Prepare to be blown away by the Philippines’ most famous dish, Filipino Chicken Adobo. This mouthwatering dish will quickly become one of your favorite Asian chicken dishes. The best part? Most likely, you already have everything you need in your kitchen.

This masterpiece is easy to make, and the result is nothing short of spectacular: juicy, tender chicken covered in a sweet and savory glaze with a touch of heat from peppercorns.

Now, let’s talk about chicken thighs, which are the main attraction. You don’t want to switch these for chicken breasts, trust me! The rich, juicy flavor that makes this dish a real winner comes from the thighs.

Ingredients

For the Marinade

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons white vinegar
• 4 fresh bay leaves or 3 dried bay leaves

For Cooking

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thigh fillets
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 brown onion, diced
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons sliced green onions, optional for serving

Instructions

Marinate the Chicken

Add the chicken thighs to a bowl with the soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and bay leaves. Turn the chicken until well coated.

Cover and marinate for at least 20 minutes. For a deeper flavor, refrigerate it overnight.

Sear the Chicken

Remove the chicken from the marinade, but keep the marinade for the sauce.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sear for about 1 minute per side, just until lightly browned. The chicken does not need to be cooked through yet.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.

Build the Sauce

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and diced onion, then cook for about 1–2 minutes, until fragrant and slightly softened.

Pour in the reserved marinade, water, brown sugar, and whole black peppercorns. Stir well and bring the sauce to a boil.

Simmer the Chicken

Return the chicken to the skillet, smooth side down. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 20–25 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through.

The chicken should become tender, and the sauce should reduce into a darker, glossy glaze.

Thicken and Serve

If the sauce is still too thin, remove the chicken from the pan and let the sauce simmer for a few extra minutes until it thickens.

Return the chicken to the skillet and spoon the sauce over the top.

Serve warm over rice, with sliced green onions on top if desired.

Fancy this delightful Filipino Chicken Adobo recipe? Give your Pinterest friends a treat to spread the joy! Pin the picture below to your board because good food, laughter, and Adobo are meant to be shared.

More Delicious Filipino Recipes

Filipino Chicken Tocino Recipe

Filipino Beef Caldereta Recipe

Buko Pandan Recipe (Filipino Coconut Dessert)

Kare-Kare Recipe (Filipino Oxtail Stew)

Ensaymada Recipe (Filipino Buns)

Homemade Sisig Recipe (Filipino Pork Belly)

Homemade Beef Tapa

Filipino Maja Blanca Recipe

These Italian pizzelle are thin, crisp waffle cookies made with eggs, butter, vanilla, and a touch of anise. They cook in a pizzelle iron in less than a minute and firm up as they cool, giving them their characteristic delicate snap and patterned surface.

The batter should be thick enough to scoop rather than pour. Start with about a heaping tablespoon for each cookie and adjust after the first batch, since pizzelle irons vary in size. The cookies will still feel soft when you lift them from the iron, so transfer them directly to a wire rack and let them cool flat before deciding whether they need more cooking time.

Anise gives pizzelle their traditional aromatic flavor, but vanilla keeps it balanced. If you don’t enjoy anise, you can leave it out and use vanilla alone.

What Are Pizzelle?

Pizzelle are thin Italian waffle cookies cooked between the patterned plates of a special pizzelle iron. They are especially associated with the Abruzzo region of Italy and are often made for holidays, weddings, and family celebrations.

Depending on the recipe, pizzelle can be flavored with anise, vanilla, lemon, or other aromatics. Fresh from the iron they’re soft and flexible, but they become crisp as they cool.

The Pizzelle Iron (Pizzelle maker)

The Pizzelle Iron: The pizzelle iron, which looks like a small waffle iron but has shallower grooves, is an important part of making these delicious Italian cookies. These irons are very cheap, especially if you buy them well before Christmas. They also last a very long time. In fact, many people have had their pizzelle irons for more than ten years, and they still work great.

This versatile tool can be used to make tasty pizzelles, but it can also be used to make homemade ice cream cones and cannoli shells, giving you even more delicious dessert options and making the most of its use in your kitchen.

Ingredients

• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon anise extract, or 2–3 drops food-grade anise oil
• 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• Powdered sugar, for dusting, optional

Instructions

1. Mix the Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for about 1–2 minutes, until the mixture looks slightly lighter and the sugar is mostly dissolved. Whisk in the vanilla and anise.
2. Add the Butter: Slowly whisk in the melted butter until completely combined. Make sure the butter is warm, not hot, so it doesn’t cook the eggs.
3. Add the Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and stir just until no dry flour remains. The batter should be thick and spoonable, not runny. Avoid overmixing.
4. Heat the Pizzelle Iron: Preheat the pizzelle maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Lightly grease it only if your model requires it.
5. Cook the Pizzelles: Place about 1 heaping tablespoon of batter slightly behind the center of each pizzelle pattern. Close the iron and cook until the pizzelles are lightly golden, usually 30–60 seconds, depending on your machine.
6. Cool Until Crisp: Carefully remove the pizzelles with a thin spatula and transfer them immediately to a wire rack. They will be soft when hot but become crisp as they cool.
7. Repeat: Continue with the remaining batter, adjusting the amount if the batter spreads beyond the edges of your pizzelle iron.
8. Finish: Let the pizzelles cool completely, then dust lightly with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

A Short History of Pizzelle

Pizzelle are closely associated with Abruzzo in central Italy, where similar cookies are also known as ferratelle, neole, and other regional names.

Decorative iron-baked cookies in Abruzzo can be traced to at least the 1700s. Some traditional irons were made with family crests, initials, or dates pressed into their plates, turning each cookie into a distinctive family design.

Today, pizzelle are commonly served for holidays and celebrations and can be eaten plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or paired with sweet fillings.

Pizzelle Variations

This classic pizzelle cookie recipe calls for anise extract, which gives the cookies their traditional anise flavor. But if you don’t have anise on hand or want to try different flavors, we’ve put together a list of delicious alternatives so you can make pizzelles that suit your tastes. The following ingredients can be used in the same amounts as the anise extract:

• Lemon pizzelle: Use lemon extract for a zesty, citrusy twist.
• Vanilla pizzelle: Swap in vanilla extract for a softly sweet aroma and taste.
• Almond pizzelle: Replace with almond extract for a wonderful nutty flavor.
• Chocolate pizzelle: Add chocolate flavor or chocolate extract for a rich, indulgent touch.

How to Serve Pizzelle Cookies

With just a little bit of powdered sugar on them, pizzelle cookies are tasty on their own. But there are many different ways to enjoy these tasty treats. Here are some suggestions:

Rolled: Pizzelles that have just been cooked are soft and can be rolled into shapes like cannoli shells.

S’mores Twist: For a fun twist on the classic campfire treats, combine pizzelle, marshmallows, and chocolate.

Ice Cream Cone: If you want to serve ice cream in a unique and tasty way, try rolling pizzelle into the shape of a cone.

Ice Cream Topping:  As a topping for ice cream, crumble pizzelle on top to add texture and flavor.

Sandwich: Spread Nutella, peanut butter, or caramel on pizzelle to make a sandwich (similar to a stroopwafel). To keep them from getting soggy, add them just before serving.

Fruit-filled: To make a light and refreshing pizzelle dessert, add a dollop of whipped cream and your favorite fresh fruit.

Layered Pizzelle Cake: To make an elegant, layered dessert, stack pizzelles with layers of sweetened mascarpone or cream cheese frosting in between.

Chocolate-Dipped: For a chocolatey touch, dip half of the pizzelles in melted chocolate and let them cool on parchment paper.

Pizzelle Tiramisu: Use pizzelles as a clever alternative for ladyfingers in a traditional tiramisu recipe.

Mini Pizzelle Cups: While the pizzelles are still flexible, press them into a mini muffin tin to make small cups that can be filled with mousse, custard, or fruit for a bite-sized dessert.

Listen up, dessert fans! Summer will be here sooner than you think, and we have a treat that will blow your mind and make your taste buds dance with delight. It’s Buko Pandan, the best cold dessert in the Philippines. This delicious dessert is a mix of jelly cubes, young, tender coconut, and sweetened cream flavored with the aroma of pandan leaves.

Buko Pandan is usually saved for special events like weddings and fiestas, but who needs a reason to enjoy this delicious treat? You can make it any time you want a sweet, creamy dessert that makes you feel like you’re in a tropical paradise.

And don’t forget about the add-ins! Every spoonful has a variety of textures and tastes, from soft jelly to chewy Nata de Coco and sweet coconut meat. Trust us, Buko Pandan is the best dessert that will take your taste receptors on a wild ride to flavor town.

Ingredients and Substitutes 

Here’s the list of ingredients and substitutes for this delicious Filipino dish:

Young coconut: Young coconut cut into thin strips is an important part of Buko Pandan because it gives the dessert a refreshing and slightly sweet taste. If you can’t find young coconut, you can use strips of coconut from a can or shredded coconut instead.

Condensed milk: Another key ingredient that gives Buko Pandan its sweet and creamy taste is condensed milk. If you want to avoid dairy, you can use condensed coconut milk instead of condensed milk.

Table cream: Table cream is used to make the dessert taste richer. If you don’t have table cream, you can substitute heavy cream or whipping cream. For the vegan version, you can use coconut cream. 

Powdered gelatin: The powdered gelatin is used to set the dessert. You can use agar-agar or carrageenan instead of powdered gelatin if you want a vegetarian or vegan option.

Water: Water is required to dissolve the gelatin and mix all of the ingredients together.

Pandan extract: Buko Pandan flavoring is made from pandan leaves, which give this Filipino recipe its unique taste and smell. Because it’s hard to find pandan leaves outside the Philippines, we are using Pandan extract for this recipe. 

Nata de Coco: Nata de Coco is a jelly made from coconut water that is chewy and see-through. It gives texture and flavor to the dessert. If you can’t find Nata de Coco, you can substitute a canned fruit cocktail or diced fresh fruit.

Macapuno strings: Macapuno strings are made out of a mutant coconut variety with soft, jelly-like meat. It changes the texture and taste of the dessert in a unique way. If you can’t find macapuno strings, you can substitute them with shredded coconut or toasted coconut flakes.

Buko Pandan Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups young coconut meat, cut into strips

• ¼ cup sugar

• 6 oz sweetened condensed milk

• 9 oz table cream (or all-purpose cream)

• 3 oz powdered gelatin (preferably unflavored)

• 1 ⅓ cups water

• 2 tsp pandan extract

• 1 cup nata de coco (drained)

• 1 cup macapuno strings (coconut sport)

Instructions

1. Prepare the Jelly:

   • In a medium saucepan, combine the powdered gelatin, sugar, water, and pandan extract. Stir well to dissolve everything completely and prevent lumps.

   • Place the pan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Bring to a gentle boil, then let it boil for 2 minutes while continuing to stir.

   • Remove from heat. Pour the jelly mixture into a mold—this can be a cake pan, glass dish, or individual cups.

   • Let the jelly cool to room temperature until set and firm. (To speed things up, let it cool a bit first, then refrigerate.)

2. Prepare the Cream Mixture:

   • While the jelly is setting, mix together the condensed milk, table cream, and young coconut strips in a large bowl until well combined.

   • Add the nata de coco and macapuno strings, mixing until everything is evenly distributed.

3. Assemble the Dessert:

   • Once the jelly has set, cut it into 1-inch cubes.

   • Gently fold the pandan jelly cubes into the creamy coconut mixture.

   • Chill the combined mixture in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or until cold and slightly thickened.

4. Serve:

   • Spoon the chilled Buko Pandan into cups or bowls.

   • For an extra treat, top each serving with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Enjoy!

Who says that you can’t have the cake and eat it too? Share the Buko Pandan recipe below on Pinterest to show the world how it’s done! We can make mouths water and taste buds sing joyfully if we work together. 🙂