Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

This instant pot chicken adobo is one of my favorite weeknight dinners. It’s savory, tangy, and comes together so fast thanks to the pressure cooker.

Chicken adobo is a classic Filipino dish where chicken is braised in a mix of soy sauce and vinegar. The result is tender, fall-off-the-bone meat with a rich and flavorful sauce.

What I love about making it in the Instant Pot is that you get all that deep, slow-cooked flavor in a fraction of the time. We’re talking about 12 minutes of pressure cooking.

I use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs here because they stay juicy and have the best flavor. Plus, we sear them first so the skin gets nice and crispy.

Serve it over steamed rice with plenty of sauce spooned on top, and you’ve got a seriously satisfying meal.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

The Sauce Is Incredible – That tangy soy-vinegar sauce reduces into a rich glaze that makes you want to pour it over everything.

The Garlic and Peppercorn Flavor Hits Different – Whole smashed garlic and black peppercorns bloom under pressure and give this adobo a bold warm kick.

Crispy Skin Even in a Pressure Cooker – Searing the skin first gives you that golden crunch that most Instant Pot chicken recipes completely skip.

Ingredients

• 3 lb Bone-In Skin-On Chicken Thighs
• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/3 cup White Vinegar
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
• 6 cloves Garlic, smashed
• 1 medium Onion, sliced
• 3 Bay Leaves
• 1 teaspoon Whole Black Peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
• Steamed Rice, for serving
• Sliced Green Onions, for garnish

Directions

Step 1

In a bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, white vinegar, water, and brown sugar until the sugar dissolves. Set this adobo sauce aside.

Step 2

Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and heat the vegetable oil. Season the chicken thighs with a pinch of salt and place them skin-side down in the pot. Sear for 3 to 4 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy. Work in batches to avoid crowding. Remove and set aside.

Step 3

Add the sliced onion to the pot and saute for 2 minutes. Add the smashed garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Pour in the adobo sauce and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.

Step 4

Return the chicken thighs to the pot skin-side up. Add the bay leaves and whole black peppercorns.

Step 5

Lock the lid, set the valve to sealing, and cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then quick release the remaining pressure.

Step 6

Remove the chicken thighs to a plate. Discard the bay leaves. Set the Instant Pot to saute mode and let the sauce simmer for 5 to 7 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened.

Step 7

Serve the chicken thighs over steamed rice and spoon the reduced adobo sauce generously over the top. Garnish with sliced green onions.

Pro Tips

Pat the Chicken Dry Before Searing

Before you sear the chicken thighs, pat them really dry with paper towels. If there’s moisture on the skin, it will steam instead of crisp up, and you’ll miss out on that golden sear.

Dry skin also means less oil splatter when it hits the hot pot. Take 30 seconds to do this and you’ll notice a big difference in how the skin turns out.

Don’t Skip Scraping the Bottom

After you saute the onion and garlic and pour in the adobo sauce, really take your time scraping up every browned bit stuck to the bottom of the pot. Use a wooden spoon and get into the corners too.

Those browned bits add a ton of flavor to the sauce. But more importantly, if you leave them stuck on, your Instant Pot might give you a burn notice and stop building pressure. This is the number one reason people have trouble with this recipe.

Place the Chicken Skin-Side Up After Searing

When you return the chicken to the pot before pressure cooking, make sure the skin side is facing up. This keeps the skin out of the liquid so it doesn’t get completely soggy.

It won’t stay as crispy as when you first seared it, but it holds up way better than if it’s sitting face down in the sauce the whole time.

If you want extra crispy skin, you can broil the chicken on a sheet pan for 2-3 minutes after pressure cooking while you reduce the sauce.

Related Recipes

• Instant Pot Butter Chicken
• Instant Pot Chicken & Rice
• Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken
• Instant Pot Teriyaki Chicken

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make the sauce thicker and more glossy?

The recipe already has you reduce the sauce on saute mode for 5 to 7 minutes, but if you want it even thicker, just let it simmer a bit longer – up to 10 minutes – until it coats the back of a spoon nicely. The brown sugar helps with the gloss, and some people add an extra teaspoon for a slightly sticky, caramelized finish.

If you’re in a hurry, you can mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir that into the simmering sauce. It will thicken up within a minute or two.