Simple Filipino Chicken Adobo | Kenji's Cooking Show

Donate to No Kid Hungry here: p2p.onecause.com/livestreamfo...
Find my books and stuff here: www.kenjilopezalt.com/
Here's Alvin Cailan's Chicken Adobo recipe from Amboy: www.positivelyfilipino.com/mag...
Here's my basic recipe:
2-3 (900 to 1350g) pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks
Kosher salt
1-2 tablespoons (15-30ml) neutral oil such as rice bran or canola
A big pinch ground black pepper plus 30-40 whole black peppercorns
15-20 whole cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup (240ml) cane, coconut, or distilled white vinegar
2/3 cup (160ml) Filipino soy sauce (Japanese shoyu or a mix of Chinese dark and light soy sauce works)
5 ounces (145g) brown or palm sugar
A few bay leaves
1. Season the chicken lightly with salt. Heat the oil in a wok or large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly browned all over, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the ground and whole black pepper and the garlic and stir to combine. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and bay leaves, and stir to combine.
3. Bring to a boil, reduce to a bare simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Turn chicken, cover again, and cook until the chicken is fully tender and the sauce is thick and coats the chicken pieces in a dark glaze. Serve the chicken and sauce with rice.

[@TheRealClappy]

I see nothing wrong that you did here, although a lot of fellow Filipinos might balk at the amount of sugar you added. But there are so many variations of adobo, some are sweet, some are made with chillies, some recipes sub the soy sauce with fish sauce so don't worry too much about authenticity. You used Datu Puti, so that made your dish authentic enough. - Big fan from the Philippines

[@atomnus]

apparently palm sugar is a bit less sweet than white sugar

[@chie1709]

I use something similar to palm sugar called Panela. It’s cane sugar but awesome for adobo.

[@blssvxntr]

Some adobos are watery and some are thick sauced as well hahahah

[@wookyoftheyear]

Yup, lots of variations. My family adds onions, atsuete (annatto) for a reddish color, and typically we make ours with more broth. Sometimes we add some peppers/chilis for heat, but we never used coconut milk for ours. But it's all a matter of taste, everyone grows up with different versions. Even I make mine a little different than my mom.

[@PanacheDota]

Chillies sound yummy. Assuming you just toss them in at the braising stage along with the sugar, vinegar, etc? Would you use dried chiles or fresh chiles? And then also, what type of chilies work well?

[@Nic1700]

My grandfather is a native Hawaiian, but he spent almost a decade of his life sailing around the Pacific ocean. While in the Philippines, he saved a man's boat from drifting out to sea. The man thanked him by cooking this meal and teaching him this recipe. I can still remember my grandpa teaching it to me.

[@John-mr5rw]

Great story. My grandparents are also native Hawaiians. This takes me back to their stories of the islands.

[@saitodosan9377]

Awesome story, man. Thanks for sharing.

[@zzdahaewae]

kyappaaaaaaa

[@allsports13]

Sounds completely made up

[@YanosProductions]

@@allsports13you lead a boring life

[@tennyoceres]

[Filipino diaspora enters the chat] Schrodinger's adobo: there is too much and not enough sugar

[@dylanvickers7953]

If we simply never observe the sugar, then both sides would be mad.

[@rueezza]

omg 😂😂😂😂

[@onocoffee]

Schrodinger's Adobo

[@user-nn2hp6jg2w]

@@dylanvickers7953 Filipino Singaporean here...my 1st gen parents skip the sugar 👀

[@richiejohnson]

Christine, great comment!

[@n0t_a_lawyer310]

The best way I have heard someone describe the differences in adobo recipes is to compare it to American chili. Everyone makes it different but as soon as you take a bite you know its chili.

[@ChuckD99]

And both will warm your soul!

[@MrSparkula]

That is a great analogy!

[@endeavour5316]

Exactly!

[@crisconcepcion8862]

I used the chili comparison when explaining adobo to my wife, and she asked, "are there adobo contests in the Philippines like there are chili competitions in America?" "No," I said, "because it's generally accepted that the best adobo is your mom's."

[@MrBlazemaster525]

@@crisconcepcion8862 this right here

[@Bandomemphis]

I’m Filipino, you did make one major mistake in making this, you didn’t have 20 people to eat with you and make a bunch of jokes. But for real it looks so good, will definitely be trying it your way next!

[@FredBerger11.11]

Having Filipino family members I appreciate and Loved your comment.👍 one of my favorite dishes.

[@jeremyfalcone-is9bz]

He had the doggos tho

[@cathy4607]

nice…i willtry it with palm sugar next time…i’m Filipino BTW

[@bigl733]

I made this for my Filipino girlfriend and her mom last week and they were blown away. Thank you Kenji, your channel has legitimately changed my life. Before I found your videos I ordered delivery or ate out almost every night. But now not only do I enjoy cooking but I’m excited to cook for others for the first time in my life. Your channel gave me the confidence to not be intimidated by the idea or process of cooking a full meal. Lots of love from Brooklyn! Keep on keeping on homie.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Love to hear it!

[@Finn959]

Did you grow up with home cooked meals? I just can’t imagine someone switching to ordering take out most of the time from home Cooked.

[@Golly_Lama]

@J. Kenji López-Alt what's your suggestion for reheating this the next day? Thanks for all the videos, my family loves anything I make based off a Kenji recipe/vid

[@smartmagis]

@@Golly_Lama In the philippines, we reheat it in the microwave in the sauce, which regulates the microwave temp well. You can also reheat it the way you cooked it, in a pot or a pan, along with the sauce

[@sweetmilk1566]

@@Golly_Lama when reheating I suggest that you pair it up with filipino fried rice (sinangag) Fry garlic in oil until crispy, reserve it then stir fry in some leftover rice Top it with crispy garlic & leftover adobo BOOM magic!

[@FPFMarv]

I'm Filipino and I would eat that for sure. One thing I really appreciate about Kenji is how respectfully he approaches ethnic dishes. He does his research, learns about the cuisine, and will usually point out when he deviates from what is traditional - and explains why. Also he never claims to be an authority and in fact invites criticism/discussion. I'll admit I sometimes get triggered when I see videos called "THE BEST CHICKEN ADOBO EVER" or whatever. It makes me want to pick them apart.

[@Mr.Abreu.76]

When people like Rachel Ray or that other British-guy-who-yells-at-cooks make non-western food it's always comes across as cringe worthy and disrespectful. Kenji is always very very polite and errs in the side of caution when he's describing a recipe for something he's not an expert at.

[@SmokieWins]

He changes traditional recipes all the time with the same old "I dOnT cArE aBoUt TrAdiTiOn WhAt MatTeRs iS iF iTs DeLiCioUs". But maybe that only applies to "evil" western first world country dishes.

[@ajchapeliere]

@@SmokieWins Kenji pointed out more than one thing he changed in this dish and made the same suggestions for substitutions I've seen him make for tons of other videos. I think the point is that a lot of big names in the food world tend to put Western cuisine on a pedestal to the point of being... incredibly unpleasant about it. It makes cooking those dishes very intimidating and inaccessible for people for no good reason at all, and I say this as someone who has family in France. My French family isn't even as stuffy as some of the people who spout off about French cooking and its incredibly refreshing to see someone who understands that respecting a cuisine and being a pretentious toad about a cuisine are not the same thing.

[@ube4856]

@@Mr.Abreu.76 are you taking about Gordon Ramsay? Never seen him do that.

[@ActuallyJozu]

@@ube4856 He butchered carbonara, but I guess that's still "western food"

[@pavanyaragudi]

Kenji is real OG. 😂 Who else saw a 1million+ youtuber rub their camera's front element with the t-shirt that they're wearing.. 🔥😂

[@chalor182]

I need a types of soy sauce explained video because I can never keep it straight lol

[@Margar02]

Great idea. I would appreciate that too

[@MahmudulHasan-ii3yw]

It'd be great

[@SuperHighonlife]

I don't recommend Datu Puti soy sauce, it's hydrolyzed soy sauce (chemically processed/tastes funny). The generic soy sauce at a store should be fine if it omits hydrolyzed soy in the ingredients.

[@karu6111]

I think you can generally use whatever it is you have. We just have brand preferences, there's Silver Swan, Datu Puti, the most commonly used. I'd sometimes use dark soy sauce, or light from japan if that's the only choice, "Kikkoman" brand adds a different but subtle flavor that I also like. Generally whatever you have, just watch the saltiness.

[@chalor182]

@@karu6111 it's more of a curiosity thing than being worried about using the "wrong kind". Like what's the difference between Chinese light and Chinese dark and Japanese and Filipino and tamari and shoyu etc. And what brands are which kind normally because they're generally not clearly labeled by type.. I just wanna know bc it would be cool to know 🤷‍♂️

[@Nafemrotlem]

There are as many adobo recipes in the Philippines as there are islands, so authenticity is not an issue. I have never seen that much sugar used, though. I use coconut milk in mine.

[@nelsondevera9178]

Yeah, reduce the sugar a bit and add shallots and he's good to go.

[@timcreston1658]

that's palm sugar. it's not as sweet

[@dee_lulu]

@@nelsondevera9178 see, we have so much adobo versions and not one is better. Your suggestion of shallots is weird because I have never, ever seen anyone around me (family or friends) add it in adobo. Also, we also add sugar if there aren't old people joining us. We don't add coconut milk, which is what the first person claims to use. Is me claiming that we don't add what you think is lacking in Kenji's makes our version correct? No. So, he's fine. He doesn't need to add anything.

[@harveyscottz]

umm... i hate to break it to you but adding coconut milk is a whole different recipe which is called "Adobong Manok sa Gata"

[@Nafemrotlem]

@@harveyscottz depends…Brian Roof at ATK uses coconut milk. Leah Cohen at Pig and Khao uses small amounts of coconut milk , star anise and bay leaf powder in her pork belly adobo. Claude and Mary Ann Tayag Book “Linamnam” details many of the variants you will find in different regions.

[@rogerx9298]

When I was growing up, my mom used to put 2 large scoops of chili ketchup in her chicken adobo, and that was my favorite version growing up. We're Filipino by the way. You can add almost anything to it and still call it adobo, as long as it keeps that distinct flavor. I have added and enjoyed it with -- coconut milk, ginger, paprika, honey, thai chili, sprite, 7-up, dark beer, mirin, curry, pineapple, potatoes, boiled eggs, string beans, lemongrass, turmeric, chicken liver, and other things I forgot.

[@jdion79]

oh yeah. my aunt used to put jufran in her version. it was still amazing.

[@katherineh7959]

THAT SOUNDS AMAZING! IM GONNA SCREENSHOT IT!

[@d3vilmaycry25]

Try the same things but grill it. Works wonders.

[@sdaiwepm]

Interesting to learn that all these additions are "allowed" - thank you!

[@davidrowland3628]

Browning the garlic in oil will take this to the next level (along with a small amount of onion). Also, to mellow the bite of the vinegar, after adding it, let it simmer for a couple minutes (without stirring) before adding your soy sauce. Finally, I would probably use much less sugar, but that’s personal preference. But your version still looks great. I hope you do more Filipino dishes in the future.

[@JonCole]

my filipino immigrant family rarely made adobo with sugar for me when i was growing up, but i add it to mine and my variation is always a hit with them nowadays. adobo is a moving target, i'm always delighted to learn more ways people make it, try new things. i never had it with coconut milk/cream growing up, but tried it after seeing many legit filipino cooks do so on youtube and it's now a variation in my own repertoire.

[@monicae.4372]

Filipino American weighing in. The rest of the ingredients are part of the classic adobo recipe but I've never been taught to add sugar. Sugar looks like it adds a nice glaze. Props for using Datu Puti brand vinegar and soy sauce. That's pretty legit! My favorite adodo protein these days are baby back ribs. I usually slice up the ribs then braise them like you did with the chicken. I think marinating them then slow roasting them at a low temp would be even better, though.

[@katieeliz12]

9:46 Shabu's spidey senses for knowing when a dish is about to be complete tho 🤣 *snaps fingers* "and I shall make a Shabu appear!"

[@clubmate12]

No, but now seriously, how did they know??? This is almost magic

[@jenniferatwell9698]

Hey look, he's standing in the window again, it must be snack time! 😂

[@mayonnaiseeee]

I thought Kenji was Filipino all along due to the Lopez surname (started recently watching his videos and reading his articles), but I learned something today. Great dish, thanks yet again!

[@LtBerryJF]

As others have said, it's authentic as it can be, there are infinite variations. In addition to regional variations, there's just family to family variations. I've seen people add star anise, reminding me a bit of some Chinese influence, some coconut milk for some more SE Asia, considering the Philippines has had so many influences and cultures on it, your way looks great! My family likes it much more vinegar-y and less sweet, we also like to add a few dried chilies. My favorite is the one my mom makes with chicken thighs and pork belly *drool.* The pork belly's richness and fattiness are cut by the acidity in the sauce and breaks apart so nicely it's almost like a pulled pork adobo by the time it's done braising, and gets mixed so well into the rice while you still have nice chunks of chicken meat to bite on.

[@MrDacedric]

Good lord can I come to dinner at yours??

[@yourbluewaffle]

My favorite adobo from a store run by a chinese-filipino family. They called it Chinese adobo and it was sweet, sticky, and very oily.

[@tobacco118]

Looks like soya sauce is the key ingredient or the sauce would just be salt & vinegar. But soya sauce isn't traditionally Filipino. Is this some kind of Chinese inspired or fusion dish?

[@tiagomnlmnl]

​@@tobacco118 the kingdoms of the pre-colonial Philippine Islands had extensive trade relations with the Chinese, so their influence on our cuisine is very strong.

[@tobacco118]

@@tiagomnlmnl Thanks. Would you say it's more Chinese or Spanish influenced dish? Adobo is Spanish word.

[@robbyfernandez4707]

Honestly, looks as authentic as it can be!! Some mothers and lolas (grandmothers) lean more on soy sauce than vinegar. The technique and reducing is spot on!! Looks great!

[@CMGC___]

ha? dami kayang asukal haha

[@robbyfernandez4707]

To each is own pare hindi naman set in stone ang mga recipes. What matter is yung essential ingredients sa isang dish. At less sweet ang palm sugar kesa sa regular na white or brown sugar.

[@duterteulol4885]

He used a lot of Vinegar and Sugar, so maybe he was rooting for a more Sweet and Sour style. Still looks good.

[@willjay916]

Let's settle this. Bring in the jury of 1000 Aunties.

[@Starryeyeddreamer2001]

Any adobo is authentic when your family cooks it

[@TheVaughnillaIce]

Hi! Great recipe! Filipino here, grew up eating chicken adobo. I think this recipe is the closest recipe I've seen a non-Filipino person make. While some people would complain about the sugar, there really is a lot of variation in recipes. For example, in my family, there's no sugar added at all which really gives it a super umami kick, especially when you use like a really high quality chicken Water is also added to the braising liquid, enough for it to have a sort of soup you can ladle over the rice. About the thing where it's better the next day, there'a actually a saying for adobo: "Habang tumatagal lalong sumasarap" meaning it gets better the more you reheat it. There are a lot of regional variations on adobo, actually. A few examples include ones where coconut milk is added (adobong gata), where you skip the soy sauce entirely and season it with salt (adobong puti), and where you skip the braising entirely and just cook the meat with the soy sauce and vinegar until it simmers away and dries up (adobong tuyo) Adobo is one of those things where since everyone grew up eating it, no one really *doesn't* eat it, so it's always a safe bet, even for people who don't like vegetables, as it's just chicken and rice. For that reason, it's considered our national dish (sinigang stans don't even play you know I'm right)

[@bleepbloop8081]

For those who want a deep dive into Filipino Adobo, I would recommend "The Little Adobo Book" by Chef Gene Gonzalez. It includes a large variety of Adobos, from the modern chicken adobo most people would know to using the adobo cooking method on vegetables and more bizarre choices of meat. Most of the recipes in his book use fish sauce instead of soy sauce to give saltiness, but I would definitely recommend it if you want to expand your knowledge on the types of Filipino Adobo that are out there.

[@Jonpoo1]

Thanks

[@chihuahuasrule1175]

Thanks for the book tip! I can't get enough of adobo.👍

[@DuckPhlegmDota]

just ordered the book, looking forward to learning more about Filipino Adobo!

[@onocoffee]

Patis instead of soy sauce??? That's something new to try!

[@homeboi9794]

Continuing on everyone else's variations, even in my own family we have different recipes. My dad's recipe is similar to yours but he fries the meat a lot closer to completion before adding the braising liquid and puts a lot of brown sugar leaning to a more sweet flavor. My mother's recipe differs with light browning, oyster sauce instead of sugar, adds sliced ginger, minces the garlic, and uses more vinegar.

[@MARKIEEE]

Looks great! My mom never used any sugar! She used to pull the chicken out at the end of braising and fry it on the side in a little bit of oil while the sauce reduces further, and take any fond from the frying pan and throw it all into the braise.

[@jingqi9106]

I was surprised to see not only sugar but that MUCH sugar! 😮

[@timcreston1658]

@@jingqi9106 it only looks a lot, but a cup of palm sugar is equivalent to maybe about 1/4 cup of the sugar you’re used to in terms of sweetness. it’s significantly milder.

[@MARKIEEE]

@@edmundbedboo just after!

[@CeeCee630]

That’s exactly how everyone in my family makes it.

[@kehaulani1140]

Sugar helps to even out the taste of the vinegar and soy sauce. It’ll elevate the umami flavors of the adobo.

[@drewbash2203]

In my next life I want to come back as one of Kenji's dogs. They are feed like kings.😁

[@LostQuays-wg6xn]

Thank you Kenji ! After viewing a number of other videos with no recipe instructions, I came across yours. So grateful for your video. My chicken is almost done, and I can tell it's going to be a winner! Thanks again !!

[@user-infj6569]

the sugar, for me, is something new. i’m filipino and usually use the ingredients you used except for the sugar. that said, i’m going to try your version. looks yummy by the way. thanks for featuring our chicken adobo.

[@japamor7830]

Finally!!!! Kenji's version of adobo. This is the video that I've been waiting for. Thank you for your amazaing videos. Looking forward to have your next book.

[@DawnDZitney]

Kenji! I made this and it was wonderful. Thank you for continuing to share your knowledge in with us home cooks.

[@kevinknapp9473]

Great recipe, even my kid who doesn't like asian food loved it. All the guidance was spot on, from portions, to dry chicken, to not needing a mountain of sauce. Cheap, easy, efficient dinner. Local Asian market had the liquids and sugar - AND BULK, PRE-PEELED, FRESH GARLIC. Oh sweet relief! Sugar was in a jar, no problems.

[@BeeGuns]

Made it for dinner since I already had all the ingredients, subbed for brown sugar and used about half as much after reading some comments and added some green onions after cooking. Turned out amazing and I’m definitely going to make it more often!

[@Crappy9922]

Ahh, the food of my life!! I have never seen that much sugar added before, but my family just does it differently. Depending on taste, instead of cane sugar we'll use a can of 7Up/Sprite/Sierra Mist, or a cola like Coke or Pepsi. Ginger Ale also adds a nice flavor with the soy sauce and vinegar! In my family we'd also put in potatos later to absorb extra salt from the chicken, just in case too much soy sauce was added.

[@alexalex-ch4yj]

1 can of soda is about 33g of sugar...

[@rhyscallen6915]

So just picked up an Anova and was pleasantly surprised when I looks on the home page and kept seeing kenji show up under the guides. You’re the man now I know this was worth it!

[@patrickstep]

I like that you keep the simplicity of the dish, not expanding on the recipe with unnecessary ingredients. It's a nice simple dish

[@konalily]

Bet your kitchen smelled amazing, I love trying out innumerable versions of this dish! When my mom makes it, the mortar and pestle is our best tool for crushing garlic (we use 2 bulbs) and peppercorn. I love that small detail when you poured whole peppercorns because the texture softens and taste becomes less sharp and really compliments THE SAUCE. The last time I made this, I added a little oyster sauce instead of sugar. My mom keeps the ingredients to a minimum: drums & flats, shoyu, vinegar, garlic, peppercorn, and bay leaves and low n slow for 2hrs.

[@22hmartin]

I grew up with my Filipina auntie making this quite often and this looks very much like her recipe the way I remember it.

[@nickysykes9987]

Love following your videos. Everything has always turned out so well including this ❤️

[@CosmicComputer]

That looks fantastic and super simple to prep, thanks for sharing this!

[@Kaotonix]

sometimes I just throw on your videos and listen to you talk through your dishes while I work. It's quite soothing - thank you for these videos!

[@makaveli3812]

What a coincedence, was planning on making this dish on sunday for the first time. Even more excited now after seeing how nice yours turned out!

[@filip2175]

What I love about such dishes that they’re clearly meant be to be shared. You place that on a table and celebration of food begins

[@Octorocker743]

Best thing about adobo is how differently it can be cooked while still being great each time. I'll try it out Kenji's way and then my usual way and then experiment, salamat Kenji!

[@HighCalibreFilms]

Every Filipino I have ever met has just been lovely and kind and a great person and here in the comments section on the internet… just over and over again Filipinos being wonderful and supportive. What a great people!

[@mfenderson2714]

Agreed! I realized that after having the pleasure to meet several over the course of my life. I am not meaning to be disrespectful or rude to try and assume that all Filipinos are all alike, but my experience and my other family members' experiences have been that they are uncommonly warm and kind people! My grandmother went up north during the Great Migration from the South to get jobs. When she was pregnant with my dad, right after the Civil Rights movement, she had cancer and had to be on bed rest. Back then in NY hospitals weren't always a kind a place regardless of a person's background. But her doctor was Filipino and she said that he took care of her so well as if she were his relative. He always came in and checked or her and her was uncommonly patient and I think he removed her tumors right afte her delivery. She said thaty afterwards he still was faithful in making sure that she was ok. My grandmother is in her 80s, I am in my 30s and I have Filipino friends and loved ones. We are talking cumulatively almost 100 years of experience that they just seem to present themselves are great people.

[@trapizonn3603]

the best adobo is cooked from the heart. this is my moms easy to cook go to dish for dinner. She doesn’t always make it the most authentic due to not having all the ingredients or lack of time but it always hits the same. It’s my favorite chicken and rice dish and i’ve put all my friends on

[@divxsamsung]

I am filipino. I just made this last night. Have done this countless times. This process is perfect. Well done.

[@thehangryone5452]

You did great. I even loved the color. Great job

[@icerag]

You're Filipino adobo is spot on. Your comment of it being Filipino but with a Spanish name is also accurate -- kudos to that.

[@rocephiniv9975]

Essentially the same as how my mom makes it, except she uses sprite instead of sugar which would help with tenderizing the chicken also. But if you're brazing it for an hour, the tenderizing effects wouldn't really matter

[@karinaleto4464]

I loved your recipe! I tried it and it came out fantastic!! My husband was happy!

[@WolfL1nk]

Made this for my parents tonight. Absolutely amazing!

[@hokudadog7637]

Aloha from Hawaii! I have same reaction as other folks regarding the sugar quantity, but there are many different versions of adobo! I enjoy watching you cook. I did giggle that your dogs were very on-point for the tasting!

[@Ckawauchi35]

I enjoy watching your videos, Kenji! Thank you! I am half Fil-Japanese and cook adobo all the time for my Black American husband. He can't get enough of it. I am just amused that you featured a popular Filipino dish in your channel. I never put sugar in my adobo but my Japanese mom used to when we were kids. Who's to say what the right way of cooking adobo is? I sometimes use lemons instead of vinegar so I can rid my lemon tree of its fruits!

[@richiejohnson]

All pro presentation. Confident and relaxed. Great narration, you're a real natural educator!

[@MrAntLib]

Thanks for your video and recipe!

[@tychuk5802]

Hey Kenji! For the last several months I've been binging your videos and I just want to say how much I love them. I love the format, the head cam, recipes, midnight snacks, and how you spoil your doggos. Keep up the great work! Your videos are lots of fun to watch.

[@matthewsuiza432]

You really cant go wrong with that dish some people like it with sugar some don't as long as you got the essentials like meat, garlic, soy sauce and vinegar you are set you could add some red onion for some mild sweetness if you don't want to put sugar but yeah all in all looks fricking amazing!! Love from ph

[@UhOhUmm]

But how would it form a glaze without any sugar? Wouldn't the sauce be just watery?

[@matthewsuiza432]

@@UhOhUmm i dont think so because the chicken contains some natural gelatin although i don't know what it's called but if you braise it long enough a sauce should form although not in a form of a glaze but it should still be creamy enough.

[@ZBillions23]

you're posting a lot more videos recently. I love it!

[@midlifemom5829]

Looks amazing! My dad adds 1 star anise. Growing up , I never like the peppercorns and would pick them out. Craving it now!

[@vincentrecto8794]

I took one look at the soy sauce and vinegar and immediately knew that this was going to be an authentic Filipino chicken Adobo Sending support and respect from the Philippines ❤

[@KudosK42]

*puts sugar*

[@markwellbahena6065]

Echoing previous comments here regarding the amount of sugar in your version. I use sugar myself (not all people do), but not too much that it makes the dish belong in that sweet-salty-sour spectrum -- I add just enough to round the flavors out and tame the sourness from the vinegar. I also like using red meat with my adobo, especially collagen-heavy cuts like wings. It helps with the overall texture and mouthfeel of the dish. I agree with resting it as well (overnight, even) -- I find it helps tame the sharp sourness of the vinegar in addition to the meat absorbing more flavorful liquid. Overall, I can't find any fault with your recipe. You used an insane amount of garlic and pepper, then used the Datu Puti combo -- that already makes the dish authentic in my eyes. P.S. Big big fan of yours. I miss your (and Stella's) articles in SE. Very informative. Whenever I want to try a dish I'm not familiar with, I refer to your SE articles and the thick (but incredibly readable) "The Food Lab."

[@mikekeller5202]

Chicken is not red meat.

[@janakipejov3667]

I made this with some little changes: Put in meat at the start, seared it a bit, took it out and cooked an onion after in the remaining oil/juices; put back the meat and put vinegar, soy sauce and only 3 teaspoons of brown sugar. Vinegar was simple apple one. After an hour and a half aprox., got the meat out again, and put some frozen "asian mix" veggies into the sauce aswell as rice noodles - that was cooked in couple of minutes. One of the best dishes I ever ate. Never heard of meat cooking in vinegar. I am very pleased I stumbled upon this video and even more that I decided to try it out. Great stuff!

[@samtar5248]

Great video. Love that you did this dish! Would love to see other Filipino dishes featured!

[@ShortAndFormal]

Every household does different Filipino Dishes very differently. Personally I think thats much to much sugar, but it seemed to almost glaze the chicken really nicely!

[@boogie5407]

Hello, Sir! I’m a huge fan. Thank you for featuring a classic Filipino dish. :) you should try this with pork belly. In our house, we sometimes mix chicken and pork. After simmering the meat with the soy-vinegar sauce, we remove the sauce temporarily then we crisp up the pork belly and chicken. When it’s all good, we add the sauce again and reduce it until the sauce becomes thicker and the oils start to separate. As for the sugar, some Filipinos like it sweeter, but in our home, we use maybe 1/4 of the sugar that you used in this video. Also, it’s also good to put a few bird’s eye chilies in there to give more kick to it. Some Filipino households add pineapple juice in the sauce as sugar replacement. Thanks again, Sir! I hope you feature more Filipino dishes like Kare kare with bagoong. You should visit the Philippines some time. :)

[@iyadalbustami7859]

Thank you for talking to us stories while cooking , I love you

[@EthanDyTioco]

11:46 - I was typing this point when you started to mention it! I'm glad that you caught this info. My parents make adobo the day before an outing so that we'll eat it when it's one day old

[@sleepeeshkuzukrew7216]

Hey Kenji, enjoyed the video! If you have the time, always marinate your adobo for 4 hours, preferably overnight. Anyways, great recipe right here because every household has a different adobo, even in our home we all have different recipes. Would definitely recommend adding in peppers that would boost the complexity of flavors and cut down on the sugar.

[@clarel4449]

I made this tonight and it was one of the best dishes I've ever made. I made a few adjustments based on the ingredients I had. I halved the recipe and used half brown sugar and half honey as I ran out of brown sugar + used a bit less of the sugar/honey than the recipe recommended. I also used a combo of dark and light soy sauce and white vinegar as well as a dash of apple cider vinegar. Other than that followed the recipe perfectly and it was delightful. The sauce was incredibly well balanced and the chicken was tender and falling off the bone. Served with rice and steamed broccoli. Thanks so much for this recipe Kenji and thanks to the Phillipines for an incredible dish!

[@smartmagis]

great idea to pair with broccoli. for whatever reason, my grandmother always served it with a side of corn. But really, anything slathered in that soy sauce and vinegar will taste amazing!

[@spyk124]

Made it yesterday. Absolutely delicious. Makes regular chicken fun and easy. Will be making this once a week at least.

[@celow4446]

so good! great vid

[@Ollie_reed]

I’m 119% Phillipino and this is done great!

[@joshnoble8968]

Looks great! A little heavy on the sugar to my taste, but to each their own especially when it comes to adobo. Try silver swan soy sauce next time if you haven't yet!

[@David-go4ot]

looks amazing!

[@hamburglar83]

One of my favorite chicken dishes ever. Something everyone should try.

[@immojom]

As a long time follower of your channel, I really appreciate how you stayed authentic with your Adobo recipe! There's no 100% defined way to make an Adobo, as most of the comments say, it differs from place to place, family to family, and island to island. I make mine with ripe mangoes when they're in season so it adds a little layer of sweetness when you come across it when eating :)

[@smartmagis]

i've never heard of, seen, or tried an adobo with mangoes in it. sounds fascinating!

[@radlup1045]

as a Filipino who's always watched your channel I'm so excited for this!

[@Drenoxian]

There are as many variations and different recipes as there are families. This turned out looking awesome and can’t wait to try it!

[@Jaccoob233]

Made this today, it was vey good. Thank for the recipe, Kenji!

[@jsobrino]

it looks good to me! my dad and my lola cooked almost all of the food i ate growing up, and this isn’t too far off from their adobo recipes. my fam just uses a bit less sugar (also we usually use brown sugar rather than palm), and maybe a little more vinegar. recently both me and my dad have been occasionally adding in fresh thai chilies, as well as sometimes fully reducing the sauce so the meat gets to slightly fry in the leftover oil at the end (we usually do this for pork, not chicken though). also, since it was hard for me to get filipino vinegar while in college, i mainly used shoyu and it still tasted good. i know some filipinos get defensive over the brand/type of soy sauce used, but honestly i don’t mind the flavor differences between chinese soy sauce or kikkoman or any other non-filipino soy sauces, especially since i still used filipino vinegar (typically cane, or a mixture of regular cane and spiced vinegar. sometimes i would add a little bit of sukang iloko if i wanted it to be special)

[@tinglethefairy1225]

ooh. My parents usually serve this dish with some sort of pickled vegetable, usually onion and occasionally radish. I love the combination of the two, and can eat them forever. Though, I always remove the whole peppercorns because I heavily dislike randomly coming across them while eating but my dad loves them. To each their own lol

[@jeexbit]

Thank you for cutting the tips off the garlic Kenji, thank you! I'll definitely try this recipe soon.

[@robiecalong2]

Looks good. I’m trying this.

[@Jonpoo1]

I would love to see you do some classic french dishes. (:

[@dayla8634]

Nice. Only thing I would have done differently is fry my garlic first and instead of cane sugar I use 7up. But every recipe is different and you have to find out what works best for you.

[@hornysanders6244]

You mean the drink 7up?

[@CEDEREL]

7up???

[@LeVolver]

yes. very classic pinoy sweetener + has some sour notes. also a staple in our bbq marinade as well

[@josephwest2741]

@@LeVolver my mom is from the philippines and used sprite in a ton of marinades. from what i've been told, using soda like 7up in cooking is not uncommon in filipino cuisine

[@jsobrino]

@@hornysanders6244 7up is common as a marinade addition in filipino food, but i’ve never seen it used as a replacement for vinegar in adobo. it sounds interesting though

[@gladysmollfulleda5350]

I tried this recipe and it was delicious. I really like how easy you explained it.

[@MauiWowieOwie]

Just made this. Only had regular soy sauce and no bay leaves, but it still turned out great. Thanks for the recipe Kenji!

[@Raxi1218]

THE FILIPINOS HAVE BEEN SUMMONED.

[@Hmellon92]

From what I know, every family has a similar but always slightly different recipe. My mums Filipino and my Dads Australian and growing up here we’ve only ever known our family’s version, and whenever I’ve tried another version it’s always sweeter than what I’m used to. My mum skips sugar altogether, she always completely crushes the garlic into a paste, and we only used ground pepper. But hey, every family likes it different :) I’d still smash this if you put it in front of me

[@gorilla_with_jetpack4102]

Just made this last night - I used chicken leg quarters and honey in addition to the other ingredients, then fried up some potatoes, red chili's and snow peas. Braised the chicken for almost 2 hours and the whole batch practically melted. Amazing flavor, I don't know crap about Adobo, but this is a winner.

[@TheProfessionalExpert]

This looks perfect. I like to add coconut oil when sauteeing the chicken. You could also use coconut water to cook your rice.

[@matthewsuiza432]

DATU PUTII!!!! my man kenji be staying authentic

[@jondough3739]

I don't have datu puti, how crucial is it as opposed to using white vinegar/apple cider vinegar or a mixture of the two?

[@matthewsuiza432]

@@jondough3739 those brands like datu puti or silver swan gives this really distinct taste. There's a sweet after taste compared to white vinegar/apple cider vinegar.

[@timcreston1658]

@@jondough3739 datu puti IS white vinegar, specifically cane vinegar. “puti” means white, and back then the brand initially only sold vinegar before they expanded to also selling soy sauce and fish sauce unless you prefer the distinct taste of apple cider vinegar, you can use any white vinegar you have that has a more neutral taste

[@redacted8983]

@@timcreston1658 I thought the brand was named after a Datu named Datu Puti?

[@Bread._]

Never heard of this dish before this video, but I just made it for dinner and it was a huge hit. I forgot the bay leaf, only used ordinary soy sauce and vinegar, but it still turned out so good.

[@redtrooper7622]

Salamat for the recipe and representation Kenji!

[@StephenPhayre]

I'm in the market for a new pepper mill so really looking forward to seeing that video!!

[@darrenvegamusic]

Your recipe is great! And in some cases we put potatoes in our adobo in case we dont have enough chicken. The potato also helps in thickening the sauce, you might want to try it out too!

[@chinob2199]

authentic! especially the crazy 20 cloves of garlic part

[@pugward]

agreed. Most foreigners are shocked by how much garlic we put in adobo, but that's really how it is.

[@thefeel2261]

@@pugward really? We put garlic in ours but never that much…

[@pugward]

@@thefeel2261 well, every family does it a little different. But almost every single adobo I've had, from homes to carinderias to restaurants almost always has lots of garlic.

[@yukoncorneliusjr8273]

Definitely making this tonight!👍🏽

[@CM-bp6qb]

I’m Filipino and you cooked it exactly how my Nanay cooks it. Down to the palm sugar. Delicious work chef !

[@cellobarney]

Adobo you, but I’m going to try this!

[@guilhermepenteado5177]

Hey there! I don't dig the braised skin texture. I'll try this with skinless bone-in thighs. Should add something in order to compensate from the lost fat and collagen from the skin? Thanks, love the video!

[@MichaelCadger]

When it's done braising you can pat the chicken dry with paper towels and throw it under the broiler to crisp up the skin.

[@kennyeverett3201]

It’s a new Kenji vid yippee!

[@polopolomar]

clicked on this video super quick ! thnx for the filipino feature in ur videos kenji ! as a filipino who cooks adobo once a week, on average: every now and again you try to find something to make it fresh . very curious to see your spin on it. great recipe !