Filipino Chicken Braised Dish (Printable Version)

Tender chicken braised in a flavorful mix of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and spices, served with rice.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.5 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks

→ Marinade & Sauce

02 - 1/3 cup soy sauce
03 - 1/3 cup cane vinegar (or white vinegar)
04 - 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
05 - 2 bay leaves
06 - 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns (or 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper)
07 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar (optional)
08 - 1/2 cup water

→ Finishing

09 - 2 tablespoons cooking oil
10 - Steamed white rice, for serving
11 - Chopped scallions, for garnish (optional)

# How To Make:

01 - Combine chicken, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, and brown sugar in a large bowl. Toss to coat evenly. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
02 - Remove chicken from marinade, reserving the liquid. Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towels.
03 - Heat oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place chicken skin-side down and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side.
04 - Pour reserved marinade and water into the skillet. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes, turning chicken once halfway through.
05 - Uncover and continue simmering for 10 to 15 minutes to thicken the sauce, skimming excess fat if desired.
06 - Discard bay leaves, taste and adjust seasoning. Serve hot over steamed rice, garnished with chopped scallions if preferred.

# Cooking Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce does all the work once you get the chicken in the pot, turning acidic and rich as it simmers.
  • Bone-in thighs stay so tender they practically dissolve, and the skin gets this incredible savory crust.
  • One pot, minimal fussing, tastes like you've been cooking all day but you haven't.
02 -
  • Don't skip the marinating step—even 30 minutes matters, because the chicken absorbs the flavors and the soy starts to season it from the inside out.
  • Pat the chicken dry before searing or it'll steam instead of brown, and you lose that crucial texture.
  • The sauce should reduce to about half its original volume; if it's still too thin after 15 minutes of simmering, uncover and keep going—patience here pays off in every spoonful.
03 -
  • Use bone-in chicken thighs no matter what—they're forgiving, flavorful, and stay moist where breasts would toughen up.
  • If your sauce is still too thin after 15 minutes of simmering uncovered, make a slurry of cornstarch and water and stir it in, but honestly, patience works better than any thickener.
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