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–+ servings
Top-down view of grilled chicken adobo, sliced and arranged on a platter with rice.

Grilled Adobo Chicken

easyhealthyrecipes.com/grilled-adobo-chicken/
Tender chicken breasts are marinated in a blend of soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and spices, then grilled to smoky perfection.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Marinate: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 35 minutes
Recipe makes approximately 4 servings

Equipment Needed

  • medium mixing bowl
  • whisk
  • large sealable food-safe plastic bag
  • Grill (or indoor grill pan)
  • Tongs
  • Internal meat thermometer
  • large plate

Ingredients Needed

For the Adobo Marinade

  • ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup rice vinegar
  • 6 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 2-3 bay leaves
  • ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • 2 teaspoons brown sugar (or coconut sugar, or Brown Swerve)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, more or less to taste)
  • 1-2 green onions (sliced, plus more for garnish)

For the Chicken

  • 4 medium boneless, skinless chicken breasts (approximately 2 pounds total; equally sized)

Instructions

  • Add ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ⅓ cup rice vinegar, 6 cloves garlic, 2-3 bay leaves, ½ teaspoon whole peppercorns, 2 teaspoons brown sugar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1-2 green onions to medium mixing bowl. Whisk well until ingredients are fully incorporated. Set aside.
    Adobo marinade in a glass mixing cup.
  • Place equally-sized chicken breasts in sealable food-safe bag. Pour marinade into bag, covering chicken completely, then seal bag while removing as much air as possible.
  • Gently massage chicken through bag until each chicken breast is completely covered in marinade. Place sealed bag in refrigerator and marinate chicken at least 1 hour, but no more than 12 hours.
    Chicken breasts in a Ziploc bag with adobo marinade.
  • Toward end of marinating team, preheat grill to medium-high, approximately 375° to 400° Fahrenheit. Once grill is preheated, use tongs to remove chicken breasts from marinade, shaking any excess marinade back into bag. Place chicken breasts directly on grill over indirect heat.
  • Grill chicken, uncovered, 7 to 10 minutes or until chicken is golden-brown on bottom. Carefully flip chicken breasts over and grill 7 to 10 minutes more, or until internal temperature of chicken reaches 160° Fahrenheit when checked with internal meat thermometer.
  • Once temperature is reached, carefully remove chicken from grill and transfer to large plate. Set chicken aside to rest 5 minutes, then slice chicken and serve warm with desired sides.
    Grilled adobo chicken on a large round white plate.

Recipe Notes

  • Cook times will vary depending on size and thickness of chicken breasts.
  • Make it Gluten Free: Use gluten-free soy sauce, or replace the soy sauce with lite tamari or coconut aminos.
  • Make it Keto: Replace the brown sugar with Brown Swerve.

Nutrition Info (Approximate)

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 361kcal | Protein: 52g | Fat: 13g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Total Carbs: 6g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Net Carbs: 5g | Vitamin C: 5mg | Cholesterol: 145mg | Sodium: 1416mg | Potassium: 999mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg