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Garlic chicken thigh with rice and green onions.

Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

Diana
Try this Instant Pot chicken adobo recipe for a quick, flavorful meal that captures the essence of Filipino cuisine.
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Servings 4 to 6 servings
Calories 734
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course Chicken
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on, about 6 to 8
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2/3 cup vinegar, white or cane
  • 1/2 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • Dash cayenne pepper
  • 1 medium onion, sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish

Instructions

  • Prep the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Set the Instant Pot to sauté mode on high and add the vegetable oil to the Instant Pot. Add half the chicken thighs to the pan, skin-side down when the oil is hot. Cook for 4 minutes or until the skin is browned. Flip the chicken and sear the other side for 2 more minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
  • Combine the sauce ingredients. Combine the vinegar, soy sauce, water, sugar, coarsely ground black pepper, and cayenne pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits. Add the chicken back to the pot.
    Golden crispy baked chicken thighs in an air fryer basket.
  • Add the aromatics. and pressure cook Top the chicken with the onions, garlic, and bay leaves. Lock the lid in place. Set the Instant Pot to Pressure Cook (Manual) on High for 10 minutes. When the time is up, perform a quick pressure release.
    Golden fried chicken pieces with onions in a slow cooker.
  • Simmer to reduce. Carefully remove the lid, then cancel the pressure-cook function. Set the Instant Pot back to sauté mode and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and slightly thickened. Remove the bay leaves.
    Rich chicken stew with onions and savory broth.
  • Serve. Serve the chicken over rice with a garnish of green onions. Enjoy!
    Golden fried chicken thigh with rice and green onions on a white plate.

Notes

Notes:
If using boneless thighs, reduce the pressure cook time to 8 minutes.
 
For a thicker sauce, make a cornstarch slurry. Combine 2 teaspoons of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of water and mix until smooth. Add the slurry to the sauce mixture and cook for 1 minute longer.

Nutrition

Calories: 734kcalCarbohydrates: 9gProtein: 50gFat: 54gSaturated Fat: 14gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 278mgSodium: 1843mgPotassium: 719mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 285IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 3mg
Keyword chicken adobo, Filipino chicken adobo, instant pot
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