Filipino Adobo Aromatic Chicken

Name: Filipino Adobo Aromatic Chicken
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h 20 min
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Yield: 6 servings.
Ingredients: 8 bacon strips, chopped; 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs; 1 large onion, chopped; 4 garlic cloves, minced; 2 medium limes; 1/4 cup dry sherry; 3 tablespoons soy sauce; 3 tablespoons molasses; 2 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot; 3 bay leaves; 1 teaspoon pepper; 1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce; Minced fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds; Hot cooked rice; Lime wedges, optional

TOTAL TIME: Prep: 30 min. Cook: 3 hours 20 min. YIELD: 6 servings.

This saucy chicken packs a wallop of flavors—salty, sweet, sour, slightly spicy and even a little umami. It can be made on the stove, too. Any way you make it, I think it tastes even better the next day served over warm rice. —Loanne Chiu, Fort Worth, Texas

Ingredients

8 bacon strips, chopped
3 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 medium limes
1/4 cup dry sherry
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons minced fresh gingerroot
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
Minced fresh cilantro and toasted sesame seeds
Hot cooked rice
Lime wedges, optional

Directions

1. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Discard drippings, reserving 1 tablespoon in pan. Brown chicken in bacon drippings in batches. Transfer chicken to a 4- or 5-qt. slow cooker.
2. Add onion to the same pan; cook and stir until tender, 3-5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir 1 minute longer. Finely grate enough zest from limes to measure 2 teaspoons. Cut limes crosswise in half; squeeze juice from limes.
3. Add the lime juice, zest, sherry, soy sauce, molasses, ginger, bay leaves, pepper and chili sauce to pan; cook and stir to loosen browned bits. Pour over chicken. Cook, covered, on high until a thermometer reads 165°, 3-4 hours.
4. Remove chicken and shred meat with 2 forks, keep warm. If desired, slightly thicken juices by cooking in a saucepan over medium-high heat, about 20 minutes. Remove bay leaves. Stir in bacon. Pour over chicken; sprinkle with cilantro and sesame seeds. Serve with rice, and lime wedges if desired.

Nutrition Facts

6 ounces cooked chicken with 1/4 cup sauce: 474 calories, 23g fat (7g saturated fat), 164mg cholesterol, 865mg sodium, 15g carbohydrate (9g sugars, 1g fiber), 47g protein.