Everything in my kitchen is breaking down. It all started innocently enough, with something old and small-ish, the toaster. We’d had that toaster for so many years and had grown accustomed to only being able to toast on 1 side of the bread, then turning it over to toast the other side. We put up with this for a several years, actually. Pretty sure my kids thought this was how a toaster worked. But then, even the one-sidedness broke. Ok, new toaster. No big deal. But then came the microwave. And then the dishwasher. And those were just the beginning. The long list of things needing replaced in the past 9 months also includes the food processor, coffee maker, kitchen scale, immersion blender, cookware (my saucepans each split all around the top edge!), and last, but certainly not least, my beloved range – the king of my kitchen! And horror of all horrors, they no longer make the part that will fix the range. (We had gotten used to replacing this certain part every year or two.) So while I wait for the new range to be installed (that lovely but dishearteningly unfamiliar thing is sitting right in front of me, uninstalled, due to an insufficient electrical connection), so the installer will have to be scheduled to come back a second time. UGGHHH! (I know, a “first-world” problem) But, did you know I got an Instant Pot for Christmas? That’s where I made this lovely and delicious, take-your-mind-off-the-broken-stuff Instant Pot Chicken Adobo!
A traditional Filipino dish, Instant Pot Chicken Adobo just might become your new favorite chicken! It hits all of the right notes – a little zip of sour, a nice helping of salty, a touch of sweet. And those carmellized onions draping it are so lovely and sweet. And the chicken is fall-off-the-bone scrumptious! Like many of my favorite dishes, the star of the show is the sauce. I could pretty much just drink the sauce, it’s that yummy, but that would be wrong……wouldn’t it? And shockingly quick and easy in the Instant Pot! I do give instructions for cooking it in the slow-cooker or stovetop as well, so there’s really no reason to not make this for dinner any given day.
Now, I’m not complaining about all of my appliance breakage – I know and am happy all of my aforementioned goods all had a long and well-loved life, so I’m not complaining about the bomb cyclone of breakage. They must have been exhausted by all the use they got during their lives. And I’m thrilled that, in their own way, they brought me to Instant Pot Chicken Adobo! But now I’m researching new Washer and Dryer sets – I’m pretty sure ours have anywhere between 2 hours and 2 months left. Any ideas here? Enjoy!
Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
A traditional Filipino dish, this salty-sour-sweet dish will be one you will want to make again and again. It is traditionally served with white rice. So delicious!
The recipe calls for 3 lb chicken pieces – feel free to use a whole cut-up chicken, or bone-in, skin-on legs, thighs and/or breast halves.
Make this dish in Crockpot, InstantPot or Stovetop! Be sure to read and understand any specific usage and safety instructions for the cooker you use, all are different!
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Total Time: 45 min
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 3 lb. chicken pieces (I used 10 chicken thighs)
- 2 T vegetable oil or other high-heat-tolerant oil
- Salt and Pepper
For the Sauce
- 1 lg or 2 medium yellow onions, halved, sliced thin
- 2/3 c Soy Sauce (low sodium is ok)
- 1/2 c White vinegar
- 1/3 c Sugar
- 8 cloves Garlic, peeled and smashed
- 4 Scallions, sliced
Instructions
Brown the Chicken
- Salt and pepper the chicken pieces. On the stovetop or InstantPot, in 2 T oil, brown the chicken until golden on skin side.
Make the Sauce
- In a 4-cup measuring cup or a medium bowl, mix all of the sauce ingredients, leaving aside the sliced onions.
Instant Pot Directions
- Put all of the browned chicken pieces in the InstantPot, layering with the onions. Pour the sauce over the chicken and onions. Using the Pressure Cook setting, pressure cook the chicken for 15 minutes.
- After cooking is complete, release the pressure manually. Once the pressure is released, open pot and place chicken on a platter. Turn pot to Sauté and reduce the sauce for 10-20 minutes until thickened as you like. Pour over chicken and serve with rice.
CrockPot Directions
- Place all of the browned chicken pieces in the Crockpot. Pour the sauce and onions over the chicken.
- Cook on Low heat 8 hours. Remove chicken to platter.
- Reduce sauce as desired in separate pan on stovetop. Pour over chicken. Serve with rice.
Stovetop Directions
- In the same pan you browned the chicken, add the onions and saute 8-10 minutes, adding the garlic during the last 2 minutes. Once onions begin to become translucent, add the remaining sauce ingredients, stir, then add chicken to the sauce.
- Cook covered over medium/medium-low heat 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- Remove chicken pieces and reduce sauce as desired. Serve with rice.
Pin for later ->
?hahaha, Laura I telling you, I think that our toasters are related to each other….the toaster at home does exactly the same thing. It is so crazy. And so sorry about your appliances breaking, but on the bright side, you have an Instant Pot to cook this delicious chicken recipe. It really looks so good… I would love to try this recipe too !
Have a great week ?
Glad someone feels my one-sided toast humor! You just get used to it, right? Thanks for visiting and telling me of our sister toasters!
Umph. Your kitchen breakdown sounds a bit like ours when we first moved into this house. Within the first week, the microwave blew up, the door on the oven fell off (yes, fell off) and the dishwasher had to be replaced as it reeked of mold and mildew. So I can totally identify! Hang in there…better kitchen appliance days are coming! (Hopefully…) In the meantime, I can totally get on board with this instant pot recipe. I love the flavors in chicken adobo, and I can see how this one would totally work in the IP. Yum!
Thanks, David! The falling off oven door is a new one – yikes! It’s crazy sometimes that when it rains it pours. But it always gets back to being sunny!
Oh nooooooo! When it rains it pours doesn’t it? But at least you have this delicious recipe to comfort you; it sounds like the perfect thing when your kitchen is just falling apart. Hope you have a great week, Laura!
Thanks, Kelsie! Yes, indeed, this recipe is one of the things that saved my sanity. And saved the family from a couple weeks of microwave meals…..not that there’s anything wrong with that. ? Thanks for visiting!
RIP to your kitchen gadgets and appliances. I hope you find comfort, in these trying times, knowing they lived a full and happy life chopping, weighting, and cooking your favorite recipes. Sigh, sometimes life can be so unfair 😀
Seriously though, this recipe looks amazing. I haven’t jumped on the instant pot band wagon yet but recipes like this make me want to!!! Pinning for later!
Thanks, Christina! I do like the Instant Pot for its speed, but I think if you have the time, the tried-and-true is a step-up. And thanks to you eulogy for my well-loved appliances and noting their exceptional contributions to our lives. ☺️
I love instant pot meals like these…A delicious meal is ready in such less time and I have so much more time for other stuff! This sauce with the sweet tones is just so yummy!
Thanks, Deepika! They do make quick work of something that usually takes all day!
Hi Laura! Your Instant Pot Chicken Adobo looks and sounds deee-lish! I still have yet to purchase an Instant Pot, and recipes like this make me want to get one ASAP! 🙂
Thanks, Alia – I have to admit, I was a little skeptical at first, and I’ve only used the ‘Pressure Cook” setting so far, but it is awfully handy to have on hand when dinner needs to be quick. Looking forward to trying the slow-cook and Yogurt-making functions! It also cleans up pretty easily, too! Thanks for visiting!
Looks so amazing, Laura! Would love to try it out. I’m always on the lookout for new chicken dishes. At least one good thing happened with all the break down in your kitchen 🙂
You’re so right, Freda! Like you, new chicken dishes are high on my wishlist, too! Hope you get the chance to try it. Thanks for visiting!
Great photos ! Never prepared chicken that way and since I am always in for new things, this is one week dinner to make definitely. Thank you so much !
Thanks so much! I hope you get the chance to try it! It’s definitely going to be repeated in my house – probably in the slow-cooker next time. Thanks for visiting!
My stomach is growling loud looking at these pictures Laura. Stunning clicks. But I think I am gonna have to wait until it’s dinner time. As I am planning to do my chicken in the crock-pot.
Thanks so much! Always like when a growling stomach turns to the crock-pot! Good luck waiting! And thanks for visiting!