Savory Pairs: 7 BEST Side Dishes to Serve with Chicken Adobo

In its simplest form, Chicken Adobo is the combination of chicken thighs marinated in soy sauce and pepper.

It can be cooked until tender or until all moisture evaporates to give “dry” Chicken Adobo.

The most common way of cooking the dish is by braising with garlic, onions, and vinegar.

This dish has been around since the 1800s, during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.

It was then known as “adobong manok” or chicken adobo, cooked in vinegar, salt, and garlic.

Chicken Adobo’s origin is attributed to early Chinese migrants responsible for introducing soy sauce to the Philippines.

It’s typically served as a main dish, but it’s also great with steamed rice and a soup-like Tinolang Manok (chicken flu) and Sinigang (sour soup).

Chicken Adobo is known to be the Philippines’ most popular chicken dish.

It can be enjoyed by all age groups and is usually served in family gatherings or special occasions.

In this article, we will list the seven best side dishes to serve with Chicken Adobo.

Why Consider Serving Side Dishes for Chicken Adobo?

Chicken Adobo is a versatile dish.

It can be served with steamed rice or noodles, but sometimes you might want to choose the side dishes that make the meal more exciting rather than just serving Chicken Adobo alone.

Here are some of the things you need to consider for your decision:

• What other main dish or other side dishes will you serve along with the Chicken Adobo?
• How much time will you allocate for cooking and completing all your dishes at one time?
• Would you prefer to have a variety of side dishes rather than just one dish alone?
• Do you prefer a particular taste or flavor that other dishes can complement?
• How many people will the Chicken Adobo serve?

The flavor of each side dish complements the Chicken Adobo.

You can also combine several different flavors that will make your meal more satisfying and delicious.

The best thing about this dish is that you can learn to create your own perfect chicken adobo recipe with any set of ingredients you want.

It’s also suggested to use sauce from the pan to flavor the other dishes you’ll serve together.

Chicken Adobo is a popular Filipino dish that has been adapted in different regions of the Philippines and can have different ingredients based on each region.

For example, some people add bay leaves while others don’t use soy sauce at all.

The recipe for Chicken Adobo also varies because of the many variations of the sauce or marinade.

What to Serve with Chicken Adobo – 7 BEST Side Dishes

So, what do you serve with CHICKEN ADOBO? Here are seven of the best Chicken Adobo side dishes to choose from:

1 – Lumpiang Sariwa (Fresh Spring Roll)

A crunchy and juicy fresh spring roll is an ideal partner for Chicken Adobo.

The combination of these two makes a perfect combination.

These spring rolls are made of thinly sliced vegetables and sometimes include pork or shrimp, then deep-fried.

Lumpiang Sariwa is a great appetizer and adds flavor to the whole meal.

When cooking Lumpiang Sariwa, make sure to use fresh ingredients only.

Do not add any other seasonings or flavor except for salt and pepper.

It can be served hot or cold, but the best way to enjoy it is to serve while it’s crispy and fresh.

You can also try other kinds of spring rolls like the healthy Crab Rangoon or even baked ones.

2 – Fried Rice or Noodles

Fried Rice or Noodles is a great companion for Chicken Adobo.

It’s another Chinese-inspired dish from the Philippines, and it can be served hot or cold.

The fried rice of noodles are mixed with soy sauce, and some vegetables are then topped with scrambled eggs.

You can also add some shrimp, chicken, pork, or beef to make it more flavorful.

You can also try other fried rice recipes like Vegetable Fried Rice, Canton-style Fried Rice, and Pineapple Fried Rice that will surely complement your main dish.

Fried Rice or Noodles is also considered a complete meal where you can serve it alone with fried eggs on the side.

3 – Sinigang (Sour Soup)

Sour soup is another popular Filipino dish that’s served along with rice.

The sourness comes from tamarind, which is widely available in the Philippines.

It can be cooked with meat or seafood, but Sinigang is usually made with pork belly or shrimps.

Sinigang also has a broth from boiling fresh vegetables like tomatoes, okra, eggplant, bitter melon, and some spices to make it more delicious.

Soup is a perfect dish to eat during the summer.

It’s very refreshing, and it can be mixed with rice to make a complete meal.

4 – Kare-kare (Oxtail Stew)

Kare-Kare is a famous Oxtail stew originating from the Philippine Islands, which you can serve as a stew or soup.

It has thick savory peanut sauce, and the meat is usually cooked to tender perfection using slow heat.

There are several ways this dish can be prepared: it can be made with sliced pork hocks, ox tripe and tendon, beef brisket, beef shank, beef/pork/chicken liver, and some vegetables like banana flower, bean sprouts, and Chinese cabbage.

Some versions also include okra and eggplant to make it more flavorful and colorful.

It’s best to serve Kare-Kare with rice that will surely satisfy your palate.

You can also try other stews like Pinakbet or Menudo if you want something similar.

5 – Lechon Kawali (Fried Pork Belly)

Lechon Kawali is another Filipino dish famous for having crispy and crunchy skin, while the meat remains very tender inside.

The secret to this recipe lies in the process of preparing the pork belly.

First, it should be boiled then dried under the sun to remove excess water from the meat.

This will make it more flavorful and easy to cook.

Lechon Kawali is usually served with vinegar or spicy vinegar, which can be added to your table so you can season the meat as desired.

It’s best eaten with rice and other side dishes like fried vegetables, boiled egg, or even Tuyo (dried salted fish).

6 – Shredded Raw Carrot Salad

Shredded Raw Carrot Salad is another side dish that complements the Chicken Adobo.

It’s also served along with other dishes like fried fish or even fried chicken.

This salad includes raw grated carrots, onions, and garlic, mixed with calamansi juice and salt.

Shredded Raw Carrot Salad can be a little spicy because of the onions, and it can be served during any season.

7 – Pinakbet (Vegetable Stew)

Pinakbet is a dish that contains mixed vegetables like eggplant, string beans, okra, squash, and some others.

The vegetables are usually sauteed to perfection then cooked in fish sauce with the use of shrimp paste.

The vegetables used in this recipe are bok choy or Pak Choy, eggplant, string beans, okra (ladies fingers), jute (similar to kangkong), squash, and tomatoes.

Pinakbet is usually served during cold seasons to give you warmth and comfort.

It can be eaten with rice, or it can also be your main dish for lunch or dinner.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Chicken Adobo is a very popular dish that originated from the Philippines.

It’s most commonly served during lunch or dinner, but you can also have it for breakfast or any other occasion.

Chicken Adobo has a unique taste and aroma that will surely satisfy your appetite.

You can choose to have it along with Rice, Noodles, Soup, or any of the best chicken adobo side dishes featured in this article.

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