Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo Recipe with Quinoa

Last Updated on January 13, 2023 by Anne-Marie

Make this slow cooker chicken adobo for dinner tonight! Crockpot chicken adobo is easy to make, wholesome, and delicious.

A blue plate of Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo with Quinoa and vegetables.

Why this recipe works

Make slow cooker chicken adobo for dinner whenever your grocery store has chicken thighs on sale.

Chicken adobo in a slow cooker, which we call “Pootie Chicken” at my house (long story), was one of the first dishes my husband cooked for me. Since then, I’ve turned it into a chicken adobo slow cooker recipe.

Chicken adobo is a traditional dish from the Philippines. Though this recipe is made with chicken thighs, it can also be made with pork or fish.

If you love vinegary marinades, barbecue sauces, or even kombucha, then you’ll enjoy this dish.

That’s because it’s the combination of soy sauce and vinegar, which helps keep the chicken nice and moist as well as deliciously tangy.

(Looking for more Asian-style recipes? Check out 35 of the Best Recipes to Serve with Fried Rice! )

A plate of slow cooker chicken adobo with quinoa and vegetables.

Wholesome easy chicken adobo with slow cooker convenience

Crockpot chicken adobo is an easy to make and wholesome dish as long as you do a few things:

remove the skin from the chicken thighs (Freeze the chicken skin for later to use in homemade chicken stock!)

use a low sodium soy sauce

use tamari soy sauce  or tamari soy sauce (low sodium) if you’re gluten free

serve with steamed vegetables on the side (Just heat up a bag of frozen veggies from the store! Easy, right?)

use slow cooker liners for easy crock-pot cleanup. Now that I use liners, I no longer have to soak my slow cooker overnight and scrub it using Bar Keepers Friend Cleanser and a scouring pad. Instead I just rinse and dry it.

Overhead shot of crockpot chicken adobo with vegetables and quinoa on blue plates.

Serving up Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo

Traditionally, chicken adobo is served over white rice. But I like serving the chicken with quinoa for an extra boost of protein and fiber.

Some people find quinoa kind of bitter. That’s because you have to rinse your quinoa before cooking! You see, rinsing removes quinoa's natural coating, called saponin, which can make it taste bitter or soapy.

To remove the saponin, place the quinoa in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold water for 2 minutes. Problem solved.

I also use quinoa in Shrimp Puttanesca and a wholesome Fruit and Yogurt Parfait that’s terrific as a dessert or breakfast dish.

Closeup of slow cooker chicken adobo on a white plate with a gold fork.

What kind of vinegar is used in a chicken adobo crockpot recipe?

Traditionally, Filipino cooks use palm vinegar in chicken adobo. Palm vinegar is a Filipino vinegar made from the sap of the sugar palm.

According to Wikipedia, there are three types of Filipino palm vinegars:

Coconut vinegar – made from coconut water and coconut sap

Nipa palm vinegar – made from Nypa fruticans sap

Kaong palm vinegar – made from Arenga pinnata sap

If you can find any of the three varieties, you should buy Kaong palm as it’s the sweetest and can also be used in salad dressings.

I usually find palm vinegar in Asian grocery stores. However, you can substitute white or apple cider vinegar for it when making your slow cooker chicken adobo recipe.

Blue plate of slow cooker chicken adobo with vegetables and quinoa

More easy chicken recipes

We love chicken because it’s inexpensive, delicious and so easy to cook with.

If you’re looking for some new chicken recipes, here are some you’ll love:

Sriracha Chicken Kabobs

Chicken Cordon Bleu Recipe

Chicken Shawarma Appetizers with Dipping Sauce

Nashville Hot Chicken and Waffles Recipe

Easy Instant Pot Chicken Thighs Recipe with Honey Garlic Sauce

Best Gluten Free General Tso Chicken Recipe

Sheet Pan Chicken Thighs

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken Recipe

Yield: 4 SERVINGS

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo Recipe with Quinoa

Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo is served with quinoa and steamed vegetables.

Make this Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo for dinner tonight! Crockpot chicken adobo is easy to make, wholesome, and delicious.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 20 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 1 3⁄4 pounds)
  • 2 medium yellow onions, sliced
  • 8 cloves garlic, peeled
  • 1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or gluten free tamari sauce
  • 3/4 cup palm, white or apple cider vinegar

Serving ingredients for slow cooker chicken adobo

  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa
  • water to cook quinoa per package directions
  • 1 bag Frozen vegetables (broccoli, squash, mixed vegetables, etc.)

Instructions

  1. Place chicken, sliced chopped onions, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves in a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker
  2. Pour soy sauce and vinegar over chicken.
  3. Cover and cook until the chicken and onions are tender – on low for 7 to 8 hours or on high for 4 to 5 hours.
  4. Thirty minutes before serving, prepare the quinoa according to the package directions.
  5. Ten minutes before serving, defrost the vegetables in the microwave per the package directions.
  6. Serve the chicken on top of the quinoa and vegetables. Enjoy!

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

2 pieces of chicken

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 828Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 28gCholesterol: 333mgSodium: 2444mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 6gSugar: 4gProtein: 75g

Nutritional information is automatically calculated per the ingredients list. Serving size may not be accurate. Please double-check with your preferred nutritional app for the most accurate information.

One thought on “Slow Cooker Chicken Adobo Recipe with Quinoa

  1. Carol

    I love chicken adobo. However I normally don’t put onions on it, just garlic that would do. Try adding a pinch of pepper too if you like.

    Reply

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