I’m finally sharing my family’s Pork Adobo recipe which we’ve been enjoying for years! The sauce is deeply savory, tangy, and with a caramelized sweetness that perfectly coats the tender chunks of pork belly.

While there are hundreds of different ways to make adobo, this particular recipe was based off of my mom’s version that I grew to love.

Table of Contents

Ingredients and Substitutions

*The Recipe Card below includes all the full measurements for these ingredients!

Pork belly: Pork belly is one of the golden cuts of pork for adobo due to its fat content. Feel free to use other cuts if you prefer, such as shoulder or hock.

Garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns: These are the standard aromatics we’ll need to make a classic pork adobo. Crush the peppercorns, and you’ll get a sharper, more intense pepper flavor all throughout. Keep them whole, and the aroma and essence of the peppercorn will be milder (this is also the traditional method).

Brown sugar: Brown sugar gives the adobo a deep, caramel flavor that compliments the savoriness of the sauce.

Soy sauce: This will form the basis of our adobo. If you can, go for Filipino soy sauce like Datu Puti or Marca Piña.

Cane vinegar: The key ingredient for adobo, which gives the dish its signature tang. Traditional recipes use either cane vinegar or coconut vinegar. Otherwise, any standard white vinegar, apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar can work as quick replacements.

Instructions

*The Recipe Card below includes all the full detailed instructions!

Sear your pork on all sides until golden.

Add in the garlic, bay leaves, black peppercorns, and brown sugar.

Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, and water. Bring to a boil, then let simmer until the pork is tender.

Turn your heat to high and let the sauce boil until you get a thick consistency. Serve over rice. Enjoy!

Pork adobo (adobong baboy) with rice, eggs, and bokchoy

Cooking Tips

Reduce the sauce to your desired consistency: The longer you reduce and boil your sauce, the thicker and more intense the flavor becomes. You can choose to keep your adobo saucy by reducing it just slightly.

Experiment with other ingredients: This recipe is just one of many ways to prepare adobo. While not exactly traditional, other variations include adding five spice, star anise, dried chilies, onion, or even coconut milk into the adobo.

Serve the next day: Adobo is always ten times better the next day since it allows the sauce to deeply penetrate the meat and concentrate its flavors further. What I usually do is cook my adobo the day before I plan to serve it.

I end up reducing the sauce to just about a half (not enough to be a thick glaze), and then I let it sleep in the fridge overnight. When time to serve, I put the pot back on the heat and finish reducing the sauce to my desired consistency.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

How do I store leftovers?

Leftovers can stay good for up to 4 days in the fridge stored in an airtight resealable container. To reheat, simply microwave or heat over stovetop until fully warmed and the sauce is liquid in consistency.

Can I add anything else to the adobo?

Some common additions you can add to adobo include boiled eggs and potatoes. These are commonly done in Filipino households in order to feed more mouths, but they taste delicious as mix-ins too.

How do I serve adobo?

In its basic form, adobo is commonly eaten with a warm bowl of rice, accompanied with veggies (such as tomatoes and bokchoy) or a boiled egg. Apart from that, you can be a bit more creative and use this as filling for buns (e.g., siopao) or as a protein for fried rice.

What is Filipino adobo?

Adobo is an umbrella term in Filipino cuisine that encompasses anything marinated and/or stewed in a mixture of vinegar, salt or soy sauce, and other spices/aromatics.

The most common types of adobo is made with either pork or chicken, while more underrated dishes include adobong sitaw (green bean adobo), adobong kanin (adobo rice), or adobo sa gata (coconut milk adobo).

Here’s a couple more recipes you might love: