Adobo chicken liver is a dish made from chicken livers that have been simmered in a marinade made from adobo sauce. The spiced vinegar and soy adobo sauce creates one of the most savory Filipino comfort foods.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Adobo chicken liver is a dish that is dish is popular in the Philippines, where it is considered a comfort food. It's easy, economical, and the adobo sauce transforms the chicken livers into tender morsels.
Chicken livers are sautéed in a mixture of adobo sauce and olive oil until they are crispy and golden brown. The adobo sauce adds a delicious depth of flavor to the chicken liver, making it a dish you will want to enjoy time and time again.
This Adobo chicken liver recipe is especially good with our Traditional Pork Lumpia, Steamed White Rice, and Ube Leche Flan!
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Ingredients
You can buy fresh or frozen chicken livers. Empty them into a colander and rinse them. Cut the fiber that holds them together so they in halves. Inspect them for any bits of fat or cartilage and trim it off. Drain well.
- Fresh or Frozen chicken livers
- Soy sauce
- Rice vinegar
- Water
- Garlic, minced
- Onion, sliced into thin slivers
- Bay leaves
- Peppercorns
- Chili flakes
- Brown sugar
- Olive oil
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
How to Make Adobo Chicken Liver
This chicken liver adobo dish is an easy one pot meal. I used an enameled dutch oven, but you can use a crockpot or slow cooker also.
Saute the Garlic & Onion
- Mince the garlic and saute it in some olive oil.
- Remove a little browned garlic and save it for garnishing the final chicken liver adobo dish.
- Slice the onion into thin slices a saute until lightly browned and wilted.
Add the Chicken Livers and Seasonings
- Add the bay leaves, soy sauce, rice vinegar, peppercorns, brown sugar, chili flakes and water.
- Rice vinegar has the best flavor when making an adobo sauce.
Simmer on Low
- Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer. Stir gently and then cover and cook on low for 10 to 15 minutes. The chicken livers will have absorbed flavor from the adobo sauce. They will be tender but firm.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this rustic and humble chicken liver adobo dish on top or with Steamed White Rice. It can be accompanied by our Traditional Pork Lumpia or Fresh Vegetable Lumpia, followed with our authentic Ube Leche Flan for dessert!
Full ingredient amounts and preparation instructions are in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.
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Substitutions and Variations
Try adobo with any meat. Chicken adobo is best with chicken thighs are it stays more tender and flavorful than chicken breast.
- Chicken Adobo - Chicken thighs cook up much faster that beef or pork. Simmer for about 1 hour to 90 minutes.
- Pork Adobo - use the country style boneless ribs when making pork adobo. Cut in 3" chunks and slow cook for 3 to 4 hours.
- Beef Adobo - use the typical pot roast cut of chuck to make beef adobo. Cut the meat into 2 to 3 inch pieces before simmering. Let it slow cook for 3 to 4 hours.
Equipment
You can use a slow cooker, or a stove top dutch oven. Don't use the Instant Pot for the adobo chicken livers, as it is too easy to overcook the chicken livers and make them tough.
You can use an Instant Pot when making the Chicken Thigh, Beef, or Pork Adobo though! Set the Instant Pot on the Soup or Stew setting after sauteing the garlic and onions.
Storage
Store any leftovers chicken adobo in plastic tubs. You can refrigerate it for up to 5 days. Or, you can freeze it for up to 3 months.
Tips for Success
- Calculate 4 oz of chicken livers per person when buying the chicken livers (they are dense, lean, and filling, and don't shrink up much) for chicken liver adobo. Calculate 6 to 8 oz of chicken thighs, pork rib, or beef chuck when making adobo.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, you can. Just cut it into 2 to 3" chunks. Cook the same as the instructions for chicken liver.
Food Safety
- 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.
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📖 Recipe
Adobo Chicken Liver
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1½ lbs chicken livers
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup water
- 1 medium onion, sliced thin
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 peppercorns
- ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 green onions, sliced small
Instructions
- Wash and clean the chicken livers. Separate the filaments holding the halves together. Set in a strainer or colander to drain.1½ lbs chicken livers
- Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven. Add the minced garlic and brown. Set aside 1 teaspoon of the browned garlic bits for garnishing the final dish.2 tablespoon olive oil, 6 cloves garlic, minced
- Add the sliced onions and saute until lightly browned and wilted. Add the chicken livers, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water red chili flakes, bay leaves, peppercorns, and brown sugar. Stir gently, bring dutch oven to a bubble and cook 2 minutes.¼ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup rice vinegar, ¼ cup water, 1 medium onion, sliced thin, 2 bay leaves, 6 peppercorns, ¼ teaspoon red chili flakes, 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- Reduce heat to low and simmer for 25 minutes.
- Serve with white rice garnished with browned garlic and sliced green onions.3 green onions, sliced small
Notes
- Anticipate 4 to 6 oz of chicken livers per person when buying. They don't shrink up and are lean and filling.
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