Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.
Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
Instant Pot Chicken Adobo is a savory chicken dish with soy sauce, vinegar, peppercorn, garlic and bay leaves. A classic Filipino dish made easy in the Instant Pot.
I have been loving my Instant Pot lately. I’ve made Instant Pot Macaroni and Cheese, artichokes and herb potatoes. And not to mention all the hard boiled eggs. And I thought it was high time I try some filipino instant pot dishes.
What is Filipino chicken adobo?
Thanks to my Filipino heritage, chicken adobo has always been a staple around these parts. If you are unfamiliar with Filipino Chicken Adobo, it is chicken simmered in a savory sauce of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, pepper and bay leaves. Traditionally, adobo takes at least an hour to make and, don’t get me wrong, it’s totally worth every minute. But for those nights when you have a little less time Instant Pot Chicken Adobo can be done faster and is every bit as delicious.
And can we just talk about all the garlic for a second. Because seriously, it is my favorite part. Because garlic.
How do you make Chicken Adobo in the Instant Pot?
Despite trying many different dishes in the Instant Pot, I have been a little hesitant to try chicken. I was hesitant because, to be totally honest, I am not a huge fan of chicken in the slow cooker. It always seems to be a bit dry. I thought the instant pot would produce the same results. But guys, it does not. Not at all. The chicken in this Instant Pot Chicken adobo is super succulent.
Step 1: To make Filipino Chicken Adobo in the instant pot, start by seasoning both sides of the meat liberally with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Brown the chicken on all sides. You will likely need to do this in batches so that you don’t over crowd the bottom of the pot.
Step 3: Place all the chicken and remaining ingredients in the instant pot and seal.
Step 4: Cook 9 minutes, do a natural release and then simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce thickens just a bit.
DES’ TIP: One of the reasons that the chicken stays so succulent is that I chose to use chicken drumsticks in this recipe. I chose to use chicken drumsticks instead of chicken breasts because they are often more tender and do not dry out as quickly. A mix of chicken drumsticks and bone-in chicken thighs would be a great combination as well.
If you are wondering what to serve with chicken adobo, I always serve chicken adobo over jasmine rice with some roasted vegetables on the side.
More Filipino Family Recipes:
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More Chicken Recipes:
Note: This post was originally written in 2018. It was updated with step by step photos, nutrition facts and a video in 2021.
Instant Pot Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 10 chicken drumsticks
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil or other higher heat oil such as canola
- 1/2 yellow onion sliced
- 10 – 12 garlic gloves peeled and chopped
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar apple cider vinegar is also a good alternative
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Season chicken drumsticks liberally with salt and pepper.
- With the saute feature on, heat oil and cook chicken pieces, in batches if necessary, until browned on all sides.
- If you cooked the chicken in batches, return all chicken to the pot. Add in remaining ingredients. Put lid on the pot and seal.
- Cook on high pressure for 9 minutes. Do a manual release.
- With the lid off, simmer for 10 – 15 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly.
- Remove bay leaves. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and top with sauce. Serve with rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Hey! I'm Des!
Welcome to Life’s Ambrosia where Dinner is served and memories are made. Here you will find over 1000 tried and true recipes for every possible occasion. In the last 10 years, this blog has helped millions of families put dinner on the table and create food memories. Let me help you too.
Jazmine
November 23, 2024 at 1:39 pmI’ve made this recipe twice now. It is delicious and so easy to throw together! This also makes the best leftovers! I swear, it’s even better the next day. I use my Rio Wide Instant Pot so I can brown most of the chicken at once and then nestle everything in the sauce before I put the lid on to pressure cook. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Deseree
November 24, 2024 at 10:10 amYou are so welcome! I’m jealous of your wide instant pot, that would make things much easier!
Ravi Mehta
August 25, 2024 at 6:40 pmI modified it a bit this time. I cut out the water and added a can of unsweetened coconut milk. There was more liquid at the end, so I used a bit of corn starch to help thicken it up a bit… it was delicious!
Deseree
August 26, 2024 at 10:23 amOooooh I am going to have to try that! Adding unsweetened coconut milk sounds fantastic!
Roz
August 7, 2024 at 2:46 pmHi Carol,
I would not season the chicken with salt and pepper due to the soy sauce containing so much sodium. I would also use low sodium soy sauce. I find this to salty for me too.
Carol
July 9, 2024 at 6:21 pmI am an Award winning home cook, we tried this recipe for it’s simplicity. Too salty for our tastes, had to adjust the taste sauce, it smelled better than it tasted. Not a keeper.
Deseree
July 11, 2024 at 3:55 pmThanks for your feedback, Carol. Sorry you didn’t enjoy it, this is one of our personal favorites!
Pamela
February 11, 2024 at 4:50 pmDELICIOUS! We used boneless, skinless thighs and breasts and skipped the searing step. Will be making this regularly. Thank you!
Deseree
February 11, 2024 at 6:24 pmYou’re welcome, Pamela! It’s good to know that this is good with boneless thighs and breasts too! :)
Kim
January 30, 2024 at 8:34 amThis chicken was so tender and tasty, we ate the whole lot in one go. Luckily, I had a couple of pieces left because it was even better the next day!
Deseree
February 6, 2024 at 4:19 pmAdobo is always so good the next day! Glad you enjoyed it!
Ashley
January 24, 2024 at 2:56 pmThis recipe was delicious!! Perfect savoury chicken and sauce to serve over rice.
Deseree
January 24, 2024 at 3:21 pmThank you, Ashley!! Glad you enjoyed it! :)
GraceInMotion
September 13, 2023 at 10:41 amI am somewhat new to IP cooking but I consider myself an expert on Filipino adobo. I chose this recipe because it contains all the ingredients of adobo and nothing more. It uses bone-in chicken and no sugar. Sugar imho is not ever used in adobo. This is, by far, the best IP recipe I have ever made. I made the recipe as written using apple cider vinegar but I did double the sauce ingredients which I think is essential.
I want to share a secret of adobo that those who have not cooked it before may not be aware of. The vinegar flavor is always more pronounced right after cooking and mellows considerably after resting for a few hours and especially overnight. The leftovers of this recipe are exceptional so be sure to make enough rice to enjoy every last bit. You won’t regret it. This is a perfect meal for dinner and to have lunches for the work week.
Changes I will make moving forward for our personal taste, but are certainly not required, are adding at least two additional bay leaves and using whole peppercorns instead of ground. I was on the fence using the IP for browning meat prior to this recipe and cooking this sealed the deal for me. The amount of time it takes to get the chicken browned to my liking is beyond excessive. I will be using my 14” frying pan and deglazing it with the water called for in the recipe.
I began using an IP after moving to Texas and experiencing the summer heat. The day I made this it was 110F and I would have never made this on the stovetop. I suggest making the adobo, transferring it and using the IP to make the rice. I served it with the best watermelon you ever tasted and can’t wait to make it again.
My deepest thanks for this recipe. 💜
Deseree
September 14, 2023 at 4:29 pmYou are so welcome, Grace! And thank you for taking the time to come back and comment. I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this, I rarely make adobo on the stovetop anymore, this is just so much easier! It does take a little while to brown the chicken in the IP but I think your method of using a frying pan then deglazing would be great and I might try that next time. :)
Evita
June 16, 2023 at 9:42 pmI’ve tried many adobo recipes over the years and this is by far the best. I followed the recipe exact n served it with plain white rice. Thank you for sharing. Definitely will make this over n over again.
Deseree
June 20, 2023 at 1:50 pmYahoo! That is so nice to hear, Evita!! You’re welcome :)
Marina
March 22, 2023 at 8:21 pmDelicious and easy? Loving it
Toshiko
June 24, 2022 at 9:45 amThis has been my favorite dish since childhood and I am missing home today. I just wanted to tell you that you brought back some very happy memories, this is DELICIOUS! When I opened up the Instant Pot and the smell hit me, I knew this would be really tasty. Not only was it tasty but it also didn’t take long to make. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe.
Deseree
June 25, 2022 at 9:06 amWhat a nice compliment, Toshiko!! One of the reasons I love food so much is the memories that surround it. I am so happy to hear that this recipe brought back memories for you, Thank you for sharing!!
Alma
June 21, 2022 at 5:05 pm1cup vinegar is too much w only 1 cup soy sauce
Deseree
June 23, 2022 at 2:24 pmfirst its 1/2 cup each. I like to do the even amount, especially in the instant pot because using more soy sauce can cause it to be overly salty.
Cathy trying
May 16, 2022 at 3:28 pmDisappointed. Maybe I didn’t know what to expect but i nearly choked when i tasted this. Waaaaaay too vinegary.
Deseree
May 16, 2022 at 9:16 pmSorry to hear that Cathy! Have you had chicken adobo before? It does tend to have a pretty sour, vinegar taste. You can try adding a bit of brown sugar to cut it if you try it again.
Susie L.
March 20, 2022 at 9:48 amThis recipe never fails! It’s always perfect and saves SO much time. So much flavor without having to marinate. Thank you!!!!!
Deseree
March 20, 2022 at 9:07 pmSusie, I am so happy to hear that! You’re welcome and thank you for taking the time to leave a review!
Alzie
December 3, 2021 at 2:43 pmHow do I change the recipe for frozen chicken
Deseree
December 6, 2021 at 11:15 amHi Alzie! I am not sure that you can use frozen chicken for this because you need to brown it first. Sorry!
Jackie Gaarder
October 15, 2021 at 10:30 amCan’t wait to make it
Deseree
October 15, 2021 at 4:01 pmHope you enjoy it!
Dale Shillings
April 5, 2021 at 5:27 pmI am confused. There is no adobo chilies or adobo sauce in the recipe?
Deseree
April 6, 2021 at 9:22 amHi Dale! This is Filipino Chicken Adobo which doesn’t have either :)
Catherine Lee
March 26, 2021 at 11:03 amI love chicken adobo, my Phillipines step mother taught me to make it and now I’m so happy to find a pressure cooker version! Thank you!
Deseree
March 26, 2021 at 9:37 pmYou’re welcome!
Susie Q
February 24, 2021 at 12:51 pmI made this a couple of times, and it was a huge success both times—even my picky kids ate it up! This will become a regular on our menu rotation. Thanks for sharing!
Deseree
February 28, 2021 at 7:49 pmSo happy to hear that! It is definitely one of our favorites too!
Susie Q
January 6, 2021 at 5:46 pmI made this tonight — and even my pickiest kid ate up his chicken leg! As a result, we actually had no leftovers, which is a rarity in our home. We will definitely do this again — thank you so much for sharing!
Deseree
January 6, 2021 at 10:12 pmSusie, yay!! You are so welcome! My kiddos love this too, it’s a family favorite around here :)
Michelle N.
December 4, 2020 at 11:06 pmThis recipe is the epitome of instant yumminess! Not only does it look delicious, but it is scrumptious. Super easy and quick to prep and cook. I made 10 chicken thighs for 6 people and it wasn’t enough. Definitely a family favorite!
Deseree
December 6, 2020 at 9:21 pmI am so happy to hear that, Michelle! So glad you enjoy it!
Irma brennan
February 21, 2020 at 8:11 amCan this dish. Be made on stove top??
Deseree
February 21, 2020 at 4:10 pmYes, Irma! You certainly can. To do that simply brown the chicken in a large pot on the stove like you do in this recipe. Then add the remaining ingredients and simmer for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. It should be falling off the bone. I’ve made it many many times on the stove top! :)
Dorothy Reinhold
February 11, 2020 at 5:51 pmThis is exactly the type of dish that makes me love my Instant Pot! Dinner tomorrow will be a snap!
Sara Welch
February 11, 2020 at 1:03 pmAnother great recipe for my Instant Pot! Definitely adding this to my dinner line up for the week!
Katerina @ diethood .com
February 11, 2020 at 1:11 amThis sounds incredibly delicious! So many amazing flavors! YUM!
Erin | Dinners,Dishes and Dessert
February 11, 2020 at 12:26 amThis Instant Pot Chicken Adobo is couldn’t look any more perfect!
Kimberly
February 10, 2020 at 7:05 pmThis looks so good, I’m looking forward to trying it!
Carrie Robinson
February 10, 2020 at 4:39 pmHow have I not bought an instant pot yet?? This looks amazing! :)
Sandra | A Dash of Sanity
March 18, 2018 at 8:59 amThis looks really tasty! A great addition to our dinner rotation!
Cathy @ Lemon Tree Dwelling
March 17, 2018 at 1:17 pmThis looks so inviting….I want to sit down at your table and enjoy it with you!
Jen
March 15, 2018 at 5:50 amThe flavors sound amazing! I love garlic!!
Sabrina
March 15, 2018 at 5:48 amThis really couldn’t get any easier! Love it!
Delaney | Melanie Makes
March 14, 2018 at 8:53 pmThis is a wonderful dinner!
jessica | novice chef
March 14, 2018 at 5:56 pmI love everything about this! Cannot wait to try it!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet
March 14, 2018 at 5:43 pmThat looks so yummy and flavorful!