Recipes Under $5 - Frugal Recipe of the Week #2: Filipino Chicken Adobo

Over the next few weeks I will be posting several frugal recipes for various dishes that contain chicken. The reason for this is three-fold. First, I personally really like the taste of chicken. It's also lower in calories and higher in several nutrients than some other types of meat.

Most importantly, for my budget at least, I recently scored a really great deal on chicken leg quarters, and paid only .37 cents a pound, versus the normal price of .69 to .79 cents a pound, for a 10 pound package. So, I stocked up, and I now have about 100 pounds of chicken leg quarters in my freezer.

Origins of Adobo Method of Cooking

One of the low cost recipes that I am sharing with you today, dear reader, is Chicken Adobo, and it was originally created in the Philippines. There, the Filipino people have been stewing meats and vegetables with vinegar and salt since the 16th century, prior to the arrival of the Spanish. As trade later developed between the Philippines and China, soy sauce came to replace the use of salt in many adobo recipes, but traditionalists continue to prefer to use salt.

Since vinegar creates a highly acidic environment, many believe that this recipe was developed as a way to cook meat and vegetables so that there was less of a risk of spoilage due to the lack of refrigeration on the tropical archipelago. 

Regardless of the reason why it was created, this dish tastes great and will make your kitchen smell heavenly while it cooks!  The following is my version of this classic Filipino recipe!

Filipino Chicken Adobo Recipe

Rinse and pat dry 6 to 7 chicken leg quarters. You may leave the thigh and leg attached to one another, or use a knife to separate into two pieces. (About $2 at .37 cents a pound)

Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in a deep 13 X 9 glass baking dish.

Combine 3/4 cup soy sauce (about 50 cents), 3/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar (about 20 cents), and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar (about 50 cents or less) and pour over the chicken, refrigerate and allow to marinate about 2 to 3 hours. 

Do NOT discard the marinade! Remove the chicken and sprinkle with some ground black pepper and very lightly sprinkle with a dash or two of powdered ginger (pennies, literally).

Add two to three tablespoons of olive oil (about 10 cents) to a hot skillet and quickly sear both sides of the chicken pieces on medium high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, taking care to brown, but not burn, the chicken pieces. 

Once you've browned all of the chicken pieces, add three to four cloves of finely chopped garlic (25 cents) to the reserved marinade, as well as three finely sliced yellow onions (40 cents), a bay leaf (pennies) and one to two cups of homemade chicken stock/broth (free if you make it yourself).

If you don't know how to make homemade chicken broth and would like to learn, check out my earlier post  for my recipe for basic chicken broth.

Mix well, and return the chicken pieces to the marinade mixture in the pan, turning several times to ensure that they are coated well, leaving the pieces skin side up. 

* (see alternative cooking note) Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake in a 350 degree oven about 1  to 1 1/2 hours, turning the pieces mid-way through the cooking process, and once again close to the end of the suggested cooking time. The last 10 to 15 minutes of cooking should have the chicken pieces turned, skin side up.

*Alternatively, you can cook this dish in your slow cooker on high heat for 4 1/2 to 5 hours. 

Regardless of which cooking method that you use, make certain that the chicken is cooked through and any juices run clear before you remove from the heat source. The chicken should literally pull free from the bone easily, as though it could fall off the bone, when the dish is done. 

Suggested Additions

For extra spiciness, Add a few red pepper flakes (pennies) to the sauce once you return the chicken pieces to the marinade.

For thicker sauce, drain the chicken once it is cooked and add a few spoonfuls of cornstarch or arrowroot (pennies) to the drippings. Bring to a boil over medium heat in a sauce pan until the juices thicken. Pour sauce back over the chicken, or serve on the side. 

Serving Suggestions

Serve with plain, steamed white rice on the side.

This next part is entirely optional, but for a more authentic flavor, try spritzing the cooked chicken pieces with some freshly squeezed lime juice and garnish with lime slices.

Sliced green onions also make an attractive garnish for this dish.

Total Cost

Not counting rice and lime garnish, the total cost to make Chicken Adobo is a little over $4, and it will feed a family of four three pieces of chicken each. 

Get More

If you like recipes under $5, be certain to check back for another delicious frugal recipe of the week post next Wednesday!

Photo Credit: arnold inuyaki