Oven-Cooked Chicken Adobo
I just realized that I haven’t posted a single entry dedicated to food. It is about time I use the “Food” category I suppose, and what better way to start than with what is considered to be one of the Philippines’ national dishes, Adobo (Spanish word for marinade), but with a twist: cooking it in the oven.
I must admit, it was not intentional. I prepared the chicken to be cooked the traditional way but I got lazy and just popped it in the oven. Turned out really well, though (but then again, I might be a little biased).
Ingredients: (serves 1-2)
- 2-3 Chicken thighs or breasts
- 4 tablespoons of soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons of white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon of peppercorn
- 6-8 cloves of crushed garlic
- Three dried bay leaves
- A pinch of salt
In a bowl, mix all the ingredients and let the chicken soak in the marinate. Although you can marinate it for just a few hours, I left mine in the fridge overnight.
After marinating the meat, pre-heat the oven for about 5 minutes. Pop the chicken in, set the temperature between medium to high (high heat has the tendency to dry it faster though and Adobo is best eaten when the meat is a little juicy) and leave it on for 25 minutes. Once it’s golden brown, it should be ready! Now to veer further away from the traditional Adobo, garnish it with dried basilicum (or your herb of choice) and sprinkle it with paprika powder. You can eat it as it is, or serve with cooked white rice. Voila!
Tip: Feel free to remove the skin so the flavor penetrates the meat better. I prefer my chicken skinless unless it is going to be fried.
So there, it is very simple but the taste can be surprisingly complex.
5 Responses to “Oven-Cooked Chicken Adobo”
Leave a Reply
Hello, I’m Clarence
An Amsterdam-based twenty something with a multicultural background and an interest in far too many things.
Currently working in the strategic arm of a Dutch advertising agency.
Willingly surrendering to biking, cold weather and hagelslag. Read more here.
Interesting! I’ve never thought about marinating adobo (hmm sounds redundant now haha). In our house we just simmer everything in a pot. I’ll try marinating it next time!
@AM Haha, redundant nga! Marinating a marinate! :D I think that’s why it’s called Adobo in the first place, although yes, traditionally you just let it simmer in the pot without prior marination. But because I’m cooking it in the oven, I needed to marinate it to let the flavor penetrate. :)
There’s a dish called Adobo Diablo.
:D
AM: Youre marinating it even while youre simmering it in the pot—the marinade seep into the meat already till it’s absorbed, isnt that what happens? LOL.
Oh there’s a countless debate on the word “adobo”. Culinary people claim it’s not a dish, it’s a technique. Now that’s a thought.
Nina, those debates seem pointless.. Fried chicken shouldn’t be a dish then. Just “Chicken.” Same goes for steamed vegetables, BBQ, braised shortribs, etc.. they’re all techniques and dish names at the same time. Same goes for Adobo. Adobo style, pork adobo, chicken adobo, it’s all good :)
Can you make some for us, some day? Sounds yummy…
XX