Instant Pot Chicken Adobo in Less Than 30 Mins

This Instant Pot Chicken Adobo is a popular Filipino dish that combines soy sauce, peppercorns and white vinegar to create huge flavor in a fraction of the time.

I’ve made Chicken Adobo in many different ways and have found that it really doesn’t matter how you make it – in the Instant Pot, the slow cooker, or on the stovetop – it turns out amazing every time.

It’s the marinade that makes this dish so delicious. The flavors are bold and intense, just what the chicken needs to boost it up to amazing. I love using chicken thighs because they’re so juicy and tender. I make this similarly awesome meat marinade for grilled chicken thighs quite often and it’s always a crowd pleaser.

Once you try it, you’ll be making it every chance you get, like I do. It’s so incredibly easy to make, you won’t even believe that these few ingredients can produce such a great dish.

What is Filipino Chicken Adobo?

If you’ve never heard of Chicken Adobo, you’re in for a real treat! It’s a very popular Filipino chicken dish that combines soy sauce and Filipino white cane sugar vinegar, plus black peppercorns as a marinade. 

You can use any cut of chicken you want in this recipe. Chicken thighs are the best, however, because of their soft texture and ability to soak up the flavors of the sauce.

You can use both boneless, skinless chicken thigh and with skin and bone. I go back and forth between the two, depending on what I have on hand.

▶ If you like this recipe, you’ll also love these Marinated Grilled Chicken Thighs.

What You’ll Need to Make Chicken Adobo

• Chicken thighs – Boneless skinless chicken thighs are preferred because of their soft texture and ability to soak up the flavors of the sauce though you can use any cut of chicken you have on hand.
• Garlic – make sure your garlic is fresh for the best flavor.
• Soy sauce – I always use low sodium soy sauce to avoid oversalting the dish.
• Black peppercorns – Whole or slightly crushed. A traditional ingredient. In a pinch you could use ground black pepper.
• Filipino cane sugar vinegar – You can substitute white vinegar or apple cider vinegar, if necessary. Cane vinegar is mild and can be compared to rice vinegar that can also be used as a substitution.
• Bay leaves – They add a distinctive flavor and fragrance to the dish. Leaves should be removed and discarded before serving.
• Sugar – This is optional. A slight sweetness goes well with the vinegar in the dish.

How to Make Chicken Adobo in the Instant Pot (or Pressure Cooker)

The method for making this dish is the same for the skillet or the Instant Pot. The key element of the dish is that the chicken be allowed to stew in the marinade until it becomes very tender. In the skillet this process takes about 30 minutes. You’ll need only half that time in the Instant Pot.

Here is the simplest way to cook Chicken Adobo:

1. Mix up the marinade and add it to the Instant Pot.
2. Add the chicken to the marinade. Seal the lid and make sure the valve is set to sealing.
3. Set the machine to Pressure Cook for 8 minutes (for boneless skinless) and 10 minutes (for skin-on, bone-in). Remember: It will take about 10 minutes to come up to pressure.
4. When the chicken is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then do a quick release.
5. Serve the chicken with the sauce.

If I’m in a hurry, I use the method above. It produces a flavorful, tender chicken in just 23 minutes. However, if I have a little extra time, I like to add in a few steps.

Extra Steps (if desired):

• I like to marinate the chicken in the sauce for at least a few hours, or a full day, if I can. This gives the meat a much more juicy, flavorful outcome. It’s definitely worth it, if you have the time.
• If I’m using skin-on chicken pieces, I turn on the Saute mode and sear the chicken in a bit of olive oil before adding the sauce and continuing with the process. Searing the skin makes for a firmer skin once cooked.
• You can serve the chicken pieces whole or chop them up. And thicken the sauce with a corn starch slurry, if you want. If you’re cooking the chicken adobo in a skillet, the sauce naturally dissipates during cooking and forms a thick sauce for serving.
• You can add onions, if you want. They add a little more flavor to this already flavor-packed dish.

Pro Cooking Tip

Did you know that you can cook the rice at the same time as the chicken in the Instant Pot, using the Pot in Pot method? Place your rice in a bowl on top of a trivet that’s tall enough to not touch the chicken in the base.

If you cook the rice at the same time, be sure to naturally release all of the pressure, instead of allowing a 5 minute cooling period, or your rice will be soggy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this in a traditional pressure cooker?

Yes, you can use a traditional stovetop pressure cooker to make this dish. The recipe stays the same, but it will take less time to cook in the stovetop cooker because they typically reach higher pressure levels than an Instant Pot. Pressure cooking for 5 minutes will be enough to cook the Filipino adobo.

Should I eat the peppercorns?

It is perfectly fine to eat them if you like. If you don’t like the crunch you can smash them before cooking so they are in smaller pieces or you can add the peppercorns and bay leaves to a cheesecloth packet so they can be removed easily before serving.

What is the best type of chicken to use?

You can use any cut of chicken you want in this recipe. Chicken thighs are the best, however, because of their soft texture and ability to soak up the flavors of the sauce. Chicken breast can be used, but it’s not as juicy and tender. It can quickly become overcooked.

You can use both boneless, skinless chicken thigh or bone-in-skin on. I go back and forth between the two, depending on what I have on hand. If using skin-on chicken thighs, you can sear the skin side of the chicken before nestling into the sauce in the pot to add flavor and texture. Bone-in, skin-on pieces of chicken will take longer to cook as well.

What if I can’t find Filipino cane sugar vinegar?

If you are unable to find the cane sugar vinegar then substitute with white vinegar or rice vinegar. You can also use apple cider vinegar in a pinch, but it will add different flavor to the adobo.

Other Chicken Recipes to Try

• Chicken & Shrimp Fried Rice
• Coconut Chicken Curry
• Thai Panang Chicken Curry

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