The Best Grilled Chicken Adobo
This mouthwatering Grilled Chicken Adobo brings the authentic flavors of Filipino cuisine right to your dinner table. Tender chicken thighs marinated in a savory blend of soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and garlic, then grilled to perfection for that irresistible charred finish. With over 250 rave reviews, this family favorite is guaranteed to become a regular in your meal rotation!
Ingredients
- 3 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1½ cups soy sauce regular or low-sodium
- 1½ cups water
- ¾ cup vinegar white, rice, or apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1½ tablespoons minced garlic about 4-5 cloves
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a large pot, combine soy sauce, water, vinegar, honey, minced garlic, bay leaves, and black pepper. Stir well to incorporate all ingredients.
- Cook the chicken: Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken thighs to the pot, reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 35-40 minutes until chicken is tender and fully cooked.
- Reduce the sauce: Remove the chicken from the pot and place on paper towels to drain. Discard the bay leaves. Return the sauce to medium-high heat and boil until reduced to about 1½ cups (approximately 10-15 minutes), creating a thicker glaze.
- Preheat the grill: While the sauce reduces, preheat your outdoor grill to high heat (about 450°F) and lightly oil the grates to prevent sticking.
- Grill the chicken: Place the cooked chicken on the hot grill and cook for about 5 minutes per side, until you achieve beautiful grill marks and the chicken develops a delicious charred exterior.
- Serve: Transfer the grilled chicken to a serving platter and drizzle with some of the reduced sauce. Serve the remaining sauce on the side for dipping or pouring over rice.
Tips from Lola's Kitchen
- Choose the right chicken: While chicken thighs are traditional and stay juicier, you can substitute chicken breasts if preferred. Just reduce the initial cooking time by about 5-10 minutes.
- Marinade magic: For deeper flavor, reserve some of the marinade before cooking the chicken and use it to baste during grilling.
- Indoor option: No grill? Use a grill pan on high heat or broil the chicken in the oven for 3-4 minutes per side.
- Rice preparation: Start cooking your rice when you begin reducing the sauce so everything finishes at the same time.
- Sauce consistency: The sauce should coat the back of a spoon when properly reduced. If it's still too thin, continue reducing for a few more minutes.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!