This Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo is a perfect dish to add variety to your weekly dinner menu. The sauce has soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and tangy vinegar and goes perfect over rice with steamed vegetables.
If you love tender chicken, then this recipe is for you! Thighs turn out perfect in the slow cooker, just like my ranch chicken and lemon pepper chicken.
The first time I encountered a chicken adobo recipe was on a viral youtube video that popped into my feed. Of course, I had to try out chicken adobo on my site and share how good it is with all my readers. (Note that I use a few more ingredients than she does in her video).
Some will say making chicken adobo in the crockpot isn’t authentic; that’s fine, don’t make it then. If you want the EASIEST way to make chicken adobo, then try my recipe; you won’t be disappointed.
What is chicken adobo?
- Chicken Adobo is a Philippine dish; the sauce for this recipe is heavy in vinegar and soy sauce. The taste is savory, with a touch of sweetness. There are also hints of garlic and ginger.
- Chinese traders introduced soy sauce to replace the traditional salt in this dish. – Wiki
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken thighs – Bone-in chicken thighs work the best for Filipino chicken adobo! They get very tender in the crockpot. You can use bone-in chicken breasts, though you will want to cook for the full 7 hours.
- Soy sauce – I use low sodium soy sauce, though regular works just fine in this recipe if that is all you have.
- White vinegar – Add a tang to this recipe. If you are out of white vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar.
- White onion – One whole diced white onion adds so much flavor to the dish.
- Chicken broth – Helps keep the entire dish moist and evens out some of the vinegar taste.
- Seasonings – Sliced fresh ginger root, garlic cloves, bay leaves, and peppercorns
- Green onion – Be sure to grab a bunch of green onions. Slice and top your chicken and rice with the green onion for added texture and flavor.
Step-by-Step Directions
Step One – First add oil to a hot pan and brown the chicken, no need to cook through. Add the chicken thighs to the crockpot.
Step Two – Next add the onion, ginger, garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns.
Step Three – Pour over the chicken broth, vinegar, and soy sauce. The chicken marinates in the sauce as it slow cooks. Cook on LOW for 6-7 hours. Serve and enjoy!
What to serve with chicken adobo?
- Steamed white rice, jasmine rice, or fried rice goes well with the vinegar and soy sauce flavors.
- Steamed green veggies such as asparagus, bok choy, sugar snap peas, green beans, or broccoli
- Cauliflower rice for if you’re watching your carbs. This chicken adobo is very low in carbs!
- Top your chicken adobo Filipino recipe with green onions. Also, great with a touch of sriracha if you want spicy chicken.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, pretty much any cut of chicken works though bone-in dark meat will have better results. Drumsticks, bone-in chicken breast, boneless skinless thighs, or breasts can be used in this recipe. You can even use a combination of thighs and drumsticks.
Yes, add 3-4 cups of sliced bok choy during the last 5-10 minutes of cooking time. Make a great compliment to this along with rice.
If you desire shredded chicken, remove the chicken onto a plate. Remove and discard the skin.
Shred the chicken off the bone and add the shredded chicken back into the slow cooker with the sauce. This shredded chicken is excellent over rice.
Place your whole (thawed) chicken in the slow cooker. Pour over the chicken broth, soy sauce, and vinegar. Place as much of the onion, peppercorns, garlic, and ginger on top of the chicken (It’s ok if some fall down into the sauce). Cook for 8 hours or low or until your chicken is no longer pink inside and is fork-tender.
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Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo Recipe
Equipment Needed:
Ingredients:
- 5 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce regular soy sauce will work fine as well
- 1/4 cup white vinegar (can use apple cider vinegar)
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 cup white onion diced
- 3 garlic cloves left whole
- 3 small slices of peeled fresh ginger root (or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger)
- 2 bay leaves
- 10-15 black peppercorns (or 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper)
- 1 bunch green onion sliced – for serving
Instructions:
- Set a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot add enough of the oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Brown the chicken on both sides. Add the chicken to the slow cooker.
- In a medium sized bowl whisk together the soy sauce, vinegar, chicken broth and onion. Pour this mixture over the chicken. Or you can add everything to the slow cooker without dirtying a bowl, this works fine too.
- Add the garlic cloves, ginger slices, bay leaves and peppercorns on top of the chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 6-7 hours or HIGH 4 hours for without opening the lid during the cooking time.
- Remove bay leaves, and garlic cloves if desired.
- Serve chicken drizzled with plenty of the sauce out of the slow cooker and enjoy! Top with sliced green onion for flavor and texture.
How to Video:
Recipe Notes:
- Drumsticks
- Bone-in chicken breast
- Boneless skinless thighs or breasts
- If you desire shredded chicken, remove the chicken on a plate. Remove and discard the skin.
- Shred the chicken off the bone and add back into the slow cooker with the sauce.
- This shredded chicken is great over rice.
- Steamed white rice
- Steamed green veggies such as asparagus, bok choy, sugar snap peas or broccoli
- Cauliflower rice for if you’re watching your carbs. This chicken adobo is very low in carbs!
Nutrition Information:
Nutrition info is auto-generated. This information is an estimate; if you are on a special diet, please use your own calculations.
I really wanted to like this recipe. Unfortunately, it just didn’t hit the spot. I did use Swan soy sauce and vingear. Maybe that changed it? I am used to very good adobe, military wife and large Filipino population where I live.
I am making for the. First time. Had bone in breasts. Should the liquid cover the chicken in the crockpot?
No, don’t add more liquid. The chicken will make more.
I wasn OK, but I wouldn’t try it again. Nothing exciting about the taste for me.
I’m going to be trying this recipe for the first time. Instead of 5 chicken thighs. I want to use 10. Do I double up the ingredients. And can I still cook it for 4 hours on high
I would double everything and you probably need to add one more hour of cooking time.
Ok thank you.
I always double or triple the whole recipe and never add time. It’s perfect
So, I’m part Filipino, but I’ve never really made adobo on my own. Yours was fantastic! Had the same nostalgic flavor that I remember from my grandma’s adobo. My only change was reducing the amount of chicken broth, as I like a stronger soy/vinegar flavor. I’ve made your recipe several times with chicken or pork and it comes out perfectly every time. Thanks!
This sounds really good. Why must the thighs be browned first? Does it make a difference in flavor? I’m just trying to save on dirtying up another pot.
Has anyone skipped this step?
You can skip this step but you may want to remove the skin before eating, it will be pretty pale and flavorless.
Does this scale up easily? I’d like to do this with double the amount of chicken if possible!
Yes, that would work, though I would double the sauce too.
Fantastic recipe and one of the easiest I’ve done in a crockpot. I had chicken leg quarters on hand and they turned out PERFECT! Scoop out with a slotted spatula. ( Tongs would’ve shredded them.) Fall off the bone TENDER! I had big cloves of garlic and gave them a little crush and added 2 to 3 tablespoons of brown sugar. 4 hours on high. Spooned sauce and onions over the chicken in the last 20 minutes. Do Not Open your crockpot! I had a Filipino bestie in grammar school and this recipe whisked me back in time. With high fuel costs, using the crockpot for this recipe was a cost saving effort, but I am never going to make it in on the stove. Such an easy and perfect recipe to make in the morning! Thank you.
Is Adobo seasoning supposed to be in this recipe? If yes or if it’s optional how much can be added?
No, adobo seasoning isn’t used for chicken adobo (strange, I know!). Though if it’s a favorite seasoning you can add a teaspoon or so to your chicken, it won’t hurt it!
Yes, I do love Adobo seasoning so I’ll most likely add it. Thank you!
I love this recipe have used it many times over now!
Could I make this in the instant pot?
Yes, there is plenty of liquid for this to work in the instant pot.
How can I make the broth thicker
Add two tablespoons of cold water to two tablespoons of cornstarch, mix well. Add to the sauce. Will take a few minutes for it to thicken.
I keep coming back to this recipe. It’s a favorite at our house! I love that I can just put it in the slow cooker and make rice in the instant pot. Easiest dinner ever!!
Would this work with Cornish hens?
Yes, you may need to cook a little longer though.