Chicken Wings Adobo

Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken drumette and wingette - This can be substituted with chicken dark meat such as drumstick or thigh or white meat such as chicken breast.
• Soy Sauce. In this recipe, I use dark soy sauce. If you are wondering what is the difference between light and dark soy sauce, light soy sauce is used for seasoning and dark soy sauce is used for adding color to dishes. Light soy sauce is golden brown in color and rich in taste to add flavor during the marinating and seasoning stage and it is also higher in salt. You can use either but for me, dark soy sauce that adds the color stands out.
• Vinegar - I use white vinegar. If you need a different vinegar to substitute for white vinegar, use apple cider vinegar or sherry vinegar. Depending on your recipe, you could also swap in lemon or lime juice. Acidic ingredients like vinegar or lemon juice weaken collagen and protein in meat. Once the proteins are broken by acid, one loose protein can bond with another and trap liquid in the meat, making it juicy and tender.
• Garlic - It is a flavor enhancer and aromatic. The taste of garlic is common in all adobo dishes. Traditional chicken adobo uses fresh smashed or minced garlic. If you are using garlic powder instead of fresh, start to just add half of a teaspoon and go from there.
• Peppercorns – or coarsely cracked pepper
• Sugar – Brown sugar is best, white sugar, honey, or maple syrup is okay to balance the salty and tangy flavor.
• Bay leaves – fresh or dried, not the end of the world if you don’t have;
• Cilantro or green onion – optional garnish

Instructions

Step 1. The first step is preparing your meat and sauce for marinating. This mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, minced garlic, and peppercorn is a perfect combination for the marinade sauce. Use half of the minced garlic and peppercorn and the other half for cooking later. Combine all the above ingredients and marinate the chicken for 30 minutes up to overnight.

You can skip marination if you if dont have enough time. Your adobo will still be delicious. However, the marinating process will infuse all the flavors of the sauce to mix with the meat.

Step 2. In a skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Saute the onion and half of the minced garlic for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.

Step 3. Push the onion and garlic on the side and add the marinated chicken wings. Add a few tablespoons of cooking oil if needed. Seared the wings for a few minutes on both sides.

Step 4. Add the marinade, brown sugar if using any, bay leaves, and the rest of the peppercorn. Stir to combine and let the dish simmer on low to medium heat for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust your seasonings accordingly.

Step 5. Garnish with chopped cilantro or green onions and serve with rice or garlic-fried rice.