Keto Chicken Adobo

This Keto Chicken Adobo is made with chicken drumsticks, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and simmered into perfection.

This Low Carb Filipino Chicken Adobo is traditionally made with peppercorns. I tried it with peppercorns and with regular pepper and both taste amazing. I love slow cooked bone-in chicken and this is by far one of my favorites.  This is a one pot recipe which makes cleanup that much easier.

This is a sweet and sour dish that has become a staple in my house. Adobo Chicken is a national dish of the Philippines and will most likely become a staple in your home as well. This is an effortless recipe because you can just cover at a low heat, set a timer, and go about your day.

If you love this recipe, feel free to try my Harissa Honey Chicken or my Gochujang Chicken wings.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Keto Chicken Adobo
• Food safety

Ingredients

You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:

• Chicken Drumsticks
• Soy Sauce
• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Garlic
• Bay Leaves
• Olive oil
• Peppercorn

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Marinate the chicken in soy sauce, vinegar, peppercorns, salt and garlic for at least an hour to 6 hours.

In a large lidded saucepan on medium-high heat, add oil and wait for it to shimmer. Add the drumsticks (reserve the marinade) and brown all over, about 8 minutes, turning once halfway.

Pour the marinade into the pot, bring to a boil, and then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Cook until the meat is tender, about 45 minutes.

Remove the cover and cook an additional 15 minutes, until the sauce reduces.

Discard the bay leaves and serve over Cilantro Lime rice. Salt as needed.

Substitutions

Chicken Drumsticks: The drumsticks are a great part of the chicken to use, although I have seen other use chicken thighs for this recipes. 

Soy sauce: Soy sauce is essential for salting and brings out so much flavor in the marinade. 

Garlic: I love using fresh garlic for best flavor. 

Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is my favorite vinegar to use for this, although you can use rice vinegar as well. 

Variations

Cooking is a chance to be creative! Have fun with it and feel free to make your own variation.

• Spicy - add chili pepper flakes while cooking to imbue heat into the dish.
• Deluxe - serve on rice.
• Kid friendly - make a sandwich out of the meat!

Check out this Chicken Caprese Sandwich!

Equipment

Equipment can have a big impact on how a recipe turns out. Stone bakeware takes longer to heat up than metal pans, and also retain heat for longer, which could make the recipe more watery, or burnt on the outsides.

I love using my Caraway pots, pans and baking sheets for best quality. Get yourself a discount by clicking here!

Storage

This will be good in the refrigerator for 2-3 days, or frozen up to three months.

Top tip

Keep heat at the lowest heat when covered.

Print

Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.