Pork Adobo is made with succulent pork belly braised in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and onions. A delicious balance of salty and savory, this hearty stew is the Philippines’ national dish for a good reason!
The Filipino adobo is a cooking process or technique where meat, seafood, or indigenous vegetables are braised in a mixture of vinegar with aromatics such as garlic, onions, peppercorns, and bay leaves.
As many and as diverse are the islands and dialects in the Philippines are the many ways adobo is prepared. With atsuete, in coconut milk or sweetened with pineapples are just a few versions of this classic Filipino national dish.
Some like the hearty stew with more sauce, while others prefer it simmered dry. Others like it slightly tangy, while some prefer it on the sweet side.
This recipe is how I like mine, with beautifully seared pork, and a rich and thick sauce to spoon over mounds of rice.
I prefer to use pork belly in my adobo as I like its melt-in-your-mouth tenderness, but you can substitute pork shoulder, which, although a leaner cut, has enough ribbons of fat to bring equally delicious results.
Other cuts, such as pork chops, legs, hocks, and ribs, are also good options for slow cooking.
The adobo cooking process was initially a way to preserve food, with pre-colonial Filipinos preparing meat and seafood in vinegar and salt to prolong shelf life. It’s a great make-ahead dish and tastes better after a day or two when the flavors have melded.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me @kawalingpinoy on Facebook and Instagram!
“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”
Pork Adobo Recipe
Basic Filipino Prok Adobo with Soy Sauce, Vinegar, and Garlic. This delicious dish is perfect when served over newly cooked white rice.
Prep: 10min
Total: 70min
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 4 g
Nutrition Facts: servingSize 4 g, calories 1211 kcal, Carbohydrate 5 g, Protein 24 g, Fat 120 g, Saturated Fat 43 g, Cholesterol 163 mg, Sodium 1700 mg, Fiber 1 g
Ingredients:
- 2 lbs pork belly ((note 1))
- 2 tablespoons garlic ((note 2))
- 5 dried bay leaves ((note 3))
- 4 tablespoons vinegar ((note 4))
- 1/2 cup soy sauce ((note 5))
- 1 tablespoon peppercorn ((note 6))
- 2 cups water
- Salt to taste
Instruction:
- Combine the pork belly, soy sauce, and garlic then marinade for at least 1 hour
- Heat the pot and put-in the marinated pork belly then cook for a few minutes
- Pour remaining marinade including garlic.
- Add water, whole pepper corn, and dried bay leaves then bring to a boil. Simmer for 40 minutes to 1 hour
- Put-in the vinegar and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes
- Add salt to taste
- Serve hot. Share and enjoy!
Pork Adobo
Pork Adobo is a tangy, savory, and slightly sweet dish. Pork Adobo originated in the Philippines and involves simmering meat in a vinegar, soy sauce and garlic
Prep: 5min
Total: 110min
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 196 kcal, Carbohydrate 4 g, Protein 19 g, Fat 11 g, Saturated Fat 6 g, Cholesterol 62 mg, Sodium 547 mg, Fiber 1 g, Sugar 2 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 pounds pork shoulder ((cut into chunks))
- ¼ cup cane vinegar or white vinegar
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 6 cloves garlic ((chopped))
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups water
Instruction:
- In a medium dutch oven or pot over medium high heat, add the oil and sear the pork until browned on all sides.
- Add the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, bay leaf, peppercorns (tied in cheese cloth if desired), sugar, and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour.
- Remove the cover and continue simmering for another 30 minutes to reduce the sauce.
- Serve over rice!
Pork Adobo
This recipe is inspired by Filipino pork adobo, which relies heavily on vinegar, black pepper, and soy sauce. Plan for a long braising time and serve with rice!
Prep: 25min
Total: 2h
Yield: 6 serving(s)
Ingredients:
- 1/3 c. low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 c. plus 3 tbsp. distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tbsp. fish sauce
- 1 tbsp. sriracha (optional)
- 1 tsp. grated fresh ginger
- 2 1/2 lb. skin-on pork shoulder, cut into 1 1/2″ pieces
- 2 tbsp. virgin coconut oil
- 2 small yellow onions, each cut into 6 wedges
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 dried ancho chile, stemmed (optional)
- 1 tbsp. black peppercorns
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 c. water
- 1/4 tsp. MSG (optional)
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instruction:
- {‘@type’: ‘HowToSection’, ‘name’: ‘Marinade’, ‘itemListElement’: []}
- {‘@type’: ‘HowToSection’, ‘name’: ‘Adobo And Assembly’, ‘itemListElement’: [{‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘In a large pot over medium heat, heat oil. Cook onion, garlic, chile, if using, peppercorns, salt, and bay leaves, stirring occasionally, until garlic is lightly golden, 4 to 6 minutes.’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Drain pork; reserve marinade. Increase heat to high and add pork to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pan is dry and pork is lightly caramelized, 17 to 19 minutes. Add reserved marinade and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pork is very tender and can be cut with a spoon, about 1 hour.’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and continue to simmer until sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir in MSG, if using.’}, {‘@type’: ‘HowToStep’, ‘text’: ‘Place rice on a platter. Top with pork and pour sauce over.’}]}
Pork Adobo
Filipino Adobo made with pork belly is a delicious medley of salty and savory you’ll love with steamed rice. It’s easy to make, hearty, tasty, and sure to be a dinner favorite!
Prep: 15min
Total: 75min
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 1256 kcal, Carbohydrate 6 g, Protein 25 g, Fat 123 g, Saturated Fat 44 g, Cholesterol 163 mg, Sodium 2280 mg, Sugar 1 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 2 pounds pork belly, cut into 2-inch cubes
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 head garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 cup vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup water
Instruction:
- In a bowl, combine pork, onions, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Place in the refrigerator and marinate for about 30 minutes.
- In a wide, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add meat mixture and cook, turning occasionally, until pork is lightly browned.
- Add vinegar and allow to boil, uncovered and without stirring, for about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Add soy sauce and water and stir to combine. Allow to a boil for another 3 to 5 minutes.
- Lower heat, cover, and simmer for about 40 to 50 minutes or until meat is fork-tender and sauce is reduced.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.
MELT IN YOUR MOUTH PORK ADOBO||MAE’S KITCHEN
FAQ
What are the original ingredients in adobo?
How to cook pork adobo?
Add the vinegar, low sodium soy sauce, garlic, bay leaf, black peppercorns, sugar, and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Remove the cover and continue simmering for another 30 minutes to reduce the sauce. Serve over rice!
How much soy sauce and vinegar for pork adobo?
- 2 lbs pork belly (note 1)
- 2 tablespoons garlic (note 2)
- 5 dried bay leaves (note 3)
- 4 tablespoons vinegar (note 4)
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (note 5)
- 1 tablespoon peppercorn (note 6)
- 2 cups water.
- Salt to taste.
What are the steps in cooking adobo?
- Heat the oil in a cooking pot.
- Add the garlic. …
- Add the peppercorns and bay leaves. …
- Put the pork belly in the cooking pot. …
- Pour the soy sauce and beef broth (or water). …
- Pour-in the vinegar. …
- Taste your pork adobo and decide to add salt if needed.
- Transfer to a serving plate.