Pressure Cooker Chicken Adobo

I can’t tell you how many times my InstantPot has saved me for dinner. All too often, I’ll look up from my computer at 7pm and realize I haven’t even thought about what we are going to eat! This recipe for Pressure Cooker Chicken Adobo is one of those time-saver meals – it takes about 45 minutes to make. (For comparison, my Pork Belly Adobo recipe takes about 2 hours to make, not including time to let the meat marinate!)

This recipe comes together quickly but tastes like it’s been cooking all day. Ah, the magic of the InstantPot!

Ingredients:

• 4 drumsticks
• 4 chicken thighs
• ground pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2/3 cup low sodium soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• cooked rice, for serving

Kitchen Tools Used:

• cutting board
• santuko knife
• InstantPot
• garlic press (optional, can mince garlic)
• measuring beakers
• measuring cups
• Carthage Dasdi dinner plate in basalt

Instructions:

Season your chicken with pepper (omit salt; there is plenty of salt in the soy sauce). Turn on your multi cooker to saute and add in the oil. Add the drumsticks and cook, browning on all sides, about 8 minutes.

Remove the drumsticks and repeat with the chicken thighs.

Remove the chicken thighs and add in the garlic and onion, stirring constantly for 2 minutes.

Turn off the saute function. Add in the soy sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, and bay leaves, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape at the bottom to remove any browned bits.

Add back in the chicken thighs and drumsticks.

Close the lid of the multi cooker and ensure the vent valve is closed. Set to pressure cook on high for 8 minutes.

It will take a bit for the unit to get to ideal pressure before it begins counting down the 8 minutes (~10 minutes). After the 8 minutes of cook time, carefully quick release the vent and allow all steam to escape. When the valve has dropped down, carefully remove the lid.

Cancel the pressure cook function and turn it back to saute. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaves. Spoon out the chicken and sauce over rice and serve.

Chicken adobo is such a comforting dish. Definitely spoon some of that yummy sauce over the rice before digging in!

I strongly suggest using low sodium soy sauce for this recipe; normal soy sauce would make this pretty salty overall.