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 Keto Coconut Chicken or my Keto Chicken Wings.
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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, Sausage and Porcini Mushrooms recipe.
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.
Keto Chicken Adobo
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This Keto Chicken Adobo is made with chicken drumsticks, soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and simmered into perfection.
Ingredients
- 8 chicken drumsticks, on the bone (skinless optional)
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoon minced garlic
- 4 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
- Salt, as desired
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.
Notes
- Marinate overnight for best results!
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: Filipino
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 291.5
- Sugar: 0g
- Sodium: 1,003.6 mg
- Fat: 4.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 0 g
- Fiber: 3.1 g
- Protein: 33.0 g
- Cholesterol: 78.3 mg
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
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