Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

5 from 1 vote
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Instant Pot Chicken Adobo – a Filipino comfort food made with chicken thighs. Tender thighs coated in a sweet and savory glaze with a kick of heat from black peppercorns taste absolutely delicious.

One of our favorite things to do is travel to different countries and try local foods. Unfortunately we have not had the opportunity to travel to the Philippines yet, but I still love finding more authentic cookbooks and recipe sources to try them.

This Pork Adobo recipe is one that we make often. It cooks on the stovetop with pieces of pork shoulder, but it takes awhile to get tender and delicious. The Instant Pot makes this version perfect for busy weeknights.

filipino chicken adobo on a plate

 

What Is Chicken Filipino Adobo

It is a popular dish that involves cooking meat in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic and peppercorns. You can use pork, chicken or even seafood for this dish.  The meat cooks in the sauce for a long time and becomes so tender and juicy.

This chicken adobo recipe takes a little shortcut with the pressure cooker and makes these chicken thighs tender and full of so much flavor.

chicken adobo ingredients

Chicken Adobo Ingredients

  • Chicken Thighs
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Onion
  • Garlic
  • Salt & Pepper
  • Soy Sauce
  • Brown Sugar
  • White Vinegar
  • Cayenne Pepper
  • Water
  • Bay Leaves
  • Black Peppercorns
looking down on a plate of which adobo

How To Make Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

  1. Season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper on all sides.
  2. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Once it is hot, add a little bit of oil.
  3. Add the pieces of chicken and cook until the chicken is browned. It will not be cooked through. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.
  4. Add the rest of the oil to the pan along with the onion, and cook for a couple minutes until they are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until you can start to smell it.
  5. Pour in the soy sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, ground cayenne, and water. Stir well and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  6. Return all the chicken to the pot in a single layer. Top with bay leaves and whole black pepper.
  7. Close the lid, make sure the vent is closed and turn it to high pressure for 10 minutes.
  8. Once the cook time is up, use the quick release method to unlock the lid.
  9. Open the lid and turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Let the chicken and sauce simmer for 5-8 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
  10. Remove the bay leaves and serve the chicken and sauce over rice.
chicken thighs in Instant pot for chicken adobo

How To Serve Chicken Adobo

Serving over rice is the traditional way, and it helps soak up all that delicious sauce! Then making a vegetable on the side brings it all together and makes for a healthy meal.

chicken adobo on a plate

What Chicken To Use

This recipe calls for bone-in chicken thighs, but you can mix it up and use different cuts if you want.

Chicken Breasts – cook for 12 minutes

Drumsticks – cook for 9 minutes

Storage

You can double this recipe if you want leftovers or need to serve more people. The cook times and instructions remain the same, just double the ingredients. You can store leftover chicken adobo in an airtight container for 3 days in the refrigerator. You can also freezer for up to 3 months.

instant pot chicken adobo on plate

More Easy Dinner Recipes

cropped chicken adobo close up
5 from 1 vote

Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

By Erin
Instant Pot Chicken Adobo – a Filipino comfort food made with chicken thighs. Tender thighs coated in a sweet and savory glaze with a kick of heat from black peppercorns taste absolutely delicious.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total: 45 minutes
Servings: 4

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound bone-in chicken thighs
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 onion, thinly sliced
  • 5 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup water
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

Instructions 

  • Season the chicken thighs well with salt and pepper on all sides.
  • Set the Instant Pot to Sauté. Once it is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil.
  • Add the pieces of chicken and cook until the chicken is browned. It will not be cooked through. Remove the chicken and place on a plate.
  • Add the rest of the oil to the pan along with the onion, and cook for a couple minutes until they are soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until you can start to smell it.
  • Pour in the soy sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, ground cayenne, and water. Stir well and scrape up any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pot.
  • Return all the chicken to the pot in a single layer. Top with bay leaves and black peppercorns
  • Close the lid, make sure the vent is closed and turn it to high pressure for 10 minutes.
  • Once the cook time is up, use the quick release method to unlock the lid.
  • Open the lid and turn the Instant Pot to Sauté. Let the chicken and sauce simmer for about 10 minutes, until the sauce starts to thicken.
  • Remove the bay leaves and serve the chicken and sauce over rice.

Notes

Other Pieces Of Chicken

Boneless Chicken Breasts – cook for 12 minutes
Drumsticks – cook for 9 minutes

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 350kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 30g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 2216mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Author: Erin
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Additional Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes
Course: Dinner Recipes
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4
Calories: 350
Like this recipe? Leave a comment below!

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About Erin S

Welcome to Dinners, Dishes, & Desserts where my love of food meets my busy life. My name is Erin and Iโ€™m a casual home cook who loves to feed people. On this blog, youโ€™ll find hundreds of quick and easy recipes made mostly from scratch. My days are spent in the kitchen, creating new recipes to share with family and friends.

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4 Comments

  1. I can’t wait to try this. I love chicken adobo, and I love my instant pot. Everything is so much faster. Those pictures are making me hungry!