Chicken Adobo with Rice

If you answered the "What's for dinner?" question with "chicken," but you haven't actually decided what you're going to do with it yet, try this tonight. Based on traditional Filipino chicken adobo, or chicken stewed in vinegar, this is a perfect weeknight dish since it changes things up a bit and most of the ingredients are already in your pantry.

• 1-1/2 cups long-grain white rice
• Kosher salt
• 1 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1-1/2 lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch strips
• Freshly ground pepper
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
• 1/2 cup lower-sodium soy sauce
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 tsp. freshly cracked black peppercorns

Put the rice, a big pinch of salt, and 3 cups of water in a 3-quart saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside with the cover on.


Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with 1/4 tsp. each salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden-brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, 2 more minutes. Add the vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaf, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the liquid reduces by about one-quarter, 8 to 10 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.


Just before serving, uncover the rice and fluff it with a fork. Serve the chicken and sauce over the rice.