Chicken Adobo is a classic Filipino dish with bone-in chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, braised in soy sauce, vinegar, [a ton] of garlic and onion, and black pepper. I was hesitant to recreate this dish since garlic and onion are big flavor contributers. But I made it work with a lot of leek, green onion and a healthy splash of garlic oil at the end. The flavors aren’t EXACTLY the same, but it definitely makes for an extremely savory, comforting dish with a likeness to the original. With an idle hour of cook time, the chicken is literally falling off the bone! So here’s my Low FODMAP Filipino Chicken Adobo – let’s get into it!
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What You’ll Need
Gallon Zip Lock Bag – For marinating the chicken.
Measuring Cups & Spoons
Cutting Board & Knife – To chop the leek & green onion.
Large Plate – To use while browning the chicken.
Minimium 5 Qt. Dutch Oven or Stock Pot – To brown and braise.
Tongs – For flipping chicken.
Bowls & Spoons – For serving.
Note: I have not tried this recipe with a stock pot. If you do not have a dutch oven (or a large enough one) and you must use a stock pot, I’d recommend checking on the chicken every 10 minutes at first to ensure there’s enough liquid and that the chicken is not overcooking on one end.
About the Ingredients & FODMAP Content
Chicken Drumsticks – Using dark meat is crucial here to achieve that fall-off-the-bone texture without risk of overcooking. You can use bone-in thighs if that’s what is available to you. I only reommend you stick to bone-in, as that contributes a lot of savory flavor in the final dish. Because chicken is a protein, there are no FODMAPs.
Garlic-Infused Olive Oil – Low FODMAP garlic oil is added to the marinade and at the end for extra garlic flavor. If you’re using a store-bought oil, be sure that it is actually FODMAP-friendly! High FODMAP ingredients could end up in the final product depending on the manufacutring process. More on that in this article by FODMAP Everyday. My favorite garlic oil to use is by Garlic Gold, which I get off of Amazon in bulk. You can also order a single bottle in case you don’t want to commit to a 6-pack.
Gluten Free Tamari – The base of the marinade, I typically use the version by San-J. At least 2 tablespoons is Low FODMAP.
Distilled White Vinegar – Any white vinegar will do. I do not recommend any other kind of vinegar as other vinegars will taste slightly different. At least 2 tablespoons is Low FODMAP.
High Smoke Point Oil – When cooking oil starts to smoke, it can taste unpleasant and lose some nutritional value. I like to use avocado oil, but you can also use more acessible oils like canola or vegetable.
Leek & Green Onion – Flavor bombs! Be sure to only use the green portion (no detectable FODMAPs) as the white portion is High FODMAP. Pro tip: Stick the white ends with roots in a cup of water and leave on your counter to grow another serving of the green portion.
Dried Bay Leaves – Adds a subtle medicinal and aromatic flavor.
Coconut Sugar – Adds a hint of sweetness. 1 teaspoon is Low FODMAP, placing one serving under the FODMAP threshold.
Black Pepper & Crushed Red Pepper – Adds a little bit of peppery heat. Feel free to omit the crushed red pepper if your tummy doesn’t handle spice well.
Enjoy! <3
If you try my Low FODMAP Chicken Adobo, I’d love to know what you think! It makes me so happy when you guys try my recipes, and I’d love to know if you enjoy them as much as I do. It would mean so much to me if you left a start rating, or if you snapped a photo and tagged me on Instagram @thefodmapfactor.
Looking for other Asian-inspired, comforting recipes? Try my Chicken Coconut Curry Noodles, or my Sheet Pan Orange Chicken Copycat!
Low FODMAP Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
Chicken + Marinade
- 8 chicken drumsticks, skin on
- 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
- 1/3 cup gluten free tamari
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
For the Dutch Oven
- 2 tablespoons high-smoke point oil
- 1 cup chopped leek green part only
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon coconut sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
To Finish
- 1 cup chopped green onion green part only
- 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
- chopped cilantro optional
Instructions
- In a large gallon-sized ziplock bag, combine drumsticks, 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil, gluten free tamari, vinegar and 2 tbsp water. Seal & shake the bag to distribute ingredients. Lay bag flat in fridge to marinate from 30 minutes to 1 hour.
- Remove drumsticks from marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip back into the bag, and transfer to a plate. Keep marinade for later.
- Heat 1 tbsp high-smoke point oil (like avocado oil or vegetable oil) in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. In multiple batches, place the chicken first skin-side down, leaving room between chicken pieces, to brown until crisp, about 2 minutes. Flip pieces to repeat on other side, adding more oil as needed. Remove drumsticks and lower heat to medium.
- Add chopped leek and sauté for 2-3 minutes until slightly wilted. Lower heat to medium-low (about 3/10). Stir in reserved marinade, bay leaves, coconut sugar, black pepper and crushed red pepper.
- Return drumsticks to pot. Cover and cook on medium low for 1 hour, flipping and re-arranging drumsticks every 15 minutes.
- Once hour is up, stir in green onion tips until wilted, and 1 tbsp garlic-infused olive oil. Turn off heat. Prepare bowls of rice for serving and top with optional cilantro.
Notes
- If using store-bought garlic-infused oil that is not certified FODMAP-friendly, make sure to use a brand that doesn’t list “garlic oil,” “garlic essential oil,” “garlic essence,” “garlic flavoring,” “natural roasted garlic flavor,” or anything similar in the ingredients list. There’s no way to know whether these ingredients are low FODMAP. More on that in this article on FODMAP Everyday.
Did you make this recipe?
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