Gluten-Free Filipino Chicken Adobo
This recipe for gluten-free Filipino chicken adobo is perfect for family meals. Why is this such a favorite recipe in my dinner repertoire? It is full of umami, comes together in less than an hour, pretty much handles itself, and uses simple, easy to find ingredients. It is no wonder why this dish was my busy mom’s go-to dinner when I was growing up. I made my own changes to the recipe to satisfy me and Chris’s tastes. Also, I made it gluten-free to be able to share with Chris’s mom, who has Celiac’s. Whenever I need something quick, and tasty, or simply don’t know what else to cook, I turn to this comforting dish.
What is Filipino Chicken Adobo?
Filipino adobo happens to be the unofficial official dish of the Philippines (just don’t confuse it with Spanish style adobo.) Traditionally, Filipinos make this dish with lots of soy sauce and vinegar. This was to prolong the freshness of the meat since the Philippines is hot hot hot, and existed during pre-colonial times when refrigerators didn’t exist. There are many different kinds of adobo, but the kind I will be showing you how to make is a gluten-free version of adobong itim or “black adobo.” This recipe is also super versatile. Beef, goat, pork, and even seafood such as shrimp and squid can be used.
My Updated Chicken Adobo
Growing up, my mom’s Filipino Chicken Adobo recipe was just equal parts soy sauce and vinegar, bay leaves, and tons of black pepper and chopped garlic. My Gluten-Free Filipino Chicken Adobo recipe uses tamari to make it gluten-free, a whole garlic head, and Thai green bird’s eye chilis for heat, as well as a little sugar to make the braising sauce a little more syrupy instead of liquid. Also, instead of a pressure cooker, I also like to cook it in my saute pan so the chicken can brown without crowding and the liquid heats up a lot quicker since it’s more shallow. The one thing I will personally never change is serving it with rice or cauliflower rice. Soaking up all those liquids with the salty-sweet sauce is too good to pass up.
How Do I Make Gluten-Free & Keto Chicken Adobo?
Easy! Use gluten-free tamari or coconut aminos. They both still give the dark color that you want for this dish, as well as the salt.
If you’re looking to lessen your carb intake, you can leave out the sugar in the braising liquid. There are brown sugar substitutes out there, but I personally have never tried them. If you have, comment below and let us know your experiences using them!
Instead of white rice, use cauliflower rice or roasted cauliflower as a side. Speaking from personal experience, this is a great choice when you’re on keto. I love dipping the cauliflower into the braising liquid and giving the cauliflower florets more flavor that way.
Don’t forget about dessert! Serve your family a sweet ending to their meal with our homemade ube halaya jam! It’s also gluten-free!
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Gluten-Free Filipino Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 2 Thai bird's eye chilis (you can substitute with jalapeno or serrano)
- 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs – patted dry
- 4 bone-in, skin-on drumsticks – patted dry
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup distilled white vinegar – you can substitute with rice vinegar
- 3/4 cup gluten-free tamari
- 5 dried bay leaves – whole
- 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar (omit to make keto)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup uncooked white rice (omit to make keto, or use cauliflower rice)
Instructions
- Keeping the garlic head intact, slice in half through it's "equator." Thinly slice 1 of the chilis. You can remove the seeds for less heat.
- Skip if you have thighs and drumsticks already separated. If you have whole chicken legs instead of thighs and legs separated, slice them through the area where thigh meets leg. Take the almost separated pieces in your hand and break them apart to the point where you can slice the rest of the way. Repeat.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in your pan over medium. Add chicken skin side down and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until skin is crisp and golden and fat is rendered out. Lift pieces up towards the end to let the fat render out. Transfer skin side up to a plate.
- Add vinegar, tamari , brown sugar, bay leaves, garlic, and chilis to pan. Bring to a simmer then reduce heat to low. Stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Using tongs, place chicken back into the pan, skin side up. Add black pepper (to your liking) Reduce heat to low for a bare simmer and cover the pan. Simmer for 35 minutes, flipping once after 25 minutes.
- Cook 1 cup of white rice in separate pot
- Transfer chicken to a clean plate. Increase heat to medium-high and boil the braising liquid until it is thick and has a syrup consistency, about 5-10 minutes. Place chicken back into pan and turn to coat in sauce.
- Remove pan from heat Serve chicken and sauce over rice, with additional chili sliced on top. Season with more cracked pepper.