Quick Take: This Filipino Pork Adobo is the epitome of Filipino comfort food: tender pork simmered in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and brown sugar, made easy in the Instant Pot and spooned over fluffy white rice. A marbled pork picnic roast is what makes the meat so tender, and a few tablespoons of instant potato flakes stirred in at the end thicken the adobo sauce with no fuss. It’s flavorful, easy, and affordable enough to feed a whole family on a weeknight. It’s also great with potatoes if you want to switch it up.
And if you love Filipino food as much as I do, be sure to check out my Pancit Bihon, Pancit Canton, and Dynamite Lumpia recipes for even more delicious Filipino favorites you can make right at home!
Ingredients
This super easy pork adobo recipe uses only four ingredients: pork shoulder, soy sauce, garlic, and brown sugar. The result is tender meat that tastes amazing.
Meat: I used a Pork Picnic roast for this Pork Adobo Recipe. It was just the right size and became exceptionally tender due to the marbling throughout. Slice it into large pieces, and you're good to go.
Vegetables: The only vegetable I used in this recipe was an onion.
Sauce: The sauce is the Adobo. You'll need garlic, dark brown sugar, soy sauce, white vinegar, black pepper, and bay leaves to make the sauce.
Thickener: There are multiple ways to thicken sauces, gravy, and soups. I tend to go for instant potato flakes mainly for ease of use. However, you can thicken the Adobo sauce however you'd like.
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Set the Instant Pot or Pressure cooker to Sauté on high and heat a little olive oil.
Step 2: Add the garlic and onions, cooking until softened and fragrant.
Now add the pieces of cubed pork browning on each side. Don't cook the pork all the way through; at this stage, you're just trying to sear the outside.
Step 3: Turn the instant pot off and stir in the dark brown sugar, ensuring that all of the pork is completely covered.
Step 4: Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
Step 5: Secure the lid to the Instant Pot and set it to pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Once the cooking is complete, allow for a ten-minute natural release and then release any remaining pressure.
Step 6: Turn the instant pot back to Sauté on high and stir in the potato flakes. Once the Pork Adobo has started to boil again, turn the Instant Pot to keep warm, replace the lid, and let it thicken for about 10 minutes.
Serve the adobo over fluffy white rice, and enjoy.
Expert Tips
- If you're looking for an appetizer for this recipe, try this Easy Shrimp Toast Recipe. Even though it's not remotely Filipino, it is a great appetizer to Asian-inspired dishes.
- Coconut vinegar is traditional in Filipino pork adobo. However, rice vinegar works well, as does regular white vinegar and apple cider vinegar.
- Searing the pork isn't a must. So, if you're in a hurry, that's the step you'll want to skip.
Recipe FAQs
There are two main ingredients in Filipino adobo which are vinegar and soy sauce.
Pork adobo is tough because it is either being cooked at too high of a temperature or not being cooked for a long enough time. An easy way to get the perfect texture every time is by preparing your pork adobo in a pressure cooker.
Rice vinegar is a very good option. However, white vinegar and apple cider vinegar will also work fine.
To make pork soft and tender, it's best to either cook it low and slow or use a pressure cooker such as an Instant Pot. The most important part of the cooking process is to allow the fat to render and break the meat down.
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📖 Recipe
Filipino Pork Adobo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lb Picnic Roast - cubed
- 3 tablespoon Minced Garlic
- 1 Yellow Onion - diced
- ⅓ Cup Dark Brown Sugar
- ½ Cup Soy Sauce
- 1 Cup Vinegar
- 2 teaspoon Black Pepper
- 4 Bay Leaves
- ¼ Cup Instant Potato Flakes
Instructions
- Begin by setting the Instant Pot or Pressure cooker to Sauté on high and heat up a little olive oil.
- Add the garlic and onions cooking until softened and fragrant.
- Add the pieces of cubed pork browning on each side. Don't cook the pork all the way through, at this stage, you're just trying to sear the outside.
- Turn the instant pot off and stir in the dark brown sugar ensuring that all of the pork is completely covered.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.
- Secure the lid to the Instant Pot and set it to pressure cook on high for 15 minutes. Once the cooking is complete allow for a ten-minute natural release and then release any remaining pressure.
- Turn the instant pot back to Sauté on high and stir in the potato flakes. Once the Pork Adobo has started to boil again, turn the Instant Pot to keep warm, replace the lid and allow it to thicken for about 10 minutes.
- Serve the adobo over fluffy white rice and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- If you're looking for an appetizer for this recipe, try this Easy Shrimp Toast Recipe. Even though it's not remotely Filipino, it is a great appetizer to Asian-inspired dishes.
- Coconut vinegar is traditional in Filipino pork adobo. However, rice vinegar works well, as does regular white vinegar and apple cider vinegar.
- Searing the pork isn't a must. So, if you're in a hurry, that's the step you'll want to skip.
