Description
This Instant Pot Chicken Adobo recipe offers a quick and flavorful take on the classic Filipino dish, featuring tender chicken thighs simmered in a tangy, savory sauce of soy, vinegar, garlic, and spices. Using the Instant Pot reduces cooking time while layering deep, complex flavors in every bite. Perfect for an easy weeknight dinner, serve it hot over steamed rice and garnish with fresh green onions for an authentic touch.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken:
- 1 pound bone-in chicken thighs (or boneless)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Aromatics and Sauce:
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 5 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ cup soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- â…“ cup white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
- ½ cup water
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
Garnish:
- 1 green onion, sliced for garnish
Instructions
- Season Chicken: Season the chicken thighs evenly with kosher salt and black pepper to enhance flavor before cooking.
- Brown Chicken: Set the Instant Pot to SAUTE mode and heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and brown on all sides for several minutes until golden. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Sauté the sliced yellow onion and minced garlic for 1-2 minutes until softened and fragrant.
- Deglaze and Add Flavors: Pour in the soy sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, cayenne pepper, and water. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits, then turn off SAUTE mode.
- Add Chicken and Spices: Return the browned chicken to the pot in a single layer. Add the bay leaves and whole black peppercorns to infuse the sauce with additional depth.
- Pressure Cook: Close the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to SEALING. Select PRESSURE COOK on HIGH pressure and cook for 9 minutes to tenderize the chicken and meld flavors.
- Natural Release: Allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure by moving the valve to VENTING.
- Simmer and Thicken Sauce: Open the lid and press CANCEL. Remove the bay leaves from the pot. Select SAUTE mode again and simmer the chicken adobo for 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens to your liking. Press CANCEL when done.
- Serve: Spoon the hot chicken adobo with sauce over steamed rice. Garnish with sliced green onions for a fresh finish.
Notes
- You can use either bone-in or boneless chicken thighs depending on your preference; bone-in offers more flavor and juiciness.
- Adjust the cayenne pepper amount to control the spiciness; omit if you prefer a milder dish.
- Make sure to deglaze the pot well after sautéing the aromatics to prevent the ‘burn’ warning on the Instant Pot.
- For a thicker sauce, simmer longer on SAUTE mode after pressure cooking.
- This dish pairs beautifully with steamed jasmine or basmati rice to soak up the flavorful sauce.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for 3-4 days and taste even better the next day as flavors deepen.
