Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
DESCRIPTION
INGREDIENTS
- 2 - 2.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce (do not use regular, which will be too salty)
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 1 onion sliced
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
- salt and coarse black pepper
For serving:
- 2 scallions sliced
- cooked white rice or cauliflower rice
INSTRUCTIONS
- Select the saute mode on the pressure cooker for medium heat. Generously season chicken thighs on both sides with salt and pepper. When the display reads HOT, add olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot. Add half of the chicken thighs and cook for a few minutes on each side before transferring them to a plate. Repeat for the remaining chicken thighs. Turn off the saute mode.
- Add soy sauce, vinegar, onion, garlic, and cayenne to the pot. Stir well and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot. Return all chicken thighs to the pot in a single layer, placing them snugly on top of the onions. Top with bay leaves. Secure and seal the lid. Cook for 10 minutes at high pressure followed by a manual pressure release.
- Uncover and select the saute mode. Keeping the chicken in the pot, boil for about 15 minutes to thicken the sauce. Remove the bay leaves. Serve the chicken and sauce, optionally with cooked cauliflower rice. Top with sliced scallions.
NUTRITION
| Nutrition Facts Per Serving |
| Calories 370 | |
| Total Fat 21g | 33% |
| Saturated Fat 1g | 5% |
| Trans Fat 0g | |
| Cholesterol 182mg | 61% |
| Sodium 1540mg | 64% |
| Potassium 10mg | 0% |
| Total Carb 7g | 2% |
| Dietary Fiber 0.5g | 2% |
| Sugars 3g | |
| Protein 37g |
Chicken adobo is traditional Filipino comfort food made easy with a pressure cooker. The chicken comes out tender and flavorful, and the adobo sauce is simultaneously tangy, sweet, and savory. I don’t get the chance to eat Filipino food often, but this is one of my favorites!
The main ingredients in chicken adobo are chicken thighs (I use boneless and skinless ones), onions, soy sauce, and vinegar. The chicken thighs are seasoned and pan seared, followed by pressure cooking with soy sauce, vinegar, and onions in the Instant Pot. The saute mode is then used to reduce the sauce to an almost sticky consistency.
The adobo sauce is the highlight of this dish, so here are a few details regarding the last step when you’re reducing the sauce. The recipe recommends 15 minutes of boiling to be on the conservative side, but you can boil longer for a different result.
If you boil for…
- 15 minutes then you’ll get a decent amount of remaining sauce to spoon over the chicken but it won’t be very thick. The sauce will, however, taste amazing with the onions and chicken.
- 20 minutes then you’ll end up with a thick glaze that easily sticks to the chicken. However, since it’s more of a glaze than a sauce, you won’t have much liquid to spoon over the chicken. You’ll also have to be careful that the sauce doesn’t burn on the bottom of your pressure cooker pot.
Personally, I like the consistency of the sauce when boiled about 17 minutes. I recommend 15 minutes for most people because it’s easy to burn the sauce when it starts becoming glaze-like, but it’s up to you!
A few notes on ingredient substitutions:
- The onions are a must and cannot be skipped. The sauce would have a very different taste and texture without them.
- If you follow the Paleo or Whole30 diet, you can substitute soy sauce with coconut aminos.
- I don’t recommend using chicken breasts. Use chicken thighs, legs, or drumsticks. I use boneless and skinless ones because it’s easier, but you don’t have to.
This recipe’s ingredients were a good amount for my 6 quart Instant Pot, but you can easily double them for an 8 quart pressure cooker.
If you have any leftovers, they store well in the refrigerator and can be reheated the next day in the microwave.
I made this exactly as written. The flavors were very good, but even with low sodium soy sauce it was way too salty for my husband and me. Also, it took about a half hour longer than estimated by author. Admittedly, this could be partially due to this being my very first Instant Pot attempt, but with all the preheating necessary before the actual cooking times can be achieved I think some time needs to be added to prep and cook times.
It is a go to recipe for me now, two years in on the Instant Pot. Although I prefer bone in thighs, it works either way. Super easy, very tasty, a great weeknight dinner.
Made this tonight and found it to be easy peasy and delicious! I like a little more spice, so I actually doubled the cayenne. Otherwise, I followed the recipe to a T and it was a big hit in our house. Will make again and can’t wait to make more of the recipes on this blog! 🙂
I made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome!! Steamed some broccoli to go with it. Great combination of sweet and spicy. Thanks for the recipe.
Loved this recipe! Made it three times and each time was excellent!
Love love this dish! The whole family does every single time I make it. So easy and always delicious. The only thing I changed was using coconut aminos instead of soy to make it Whole 30 compliant. Have not used the soy once once and don’t need to! Thanks a bunch 😁
Amazing! Didn’t salt the chicken (per other reviews), followed recipe for everything else. Everyone loved it at dinner.
Quick question. Can this be made on the stovetop or oven instead? My instant pot has died and I am being asked for this meal. Really hoping it can be.
Thanks!
Chez, I have a stovetop version of this recipe but I don’t think it’s as good as the Instant Pot version. Sorry! I’ve been meaning to re-work the stovetop recipe and get it to the same level as this one, but I’m not sure when that’ll happen.
I have made this recipe so many times and it always hit the spot! My fiance loves it that it’s the only food he keeps requesting for me to cook!
By the way, if I double the amount in the recipe list, do I increase the duration time while on pressure cook mode too? Or does it remain for 10 minutes?
Hi Judie! Glad to hear that you guys enjoy this dish a lot. To answer your question: if you double the recipe’s quantity of ingredients, the pressure cooking time remains the same.
Made this recipe for dinner, my husband and three boys devoured it. It was a little salty for my taste. Will eliminate the salt on the chicken before sautéing next time. Other than, delicious and I will definitely make this dish again. Thank you!
This looks like a really nice dish! Do you have recommendations on sides to go with it? Preferably vegetables?
Thanks! I think creamed spinach would go well with it. Here’s the recipe: https://www.savorytooth.com/creamed-spinach/
I realized while making this that it’s very similar to a dish my mom makes with pork instead of chicken. She also adds shiitake mushrooms and hard boiled eggs to it so I added hard boiled eggs to this recipe while it was on the last boil step. they were a very good addition and went well with the overall flavor of the dish. Any Tawainese folks or those in the know on Taiwanese cuisine may recognize the eggs as tasting similar to tea eggs but without the star anaise flavor. Anyway, I agree with other comments that it was too salty even with low sodium soy. Next time I won’t salt the chicken. Thank you for sharing this recipe!
Your addition of hard boiled eggs sounds delicious. I haven’t had tea eggs in a long time, but they’re one of my favorite street snacks (my parents are from Taiwan).
I had made this for the first time, intending to freeze most of it for weekday meals, but after the first taste taste, I couldn’t stop eating it! I ate two of the chicken thighs while standing over the sink, and my husband (who detests onions) grabbed a fork and joined me. The next time I will make it, I won’t salt the chicken as I would prefer just a little less salty, and perhaps add a little water to cut the salt down further- I ended up with not as much sauce as I thought I would have, I likely forgot to make sure the saute was on medium.
Great recipe! My picky husband cleaned his plate! Thanks 🙂
So delicious!!!! I followed the recipe as written with 2 exceptions. I didn’t have low sodium soy sauce and I used rice wine vinegar. I followed Julia‘s recommendation in a previous comment and used 1/4 cup soy sauce mixed with 1/4 cup water. This still didn’t cut the saltiness. So, while thickening in the last stage, I added about 2 tablespoons of brown sugar and the juice of a quarter of a lime. This helped tremendously! In the future, I won’t salt the chicken at all in the beginning and add it at the table, if needed.
Made this tonight it was excellent. I thought my liquid was way to thin but after boiling a bit over 15 minutes it was perfect.
I cooked for my whole family so I tripled the recipe 🙌🏻
Hi,
When you say cook for a few minutes here- ‘Add half of the chicken thighs and cook for a few minutes on each side before transferring them to a plate’, for how long should we cook it approximately?
Thank you.
Monica, “a few minutes” is about 3 minutes. Doesn’t need to be exact. The goal is to give both sides of the chicken a bit of a sear and golden color.
I made this tonight – was a raving success! Going on our frequent dish list. So good!!
We are a family of seven. Can this recipes be doubled?
Yes, the recipe’s ingredients can be doubled. Keep the pressure cooking time the same.
Made it tonight for my Filipina spouse. She said it’s better than what what her mom used to make! Thanks for a great recipe!!
Substituted rice vinegar for the white vinegar.
I just made this and it was amazing. I added some chicken stock to make sure the 10qt Instant Pot had enough liquid but it was still excellent. Thanks Julia!
I made this tonight for the first time, and my family smashed it down. They both complain about cauliflower anything, but I served it on cauliflower mash with ghee and they wanted more. I also used coconut aminos and apple cider vinegar instead of soy sauce and white vinegar as I am doing Whole30. This will definitely be going on the keep list. Thank you for the recipe 😊
You’re welcome, Cheryl. Thanks for sharing your Whole30 substitutions!
Definitely use the low sodium soy sauce. I’ve made this many times since finding this recipe and it’s always delicious. I made it last night and used regular soy sauce since it’s what I had on hand. It was so salty that we couldn’t finish it. I made a huge batch and now I have leftovers I’m not sure what to do with. But made with low sodium soy sauce this is perfect and delicious.
Casandra, next time you only have regular soy sauce on hand, you can dilute it with 50% water for this recipe. Won’t be as good as simply using low sodium soy sauce, but it’s a decent substitution.
If I’m substituting coconut aminos for soy sauce and apple cider vinegar for white vinegar, are they equal parts?
Hi Ashley. I haven’t tested this recipe with either of those ingredients, but a 1:1 substitution should be a good start.
Absolutely love this recipe! Planning to make it for family camping trip next week. If I made this at home would it be good two days later? I was thinking of skipping the 15 minutes of boiling until I take it out at the campsite and reheat in my cast iron skillet. Please let me know what you think- this recipe is my husbands ONLY request for the whole trip:) Its a hit!
Yes, I think it would be good 2 days later and it should be fine if you boil it in a cast iron skillet when you reheat it. Just make sure it’s boiled down enough so that it’s a nice and thick concentrated sauce. Hope you guys enjoy this during your camping trip 🙂
Can you use chicken party wings instead of thighs or drumsticks? Looking for another way to prepare them other than in the oven.
This was my first instant pot meal and it is so amazing! I’ll be making this a lot. Great served over riced cauliflower, peppers and broccoli. I couldn’t help but eat the rest before I went to bed…
Ms. Julia, Ms. Julia, Ms. Julia!!! I have never tasted Adobo chicken before, but if the chicken is tender and seasoned anything like this, then I am a fan! I am making two more of your recipes, but this one is a WINNER! Thank you.
I made this tonight after reading the recipe and hearing all my Filipino friends rave about chicken adobo growing up. It was the first meal I made with my Instant Pot and it was amazing!
When you say “Boil for 15 minutes…” I’m assuming you removed the chicken thighs after pressure cooking but before boiling the sauce to thicken it. If so, you might add a brief mention to clarify this in your recipe. Thanks.
No, the chicken thighs stay in the sauce during boiling.
Made this tonight and it was delicious!! My sauce never thickened though, any suggestions?
Was the sauce boiling? If it was boiling for 15 minutes, it should definitely thicken. If you make this again, I would verify that your saute mode was on medium heat and the liquid was hot enough to boil.
Just made this tonight and the flavor was super tasty! My husband devoured it, I liked it a lot but it was a little too salty for me, even with the low-sodium soy sauce. Next time I’ll omit the salt when seasoning the meat. Have you ever tried this with pork? Maybe cubes of pork shoulder? I think it would be a great combo.
By manual release, do you mean quick or natural. Thank you.
Quick release.
This is one of the favourites in our home. Easy and budget friendly! Give it a whirl you won’t be disappointed!
It would help to know which cooking program to actually cook the adobo, e.g. soup/broth, meat/stew, etc. (for Novice cook).
Depending on your Instant Pot model, I have seen it labeled as “manual” or “Pressure Cook”
I would like to make this recipe but we don’t like chicken thighs; Can I substitute them for skinless chicken breasts?thank you in advance!
My friends have a Power Quick Pot and I had some drumsticks so I made this tonight. I’m Filipino so this is a pretty good quick healthy version. Salamat!
had friends over and everyone enjoyed the chicken adobo! Just wondering if it’s possible to swap it with other kinds of meat – thinking of pork belly?
What kind of onions is best for this?
Are*
I usually use yellow or vidalia.
I just made this for the first time – so easy and incredibly good. The sweet, savory and spice (I may have gone a little heavy on the cayenne) come together so well, and the thickened sauce gets soaked up by the rice perfectly.
The only thing I think I need to figure out is how to cut some of the salt. You DEFINITELY need to use only low sodium soy sauce. I would probably cut back the salt on the raw chicken before searing the chicken, and maybe even cut the soy sauce with a bit of water.
Oh, I made this in my 3qt mini duo pretty easily by going somewhere between half and 2/3 the recipe.
Made this last night in crockpot express, followed the instructions but added a bit more cayenne pepper as I like my spice, was amazing and would definitely make again. Cheers
Sorry, but we didn’t like this at all 🙁 Way too salty. I tasted the sauce before boiling it down and it was too salty at that point. It was almost inedible after the sauce became more concentrated by boiling it down to thicken. And is there something missing from the recipe? I put the ingredients in to 2 different nutritional calculators and didn’t come up with the 21 grams of fat! The other values were different as well.
I’m guessing you used regular soy sauce instead of low sodium or reduced sodium soy sauce (not the same as “light” soy sauce which refers to color). Nutrition information varies quite a bit depending on which brands and types you’ve selected in your nutrition calculator, so it doesn’t surprise me that you got different values.
You can cut salty taste by adding a bit of sour cream. Got this info from a local chef.
I wish I would’ve paid closer attention to the recipe and used low sodium soy sauce! Otherwise, it had a great flavor and I will definitely make it again in the future.
Can you make this in a 3qt instant pot?
That should be fine, assuming all of the ingredients can easily fit.
My question is about after pressure cooking, when boiling the sauce in Saute mode. Do you transfer the chicken out of the pot first? Or, do you leave the chicken in the pot during the boiling step? Thank you very much.
You leave the chicken in. Let me know if you have any other questions, Kim.
This is the second time I am making this. My family loves it!
This was so good! Easy, quick, flavorful. Definitely will make it again. Thank you!
My family loved this dish. Is it possible to double the recipe?
Yes. Double the ingredients but keep the pressure cooking time the same.
When you say cook 10min on high, what setting? This is my first dish with an instant pot
In some Instant Pot versions, it’s the Manual button. I recommend reading your Instant Pot’s manual to learn which button corresponds to pressure cooking.
I’m making this tonight but only have regular soy not low sodium. What should I do? Cut it with water?
I would use a mixture of regular soy sauce and water.