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instant pot chicken adobo | filipino chicken adobo | adobo chicken instant pot | chicken adobo pressure cooker
4.98 from 39 votes

Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

Recipe by Amy + Jacky | PressureCookRecipes.com
How to make Instant Pot Chicken Adobo. Classic Filipino chicken adobo and rice is a quick and easy one pot meal. Bursting with a caramelized flavor punch of savory, tangy, umami with a hint of sweetness. No need to marinate ahead. Sarap!
Servings 4
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 (995g) chicken thighs or 2 pounds chicken meat
  • 1 tablespoon (15ml) peanut oil or vegetable oil
  • 1 (150g) medium onion , sliced
  • 12 cloves (34g) garlic , crushed
  • 1 teaspoon (4g) whole black peppercorn
  • 1 dried red chili
  • 4 dried bay leaves
  • 1 stalk green onions , thinly sliced for garnish

Adobo Sauce (See Notes)

Optional - Pot in Pot Rice

  • 1 cup (235g) Jasmine rice , rinsed and drained well
  • 1 cup (250ml) cold water

Thickener

  • 2½ tablespoons (22.5g) cornstarch
  • 3 tablespoons (45ml) cold water

Equipment

Instructions

  • Prepare Instant Pot: Heat up Instant Pot using “Sauté More” function. Wait until Instant Pot says “HOT” (roughly 8 minutes).
  • Make Adobo Sauce: In a medium glass measuring cup, mix and combine 1 tbsp (12.5g) sugar, 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce, ¼ cup (63ml) Filipino soy sauce, ⅓ cup (83ml) regular soy sauce, and ⅓ cup (83ml) Filipino vinegar.
  • Sauté Onions and Spices: Add 1 tbsp (15ml) oil in Instant Pot. Sauté onions for 2 minutes.
    Add 12 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp (4g) whole black peppercorn, dried red chili, and 4 dried bay leaves, then sauté for another 45 seconds.
  • Deglaze Instant Pot: Add adobo sauce mixture (from Step 2) in Instant Pot. Deglaze by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.
  • Pressure Cook Chicken Adobo and Pot in Pot Rice: Coat the chicken with adobo sauce by dipping the skin side into the adobo sauce. Then flip to place the chicken skin side up in Instant Pot.
    Place a steamer rack in Instant Pot. Layer a stainless steel bowl of 1 cup (235g) Jasmine rice and 1 cup (250ml) cold water on top of the rack.
    With Venting Knob in Venting Position, close the lid, then turn Venting Knob to Sealing Position. Pressure cook at High Pressure for 6 minutes, then Natural Release for 10 minutes. Turn off heat. Open lid carefully.
  • Thicken Chicken Adobo Sauce: Remove stainless steel bowl & steamer rack. Set aside chicken in a serving bowl.
    Press Cancel button, then Sauté button to heat up the sauce.
    In a small mixing bowl, mix 2.5 tbsp (22.5g) cornstarch with 3 tbsp (45ml) cold water. Mix it into the adobo sauce one third at a time until desired thickness.
    Taste and adjust the seasoning with more vinegar, sugar, or soy sauce accordingly. Coat chicken with adobo sauce by placing them back in the pot.
  • Optional Step - Crisp Skin: Place chicken adobo (coated with a thin layer of sauce) on a baking tray. Put it under a broiler for 5 to 10 minutes to maximize the flavor and crisp up the skin.
  • Serve: Serve chicken adobo with rice. Lightly drizzle the adobo sauce and garnish with green onions. Enjoy~

Notes

1. Chicken: Best to use chicken thighs or chicken legs, but you can substitute them with other parts of the chicken.
2. Filipino Soy Sauce & Vinegar: Different soy sauces and vinegar have different flavors, saltiness, or acidity. Make sure to taste and adjust the amount to get the right balance for your tastes. If you prefer a milder adobo sauce, you can reduce the amount of soy sauce.
  • Substitute: You can substitute them with regular soy sauce (or light soy sauce) and white vinegar. It'll work but the flavor profile will change according to your soy sauce and vinegar. Make sure to taste and adjust the amount accordingly!
3. Fish Sauce: The amount in this recipe won't make your chicken adobo taste fishy. But you can omit it if you like. Your chicken adobo will still be delicious.
4. Amy + Jacky's Adobo Sauce: 
5. Is the Chicken Adobo Spicy? Don't worry! The 1 dried red chili and 4g whole black peppercorns won’t make this chicken adobo spicy.
6. Pot-in-Pot Rice: If you want to make Chicken Adobo without rice, you can skip the pot-in-pot rice and use the same pressure cooking time.
7. Shopping Tip: Try to buy these sauces from your local Asian market. They're usually available at a lower price. 
Rate Amy + Jacky's Recipe: If you've tried our recipe, rate the recipe in the Comments section. Thank you!
Author: Amy + Jacky
Calories: 661kcal

Nutrition

Calories: 661kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 43g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 10g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 244mg | Sodium: 882mg | Potassium: 641mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 242IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg