Crispy Chicken Thighs with Adobo sa Gata Gravy

Adobo doesn’t always have to be a stew. In this recipe, it takes the form of a rich, garlicky coconut gravy—like a reduced adobo sa gata—to go over crispy chicken thighs.

What is Adobo?

Adobo refers to the Filipino dish and cooking technique where ingredients are braised in vinegar with salt (usually soy sauce), garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Almost anything can be adobo: meat, fish, seafood, vegetables. You’ll find endless variations on adobo across the Philippines, each with their own unique flavors, ingredients, spices, and textures.

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Start by slowly rendering chicken thighs in a pan, skin side down, until golden and crackly. Build a pan gravy with the leftover chicken fat: use it to cook aromatics until fragrant, then simmer with soy sauce, garlic, and coconut milk.

Match the coconut milk in the gravy with coconut vinegar, if you have it. Though pricier than your usual adobo-making vinegar, it adds a sweet, fragrant note to the final sauce.