Almost Chicken Adobo
When you live in the Seattle area, you are exposed to foods from all over the world. It’s one of my favorite things about Seattle. Different foods are accessible to everyone, everywhere.
If you weren’t Asian, you at least had a few friends who were. So if you weren’t going to eat at a Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese or Filipino restaurant, you were sharing a good meal at someone’s home. Because of my Filipino companions, I loved eating homemade lumpia or adobo with rice, made by the hands of a friend.
When we moved to Texas, we wouldn’t find these foods (or people) on every corner, or in every neighborhood. Now we would find all kinds of Barbecue and Tex Mex, which were delicious. My next door neighbor made the best brisket I’ve ever had and fed it to us regularly, which was a dream! But it was also then that I realized I had taken for granted some of the special things I loved about Seattle (besides the evergreens, mountains and Puget Sound waters). The wide range of cultures and foods and coffee that had always been in close proximity would now need to be diligently searched for.
One of my favorite foods to eat back home in Seattle was the Filipino dish, Chicken Adobo. Peppery chicken cooked in vinegar, sugar and soy sauce was one of my favorite foods. I made it regularly for the family and it always felt like comfort.
About 8 years ago, I started to eat a mainly paleo diet and began subbing certain ingredients for others. It had been a very long time since I’d had Chicken Adobo. Recently I made a “paleo” version, and I won’t dishonor my Filipino friends by calling it by the same name. I made several subs so I can’t say it tastes the same as my friends’ back in the PNW, but I can say this dish is really delicious!
So, I call this “Almost Chicken Adobo” inspired by the love I have for the authentic Filipino dish.
When making this recipe, you’ll want deboned skin on chicken thighs. The meat department at the grocery store will do this for you if you ask. Otherwise you can debone at home.
One other tip: the longer you simmer with the lid removed, the thicker the sauce will be. I prefer a thicker sauce so eyeball it until you see the consistency you like.
Ingredients
- 2 TBSP Avocado oil
- 1 TBSP FRESHLY cracked Black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 3/4 cup Coconut aminos
- 1/4 cup Honey
- 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 cup canned coconut milk (stir first then measure)
- 1 TBSP Freshly grated ginger
- 1 cup carrots
- 4-6 cloves garlic, crushed & chopped
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4-6 Bay leaves
- 2 pounds SKIN ON chicken thighs, deboned
- Green onion for garnish
Directions
- In a bowl, mix together coconut aminos, balsamic, honey, and coconut milk together. Set aside.
- Using @madein nonstick saute pan, hear avocado oil on high heat
- Salt and Pepper the chicken thighs and work in batches (to avoid overcrowding pan). Sear on both sides until deeply browned, about 3-4 min per side. Remove chicken.
- Add garlic and ginger stir 30 seconds to one minute until fragrant.
- Add onions, carrots and bay leaves. Stir for about 3 minutes until vegetables soften slightly.
- Add chicken back into pan and reduce heat to medium. Pour sauce mixture over chicken and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to low and cover. Simmer 20 minutes
- Remove lid and simmer uncovered another 20 minutes or until sauce is thickened and deeper in color.
Serve with rice or cauliflower rice.
Hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
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