Philipine Chicken

Chicken adobo is the national dish of the Philippines, and this slow cooker version strips it down to its essence. Chicken pieces, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and water go into the crockpot. Six to eight hours later, the chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender in a salty, tangy, garlicky braising liquid.

The vinegar and soy sauce do all the seasoning work. The vinegar’s acidity tenderizes the chicken during the long cook, and the soy sauce provides the savory depth. Together they create a sauce that’s simultaneously sharp, salty, and deeply savory.

Five minutes of prep. That’s it. Cut up the chicken, dump everything in, set it on low, and walk away.

Kitchen Tips

• Use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for the most flavor. Boneless chicken works but dries out more easily over 6 to 8 hours.
• White vinegar is traditional, but rice vinegar or cane vinegar (if you can find it) gives a milder, more authentic Filipino flavor.
• The sauce is thin when it comes out of the crockpot. If you want it thicker, pour it into a saucepan and reduce it on the stove for a few minutes.
• Serve over steamed white rice so the rice absorbs that tangy sauce.

Variations

• Add a bay leaf and whole black peppercorns for a more traditional adobo seasoning.
• Use a mix of chicken and pork for a pork-chicken adobo combination.
• Brown the chicken pieces in a hot skillet before slow cooking for deeper flavor and crisper skin.