Filipino-style Chicken Adobo & Rice

Chicken Adobo is considered the unofficial national dish of the Philippines.  Every Filipino household makes adobo differently. Growing up, I loved eating my mother's style of adobo - slightly fried chicken breast and thighs and thick potato cubes swimming in a broth infused with soy sauce, vinegar and lots of pungent garlic and whole peppercorns.

In this revamped version, I've removed the potatoes and replaced the breast and thighs with skinless and boneless thigh pieces that braise for a few hours - creating fall-off-the bone richness that complements the broth. The carbohydrates in this dish is brown rice - which is much healthier and full of fiber - fully replacing traditional Asian white rice. For the soy sauce, I've replaced this with Bragg's Liquid Aminos, which still showcases the umami-nuttiness of soy sauce without the added calories. This is counterbalanced with the tangy sweetness of apple cider vinegar and the subtle spicy bite of garlic that shine through every spoonful of this delicious meal.


(makes 8 servings)

8 cups cooked brown rice
40 oz boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 cup Bragg's Liquid Aminos
2 tablespoons bottled crushed garlic (or 8 minced garlic cloves)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

1.  Cook brown rice per package instructions to yield 8 cups of cooked rice.
2.  Trim excess fat from chicken thighs and set aside.
3.  In a freezer bag or tight-covered container, combine 2 tablespoons olive oil, garlic, cayenne pepper (optional) and chicken thighs.  Refrigerate to marinate overnight.
4.  Remove the chicken thighs from the marinade container.  (Remember to not throw away the marinade!).
5.  In a large pot under medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and chicken thighs and cook until brown on each side (about 3 minutes per side).
6.  Once the chicken thighs have been browned, add the marinade liquid and apple cider vinegar into the pot.
7.  Switch the temperature to low heat and cover.  The braising process should take about 60-90 minutes or until the thighs shred easily with a fork.
8.  Once the chicken thighs are cooked thoroughly, remove the thigh pieces and set aside.  Shred the chicken thighs with a fork until the chicken is in bite-sized pieces.
9. Add the brown rice to the broth and stir until all liquid is absorbed.
10.  Add the chicken to the brown rice until well-combined, or serve in a separate platter with the rice on the side.



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