Make this dish straight off a Manila menu! Grilled Adobo Chicken takes the flavorful dark meat and marinates it in a savory mix of soy, honey, vinegar, and bay leaves.
I’ve talked about French cuisine on the site many times before. I’ve also attempted Italian dishes, Mexican dishes, Spanish dishes… it seems like I’m a bit of a globetrotter, when I’m in my kitchen, at least. But there is one country my spatula rarely visits: the Philippines.
Well, today we’re going to change that. We’re flying in to Manila to develop these recipe for Grilled Adobo Chicken. Yes, we’re counting on the ever-versatile chicken to sample some of the local flavor captured in adobo sauce, a mix of soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and bay leaves. But it’s so much more than that. ‘Adobo’ means ‘marinade’ or ‘pickling sauce’, which suggests this dish is less about the destination and more about how you get there. It’s about letting the chicken thighs simmer and marinate in the sauce, ensuring it soaks up all that flavor so that every bite bursts. It’s about expanding your knowledge of global cuisine and adapting techniques to the chicken we are all familiar with. It’s about making a meal your family will love to discover.
Got your passport ready? Let’s get cookin’.
Why Use Chicken Thigh?
We use the thigh when making Grilled Adobo Chicken for a few reasons. The thigh is made up of dark meat, which contains more fat and connective tissue than its white cousin (sibling?). It’s not a lot of fat so you don’t need to worry about that; but it is enough to bring tremendous flavor to the dish. And, where fat goes, juice follows. So there’s less chance of the meat drying out. Dark meat also has a different texture to white meat. It stands up to high heat better and won’t get all rubbery and tough despite spending time on a grill. If you want to use white breast (e.g., chicken breast), feel free to do so; just be aware that the fat and texture of the thigh mean it usually takes longer to cook, so adjust your times accordingly.
Ingredients
- 3 lb. skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 cups soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup vinegar
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Yields: 8 servings
Step 1: Preheat your outdoor grill to high heat and brush the grate with a little oil to prevent sticking.
Step 2: In a large pot, combine soy sauce, water, vinegar, honey, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper. Bring it to a boil, then add the chicken thighs. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.
Step 3: Take the chicken out of the pot, let it drain on paper towels, and discard the bay leaves. Meanwhile, bring the sauce back to a boil and reduce it to about 1 1/2 cups.
Step 4: Place the chicken on the hot grill and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until it’s beautifully browned and has a nice crisp exterior.
Step 5: Lay the grilled chicken on a bed of fluffy rice and drizzle with the reduced adobo sauce for an extra flavor kick.
FAQs & Tips
You can wrap the cooled chicken in plastic or aluminum foil and then store it in the fridge for up to four days. If you have a lot of the sauce left, you might want to use an airtight container for the chicken then pour the sauce over top. You can also freeze the chicken for up to three months. To reheat, let it thaw in the fridge overnight or use your microwave if time is a factor. Just ensure the meat has an internal temperature of 165°F.
Our adobo sauce contains honey and soy sauce, which are high in sugar and sodium, respectively. Granted, it’s naturally occurring but it occurs all the same. For this reason, don’t overdo it when adding your sauce, or apply it to so many other recipes like steak, veggies, or eggs. If it’s a concern, you can opt for low-sodium soy sauce and replace the honey with maple syrup or agave nectar, both of which have health benefits that honey does not. You could also use erythritol but it lacks the consistency of honey; you would also need to use more of it.
You can add some heat with a few different ingredients. Chopped or minced chili peppers (jalapeño, serrano, habanero, or Thai chili) are the first to come to mind. You can also use ground cayenne pepper. If you don’t have access to those, your spice rack should have red pepper flakes, cumin, paprika, and chili powder. If you’re less about the heat and more about the bite, turn to ginger. Minced ginger will work well with the garlic and might give the chicken the kick you seek.
Serving Suggestions
There are so many foods you can serve grilled adobo chicken with, though the most popular would be a bed of rice. While a simple white rice lets the adobo flavor speak solo, you can complement it with a rice dish with a bit more flair, like this Cilantro Lime Rice recipe. You can also serve it alongside roasted, grilled, or sauteed vegetables. The meat can also be sliced and skewered as part of chicken kebabs or as an ingredient in your favorite salad or grain/quinoa bowl.
Grilled Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
- 3 lb. skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 cups soy sauce
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 3/4 cup vinegar
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your outdoor grill to high heat and brush the grate with a little oil to prevent sticking.
- In a large pot, combine soy sauce, water, vinegar, honey, garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper. Bring it to a boil, then add the chicken thighs. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 35 to 40 minutes.
- Take the chicken out of the pot, let it drain on paper towels, and discard the bay leaves. Meanwhile, bring the sauce back to a boil and reduce it to about 1 1/2 cups.
- Place the chicken on the hot grill and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until it's beautifully browned and has a nice crisp exterior.
- Lay the grilled chicken on a bed of fluffy rice and drizzle with the reduced adobo sauce for an extra flavor kick.
