Chicken Adobo is Filipino comfort food at its best —simple and bursting with flavour! This tangy, savoury dish is a delicious way to support B.C. food providers while also bringing a taste of the Philippines to your table.
Ingredients
- 8 x B.C. bone-in chicken thighs (like Rossdown)
- B.C. soy sauce (like Infusion Soy Sauce)
- 4 B.C. bay leaves
- 1 bunch of B.C. kale (like BCfresh)
- 2 cups white rice
- 8 cloves B.C. garlic, minced (like BCfresh)
- 2 B.C. white onions, peeled and chopped (like BCfresh)
- ½ cup of B.C. butter (like Avalon Dairy)
- 1 x bag of B.C. pork rinds (like Louis Pasture)
- Small bunch of B.C. green onion, chopped (like BCfresh)
- 1 cup white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
Featured B.C. products
Preparation
Marinate the chicken:
- In a deep pan or bowl, combine 1 cup soy sauce, 1 cup vinegar, half of the minced garlic, 4 bay leaves, and 1/2 tsp black pepper.
- Add the chicken thighs, making sure they are fully coated. Cover and marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight for deeper flavour.
Searing the chicken and onion:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Remove chicken from marinade. Save the marinade for later.
- In a large pan over medium-high heat, add ¼ cup vegetable oil. Sear the chicken on each side until golden brown (~3-4 minutes per side). Remove and set aside.
- Using the same pan, lower heat to medium and add ½ of the chopped onions and the rest of the minced garlic.
- Sauté until fragrant, then deglaze with a splash (15ml) of vinegar, scraping up any browned bits.
- Transfer the chicken and onion-garlic mixture into an oven-safe dish, then pour the reserved marinade back into the dish.
- Transfer to a preheated oven and bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
Making the rice:
- Rinse 2 cups of rice with cold water and drain.
- In a small pot, add 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of water (1:1 ratio).
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 minutes until tender.
- Remove from heat and immediately stir in 1/4 cup of butter to make it rich.
Sautéing the kale:
- Wash and dry the kale. Remove the leaves from the stems and roughly chop the leaves.
- In a pan over medium-high heat, add ¼ cup butter and the remaining ½ chopped onion with a pinch of salt.
- Sauté the onion until tender, stirring frequently. Then add the kale leaves and reduce heat to medium, stirring until wilted (3-5 minutes).
- Mix the buttered rice into the pan with the kale-onion mixture, stirring to combine.
Plating Chicken Adobo:
- On a plate, add a large scoop of the kale rice.
- Place a piece of crispy adobo chicken on top.
- Drizzle with some of the chicken sauce from the oven dish.
- Garnish with crushed pork rinds and chopped green onions.
Pro tips
- For crispier skin, broil the chicken at the end for 3-5 minutes on high in the oven.
- If the vinegar is too sharp, you can add a tsp of brown sugar (or more to taste) to round out the flavour.
- Adobo tastes even better the next day, so make extra and enjoy the leftovers!
B.C. beverage pairing for Chicken Adobo
An IPA from Strange Fellows Brewing will provide a refreshing contrast to this salty, tangy dish.
Mark Singson
@MarkSingson | marksingson.com
Mark Singson is the passionate chef behind FAM Inc., a culinary venture that blends his love for food, art, and music into memorable pop-up dining experiences. A former Top Chef Canada contestant, Mark made his mark at notable Vancouver restaurants, including The Fairmont Pacific Rim and AnnaLena, as well as Vue de Monde and Saint Crispin in Melbourne, Australia. He is a firm believer in the importance of sourcing locally. Mark’s cuisine combines B.C. ingredients with comfort and finesse, shared through a British Columbian Filipino lens.
