a lot of flavor and get meats fork tender in no time flat. Plus, there’s no need to sauté in one pan and sear in another.
In fact, you only need to use one pot for this dish. That way, you can leave all the brown bits you’ve collected from your chicken right there in the pot; they will give their sticky, gooey stock and meat flavors to your stew.
What Does Chicken Adobo Taste Like?
Chicken Adobo is a dish from the Philippines. If you’ve never had Filipino cooking, it tends to be both sweet and spicy and full of delicious aromas. This makes it the perfect dish to cook for friends and relatives because you can throw it all in the Instant Pot and let these delicious aromas waft about the room, making everyone hungry while you serve them drinks and appetizers.
Chicken Adobo bursts with lovely and aromatic flavors that tickle all the taste buds in the best way. It’s super-comforting and makes my guests feel totally at home. It’s always a real bonding experience when I serve this for family or friends.
How to Make the Best Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
The trick to cooking chicken dishes where you fry individual chicken parts first, as you do with Chicken Adobo, is to fry only two pieces at a time. You need to let the heat hit it on all sides as it fries.
Another trick is to use garlic cloves instead of garlic powder or garlic salt. There’s nothing better than a garlic clove peeled and smashed to fill any dish with fresh garlic flavor (and nutrients).
Also, if you have a smaller Instant Pot, don’t return the chicken to the pot until you’ve fully sauteed your aromatics (i.e., your garlic and yellow onions); they should be translucent. Then add your chicken pieces back in along with all the other ingredients and cook as directed below!
How do I prep and store this Chicken Adobo?
If you want to prep this dish, chop your onion beforehand. You can store this dish for three days in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freeze it for up to three months. Let the chicken thaw in the fridge overnight.
Serving Suggestions
Chicken Adobo pairs well with rice and noodles. Try it with my Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe and my light and delicious, palate-cleansing Grape Salad before a nice, indulgent dessert like my Two-Layered Coconut Cake.
Chicken Adobo Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 10 chicken drumsticks
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/2 yellow onion sliced
- 10-12 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Season the chicken drumsticks with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Turn on the saute feature of your Instant Pot and heat the avocado oil. Brown the chicken drumsticks in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Once all the chicken is browned, return it to the pot. Add the sliced onion, chopped garlic, soy sauce, vinegar, water, bay leaves, and black pepper.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set it to cook on high pressure for 9 minutes. After cooking, carefully perform a manual release of the pressure.
- Remove the lid and switch the Instant Pot to the saute function again. Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until it thickens slightly.
- Discard the bay leaves. Serve the chicken on a platter, drizzled with the thickened adobo sauce. It pairs wonderfully with steamed rice.
Love this recipe!
So happy to read this, thanks a lot Stacy!