Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

If you’ve never tried Philippine Adobo, you’re seriously missing out!

Adobo is sometimes referred to as the unofficial Philippines national dish.

The super bold complex flavors: sharp tart, deep savory, slight sweet & spiced adobo sauce soaked in the juicy tender chicken make it super appetizing to eat.

If you want to kick it up a notch, finish the chicken under a broiler to enjoy the deeply caramelized adobo deliciousness.

Cooking Tips for Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

1. Filipino Soy Sauce & Vinegar

As we were developing this recipe, we taste tested different brands & combinations of vinegar & soy sauces.

Since the Filipino Soy Sauce tastes more sour than the Chinese Light Soy Sauce (not low sodium soy sauce), we achieved a satisfactory equilibrium by mixing the two soy sauces together.

*Note: Different brands of Filipino Soy Sauces and Vinegar can taste vastly different due to various factors such as different levels of acidity and ingredients. Even different bottles of the same brand can taste different.

So, be sure to taste & adjust, taste & adjust to get the right balance of flavors for your palate! 🙂

For reference: we used Silver Swan Filipino Soy Sauce + Lee Kum Kee Light Soy Sauce + Red Boat Fish Sauce + Lorins Sukang Sasa Filipino Vinegar for this recipe.

2. Pot-in-Pot Rice

Try to get your hands on a Stainless Steel Bowl for using the Pot-in-Pot method in Instant Pot Pressure Cooker.

For those who just want to make Instant Pot Chicken Adobo, you can simply skip the pot-in-pot rice and use the same pressure cooking time.

Time for cooking Chicken Adobo in Instant Pot!

Step-by-Step Guide: Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

Ingredients for Instant Pot Chicken Adobo:

• 6 (995g) chicken thighs or 2 pounds chicken meat
• Green onions, chopped for garnish
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 12 (34g) garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 (150g) medium onion, sliced
• 1 teaspoon (4g) whole black peppercorns
• 1 dried red chili
• 4 dried bay leaves

Adobo Sauce

• ¼ cup (63ml) Filipino soy sauce (we used Silver Swan Filipino Soy Sauce)
• ⅓ cup (83ml) regular soy sauce (we used Lee Kum Kee Light Soy Sauce)
• ⅓ cup (83ml) Filipino vinegar
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon (12.5g) sugar

Cornstarch Mixture

• 2.5 tablespoons (22.5g) cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons (45ml) cold water

Pot in Pot Rice

• 1 cup (235g) Jasmine rice, rinse and drain well
• 1 cup (250ml) cold water

Garnish: 1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced

Tools for Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

• Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker
• Pyrex Glass Measuring Cup
• Bamboo Wooden Spoons
• Kitchen Tongs
• Stainless Steel Steaming Rack Stand
• Stainless Steel Bowl
• Small Mixing Bowl

Prepare Pressure Cooker

Heat up your pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press Sauté button, then Adjust button to Sauté More function).

Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be (Instant Pot: wait until indicator says HOT).

Make Adobo Sauce

In a medium glass measuring cup, mix and combine 1 tbsp (12.5g) sugar, 1 tbsp (15ml) fish sauce, ¼ cup (63ml) Filipino soy sauce, ⅓ cup (83ml) regular soy sauce, and ⅓ cup (83ml) Filipino vinegar.

Sauté Onions and Spices

Add 1 tbsp (15ml) oil in Instant Pot.

Sauté onions for 2 minutes.

Add 12 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp (4g) whole black peppercorn, dried red chili, and 4 dried bay leaves and sauté for another 45 seconds.

Deglaze Instant Pot

Add adobo sauce mixture in Instant Pot and deglaze by scrubbing the flavorful brown bits off bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon.

Pressure Cook Chicken Adobo and Pot in Pot Rice

Coat the chicken with adobo sauce by dipping the skin side into the adobo sauce, then flip to place them skin side up in Instant Pot.

Place a steamer rack in Instant Pot and layer a stainless steel bowl with 1 cup (235g) Jasmine rice + 1 cup (250ml) cold water on top (as shown in photo below).

Close lid and pressure cook at

• Pressure Cooking Method: High Pressure for 6 minutes, then 10 minutes Natural Release (after pressure cooker has finished cooking, wait 10 minutes then carefully release the remaining pressure).

Turn off heat. Open lid carefully.

Thicken Chicken Adobo Sauce

Remove stainless steel bowl & steamer rack.

Set aside the chicken thighs in a serving bowl.

Press Cancel button, then Sauté button to heat up the sauce.

In a small mixing bowl, mix 2.5 tbsp (22.5g) cornstarch with 3 tbsp (45ml) cold water. Mix it in one third at a time until desired thickness.

Taste and adjust the seasoning with more vinegar, sugar, or soy sauce accordingly.

Coat chicken thighs with adobo sauce by placing them back in the pot.

Optional Step to Crisp Skin

Place chicken adobo (coated with a thin layer of sauce on top) on a baking tray and put it under a broiler for 5 – 10 minutes. This will maximize the flavor and crisp up the skin.

Serve Instant Pot Chicken Adobo

Serve chicken adobo with Jasmine rice.

Drizzle lightly with adobo sauce and garnish with green onions on top.