Juicy One Skillet Roast Chicken Adobo

By Valentina Dimitrova | Updated on March 31, 2025

Roast Chicken Adobo is a flavorful and  juicy one-skillet dish basted with a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and black peppercorns. Your new NON-BORING roast chicken!

a skillet with roast chicken adobo

Roast chicken is a classic, but this one comes with a zing: adobo!!! 

In fact, chicken adobo is the unofficial national dish of the Philippines. It comes from the Spanish verb "adobar" which means marinade.

It features chicken marinaded in vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and black peppercorn. Yummy, right?!

Well, our Roast Chicken Adobo is not marinated but rather basted with an adobo sauce. 

This is a whole bird -- hence the reason why we baste the chicken instead of marinading. But it doesn't lack a bit in flavor! 

It's gluten-free, low carb, and keto friendly. Moreover, it's a delish dish, quite easy to prepare... in one single pan.

I'm tellin ya, it's dinner made easy! Ready for some TASTY roast chicken?

HOW TO MAKE ONE SKILLET ROAST CHICKEN ADOBO

First, preheat oven to 425 F. Remove giblets and neck and pat dry chicken with paper towel.

Then, spray a 12-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray and place chicken in it; set aside.

Second, mix all the other ingredients except the bay leaves in a small saucepan and let come to a boil over high heat.

Reduce heat to medium, stir in butter and let cook for about 4-5 minutes or until thickened.

You can skip the sauce reduction if you prefer. To do this, melt butter in the microwave and stir in with the other ingredients.

Third, transfer about ⅓ of the mixture to a bowl and reserve.

Then, brush adobo chicken all over with the remaining sauce, including under loose skin and inside the cavity.

basted raw whole chicken

Next, place bay leaves inside chicken cavity, tie legs together with a piece of twine, and place wings under breasts. Bake for 30 minutes.

Then, reduce temp to 350 F, brush chicken on top and sides, and bake for 30 minutes more or until internal temp reaches 165 F.

Last, remove from the oven, brush with the reserved sauce, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Then enjoy with fresh salad, cooked veggies, rice, or any other side of your choice.

CHEF'S NOTES FOR ROAST CHICKEN ADOBO

  • Tip:  remove chicken from the fridge 30-60 minutes prior roasting -- for more even cooking.
  • If you are celiac, use a gluten-free soy sauce. Moreover, skip butter if you are lactose intolerant.
  • If you'd desire, while roast chicken is resting, crack or grind a few peppercorns and sprinkle them on top of the chicken.
  • For those on a keto/low carb diet, serve chicken with a side of fresh salad or cooked asparagus.
  • If you prefer not to reduce the adobo sauce, simply melt butter in the microwave and mix in with the rest of the ingredients. Then, brush all over the chicken.

HOW TO PICK A FRESH WHOLE CHICKEN

  • First of all, take a look at the color: pick one with pink flesh. In other words, avoid those with a grayish or transparent color. 
  • Second, feel the texture: the flesh must be firm yet spring back to its original shape.
  • Third, look out for odors -- since fresh chicken doesn't have bad smell.
  • Fourth, see to it that there are no bloody spots on cut parts -- blood is a sign that the chicken has been frozen and thawed.

HOW TO STORE ROAST CHICKEN ADOBO LEFTOVERS

close up showing roast chicken adobo drumstick

Slice cooked roast chicken and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. 

Freeze in small portions in ziploc  bags for up to 2 months. 

SIDES THAT GO WITH ROAST CHICKEN ADOBO

MORE CHICKEN RECIPES

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a skillet with roast chicken adobo
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5 from 3 votes

One Skillet Roast Chicken Adobo

Roast Chicken Adobo is a flavorful and juicy one-skillet dish basted with a mixture of vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and black peppercorns. It takes roast chicken to a whole new level! 
Course:Main Course
Cuisine:Filipino
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings 8
Calories431 kcal
Cost $ 0.66 per person

Ingredients

  • 5-6 pounds whole chicken pat dry, giblets and neck removed
  • ½ cup white vinegar
  • cup soy sauce use a GF one if you're celiac
  • 4 garlic cloves minced
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon black peppercorns ground
  • 2 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tablespoon honey if on a keto diet, use sugar-free maple syrup
  • 3 bay leaves

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 F. Remove giblets and neck and pat dry chicken with paper towel. Spray a 12-inch cast iron skillet with cooking spray and place chicken in it. Set aside. 
  • In a medium saucepan, mix all the other ingredients except bay leaves and let come to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, stir in butter and let cook for about 4-5 minutes or until thickened.  
  • If you prefer not reducing the adobo sauce, simply melt butter in the microwave and mix in with the rest of the ingredients. Transfer about ⅓ of the mixture to a bowl and reserve. 
  • Then, brush chicken all over, including under loose skin and inside the cavity. Place bay leaves inside chicken cavity.
  • Bake for 30 minutes. Then, reduce temp to 350 F, brush chicken on top and sides, and bake for 30 minutes more, or until internal temp reaches 165 F. 
  • Remove from the oven, brush with the reserved sauce, and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. Enjoy with fresh salad, cooked veggies, or any other side of your choice. 

Recipe Notes

  • Remove chicken from the fridge 30-60 minutes prior roasting. This will ensure more even cooking. 
  • If you are celiac, use a gluten-free soy sauce.
  • If you are lactose intolerant, skip butter.
  • If you desire, while roast chicken is resting, crack or grind a few peppercorns and sprinkle on top of the chicken. 
  • For those on a keto/low carb diet, serve with a side of fresh salad or cooked asparagus.
  • Slice cooked roast chicken and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Freeze in small portions in ziploc bags for up to 2 months. 
  • ★ Did you make this recipe? Please, give it a star rating below!! 

Nutrition

Calories: 431kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 32g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1176mg | Potassium: 311mg | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 280IU | Vitamin C: 2.6mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1.8mg

** Nutrition labels on easyanddelish.com are for educational purposes only. This info is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate, since the nutrition content of recipes can vary based on ingredient brand or source, portion sizes, recipe changes/variations, and other factors. We suggest making your own calculations using your preferred calculator, based on which ingredients you use, or consulting with a registered dietitian to determine nutritional values more precisely.

Please note that health-focused and diet information provided on easyanddelish.com is for educational purposes and does not constitute medical advice, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease. Consult with your doctor or other qualified health professional prior to initiating any significant change in your diet or exercise regimen, or for any other issue necessitating medical advice.

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5 from 3 votes (1 rating without comment)

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10 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This was a very nice recipe. I did modify it by using Worcestershire Sauce (Lea & Perrin's, accept no substitutes!) as it has much less sodium than soy sauce. Also used Lakanto Golden Monkfruit Extract dissolved in water instead of honey with a tiny dab of cornstarch to thicken. Finally, I used Rogue River Ultimate Mushroom Powder spice blend since it's low in sodium also but imparts umami to dishes for miles. Great method of cooking the chicken. One thing I like to do is remove the chicken and tent it when lowering the heat and let it sit on the stove top for about 15 minutes while the oven returns to 350 degrees. This method helps keep the chicken from becoming dried out.

    Made pinto beans with chilies in adobo, riced cauliflower, and roast new potatoes for my better half. It was delicious; subtle, rich, very nice.

  2. I followed the recipe and all the instructions but I am very dissapointed coz the chicken didnt cook at all and very very salty 🙁

    1. HI Liz! I am sorry that you were disappointed with this recipe. Two things I have to say:
      1. It is impossible that after 60 minutes (total time stated in the recipe to cook) the chicken was not cooked, unless your oven is not heating properly or you live in high altitudes. A regular-size chicken cook in 60 minutes (full-proof). The recipe also states ", or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F." This means, if you have inserted the thermometer, it had to read that temperature to be safe to eat and so to be cooked. If your oven doesn't work properly, you'll need more than 60 minutes --- or until the thermometer reads 165F whatever time takes for your chicken to cook in your oven. This is something easy to adjust to your conditions. After 60 minutes, insert the thermometer in the chicken, not touching a bone. If it does not reach 165F, put back in the oven and check every 5-10 minutes until it reaches that temp.
      2. Salty may be for your palate. This chicken recipe calls for NO salt at all. The only salty ingredient is soy sauce. For my palate and my family's, the chicken was not salty. But if for yours it is, then use a reduced-sodium soy sauce for this recipe. Only you can control that!

      I am sorry, but the recipe is good! May not be for your taste, but it is a good recipe. One that I make for my family and they enjoy!

  3. Terrific dish! And one I've made only once or twice. I gotta do it again -- using your recipe, of course. Thanks!