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Filipino adobo sauce in spoon

Filipino Adobo Sauce

This Filipino adobo sauce recipe is authentic, garlicky, tangy, umami, and will uplift your meals into adobo flavor bliss! It's perfect for making vegan adobo recipes, drizzling on rice, adding to stir fries, and making Filipino adobo flavor come to life as a multi-purpose adobo sauce.
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Course: Condiment, Sauce
Cuisine: Filipino
Keyword: adobo, adobo sauce, bay leaves, soy sauce, vinegar
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 2 cups
Calories: 150kcal

Equipment

  • sauce pot
  • Spoon or spatula
  • Knife and cutting board
  • small bowl (for slurry)
  • wire mesh strainer
  • Heat Safe Bowl or container
  • mason jar

Ingredients

  • 1 small white onion small diced
  • 5 fresh garlic cloves minced
  • ¾ tbsp avocado oil
  • 1½ cups water
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ⅓ cup cane vinegar or white vinegar
  • 2¼ tbsp brown sugar
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
  • Cornstarch slurry: 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp cold water (mix well)

Instructions

  • In a sauce pot over low-medium heat, add avocado oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until fragrant and softened. Do not over-brown.
    1 small white onion, ¾ tbsp avocado oil, 5 fresh garlic cloves
    saute aromatics onion and garlic
  • Add water, bay leaves, and whole peppercorns. Bring to a gentle low simmer for 2 minutes.
    1½ cups water, 4 bay leaves, 1 tsp whole black peppercorns
    bay leaves peppercorns
  • Then, stir in soy sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar. Keep heat at low to medium and cook for 10–12 minutes. Do not boil.
    ½ cup soy sauce, ⅓ cup cane vinegar or white vinegar, 2¼ tbsp brown sugar
    making Filipino adobo sauce in pot
  • Add the cornstarch slurry. Bring to a medium-high simmer and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly to avoid burning.
    Cornstarch slurry: 1 tbsp cornstarch and 1 tbsp cold water (mix well)
    cornstarch slurry
  • Remove from heat. Pour the sauce through a wire mesh strainer into a bowl to create a smooth base. Add back a small scoop of the strained solids for texture, along with 1 bay leaf and a few peppercorns.
    Let the sauce cool down. Once refrigerated, it will slightly gel—that’s normal. It loosens back into a smooth, silky sauce when reheated.
    remove solids by straining the Filipino adobo sauce

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Filipino Adobo Sauce
Amount per Serving
Calories
150
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
5
g
8
%
Saturated Fat
 
1
g
6
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
 
1
g
Monounsaturated Fat
 
4
g
Sodium
 
3254
mg
141
%
Potassium
 
201
mg
6
%
Carbohydrates
 
21
g
7
%
Fiber
 
1
g
4
%
Sugar
 
14
g
16
%
Protein
 
7
g
14
%
Vitamin A
 
25
IU
1
%
Vitamin C
 
2
mg
2
%
Calcium
 
53
mg
5
%
Iron
 
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.