The Easiest Chicken Adobo Recipe

This may be the easiest recipe in the entire book—only marginally more challenging than toasting bread or pouring yourself a bowl of cereal. Chicken adobo is a staple of the Philippines, a dish so delicious and simple that it's a wonder it's not a weekday standard in houses across America. The key is to reduce the sauce down to a syrup thick enough to cling to the chicken and infuse your meal with a huge jolt of savory garlic-soy flavor. If you prefer your chicken with a deep caramelized crust, try sliding it under the broiler for a few minutes just before serving. Crust or not, make sure to add a vegetable (roasted broccoli is great) and a scoop of brown rice before sitting and chowing down on this chicken adobo recipe.

Nutrition: 230 calories, 2 g fat (0.5 g saturated), 880 mg sodium

Serves 4

You'll Need

1⁄2 cup rice wine vinegar
1⁄2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4 bay leaves
1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1  lb skinless chicken thighs
2  cups prepared brown rice

How to Make It

1. In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients.
2. Bring to a bare simmer, cover, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is very tender and cooked all the way through.
3. Remove the chicken from the pot and bring the mixture to a vigorous boil.
4. Continue to boil for about 10 minutes, until the cooking liquid reduces by half and is thick enough to cling easily to the back of a spoon.
5. Return the chicken to the pot and heat through.
6. Discard the bay leaves. Serve the chicken with the rice and the reduced sauce.

Eat This Tip

Leftover Love:

Chicken adobo is leftover gold, not just because it's pretty awesome cold straight from the refrigerator, but because it can be converted into an amazing array of dishes that will make you forget you're eating last night's dinner. Make an Asian-style wrap by stuffing tortillas or Bibb lettuce leaves with a few chunks of chicken adobo, along with steamed brown rice, chopped scallions, roasted vegetables, and a squirt of sriracha. Or scatter the chicken on a salad of greens, mandarin oranges, almonds, and red bell pepper strips dressed with soy sauce, peanut oil, and lime juice.

This recipe (and hundreds more!) came from one of our Cook This, Not That! books. For more easy cooking ideas, you can also buy the book!