Chicken Liver Adobo

Chicken Liver Adobo is a Filipino dish made by sautéing chicken liver in a aromatic sauce consist garlic, onions, ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, oyster sauce, pepper, sugar and bay leaves. It is a dish with rich flavours as they are cooked and infused with aromatic flavours of the ingredients of the sauce. What made this dish unique and special is the use of chicken liver instead of chicken meat or red meat. The chicken liver adobo is best partnered with a big bowl of hot steaming rice. Yum!

Chicken Liver Adobo Recipe

Ingredients:

• 750 grams chicken liver
• 1 thumb sized ginger (sliced)
• 4 cloves of garlic (minced)
• 1 small onion (chopped)
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vinegar
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
• 3 pieces small bay leaves
• oil (for sauteing)

Directions:

1. Heat some oil in a pan. Add the ginger, garlic and onions. Saute for a few minutes until aromatic. Then, add the chicken liver. Saute until they change color. Let them cook until all the liquid dries up.
2. Sprinkle some black pepper. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and bay leaves. Stir and saute well.
3. Add the vinegar. Do not stir. Cover the pan and let it simmer for 5 minutes using medium heat. Season with a little sugar for a sweeter hint (optional). Continue cooking until all the sauce is reduced.
4. If you want a saucy adobo, you can already serve the dish at this point. But if you want a dry version, separate the sauce from the liver and transfer to a container. Leave the liver to the pan and continue cooking. You may add a little oil to fry the liver a little. Continue sauteing until light brown.
5. Transfer the sauce and the chicken liver to a serving plate. Serve this with a lot of hot steaming rice. Yum

What is Chicken Liver?

Chicken liver is an organ meat derived from the liver of a chicken. It is a dark reddish-brown organ that is known for its distinct flavor and tender texture. It is a rich and flavorful ingredient that is widely used in various cuisines around the world. Chicken liver has a distinct taste and a tender, velvety texture. It is highly nutritious and a good source of protein, iron, and vitamins A and B. In cooking, chicken liver is often used in dishes such as pâtés, terrines, stir-fries, and as a key ingredient in traditional recipes like adobo and liver pâté. It can be cooked to various degrees of doneness, from slightly pink and tender to fully cooked and firm, depending on personal preference. Chicken liver adds depth and richness to dishes and is appreciated by those who enjoy the unique flavor of organ meats.

Chicken liver has a distinct and robust flavor compared to other meats. It has a slightly metallic and earthy taste that sets it apart. Unlike red meats such as beef or lamb, which can be more dense and chewy, chicken liver has a softer and delicate texture. It has a melt-in-your-mouth quality when cooked properly.

Chicken liver cooks relatively quickly compared to other meats. Due to its delicate texture, it can become tough and dry if overcooked. It is often cooked briefly to retain its tenderness and prevent it from becoming rubbery.

Chicken Liver Adobo (Adobong Atay ng Manok)

If you are not eating chicken liver, then you’re definitely missing out a lot in life. One of my friend hates chicken liver. He used to tell us that he felt like eating sand whenever he eats chicken liver. While the feeling is a little true, how we enjoy chicken liver actually lies on how we prepare it.

We invited my friend over to our house to have a little inuman session. Of course I prepared the pulutan. I served the adobong atay ng manok a little later, when almost everyone is already tipsy. This specific friend of mine did not even notice that he was eating chicken liver! Whether spicy or not, the adobong atay ng manok is also best partnered with rice. Yum!

If you wanna know how to make adobong atay ng manok at home, simply read and follow the easy steps below. Happy cooking!

How to Cook Chicken Liver Adobo

Making some adobong atay ng manok ng is as essy as other classic Pinoy dishes. If you have tried making adobo dishes in the past, then this recipe will be easy for you.

The most important ingredient for this recipe is the chicken liver. You would not really know which is fresh and which is not by just looking at the color. It is essential to smell the liver. If with no nasty smell, then it is fresh. Slice the chicken liver into srving pieces. Since the chicken liver has an unique texture when cooked, I usually cut them small instead of large chunks. This recipe uses 750 grams or ¾ kilo of chicken liver, which is already enough to feed a family of five.

Just like any other adobo dishes, start the dish by sauteing the aromatics and the chicken liver. Once the liver changes its color to light brown, then it’s cooking. Then, add the adobo seasonings. The most basic adobo seasoning includes soy sauce and vinegar. For more umami and sweetness, you may also use oyster sauce and bay leaves. Just remember not to stir the dish after pouring in the vinegar. Once the strong taste of the vinegar evaporated, that’s the signal that you can already stir the dish.

You can serve this dish in two ways. You can either serve the adobong atay while super saucy and soft or have them a little fried before serving. I love them both ways! Adobong atay ng manok is best enjoyed with a cup of rice. Chop them a little smaller, add some chilies, and now you have a pulutan to your ice cold beer! Yum!

Chicken Liver Adobo Recipe in Tagalog

Mga Sangkap:

• 750 grams atay ng manok
• 1 thumb-sized luya (hiniwa)
• 4 butil ng bawang (hiniwa)
• 1 maliit na sibuyas (hiniwa)
• 1/4 tasang toyo
• 1/4 tasang suka
• 2 kutsarang oyster sauce
• 1/2 kutsaritang paminta
• 1 kutsaritang asukal (optional)
• 3 pirasong maliit na dahon ng laurel
• mantika (pang-gisa)

Paano Lutuin:

1. Magpainit ng mantika sa kawali. Ilagay ang luya, bawang, at sibuyas. Igisa ang mga ito ng ilang minuto hanggang maging mabango. Sunod na idagdag ang atay ng manok. Igisa hanggang mag-iba ang kulay nito. Hayaang itong maluto hanggang matuyo ang lahat ng sabaw.
2. Budburan ng konting paminta. Ilagay ang toyo, oyster sauce, at mga dahon ng laurel. Haluin at igisa ng ilang minuto.
3. Ibuhos ang suka pero huwag haluin agad agad. Takpan muna ang kawali at hayaang maluto ito ng 5 minuto sa katamtamang apoy. Timplahan ng kaunting asukal para may onting tamis (optional). Hayaan itong maluto hanggang maiga ng konti ang sauce.
4. Kung gusto mo ng adobong may sabaw, puwede mo na itong ilipat sa serving plate. Pero kung gusto mo ng adobong tuyo, paghiwalayin ang sauce at mga piraso ng atay at ilipat sa isang lalagyan. Iwan ang atay sa kawali at patuloy na lutuin. Pwede mong lagyan ng kaunting mantika para mas maprito ang mga atay. Igisa lang ang mga ito hanggang maging light brown.
5. Ilipat ang sauce at atay ng manok sa serving plate. Ihain ito kasama ng maraming mainit na kanin. Yum!