Adobo Chicken Rice in a Rice Cooker

Ingredients

• 1 cup Rice (Japanese short-grain or medium-grain rice recommended)
• Water (Use the rice cooker's usual amount for 1 cup of rice, reduced by 1/2 cup to account for the soy sauce and vinegar; the exact amount depends on the rice cooker and rice variety)
• 0.5 lb Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (Diced)
• 0.25 cup Soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce (Optional; used primarily for color)
• 0.25 cup White vinegar
• 2 cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 2 Bay leaves
• 0.5 Small onion (Thinly sliced)
• 1 tbsp Brown sugar
• 0.75 tsp Black pepper
• Green onions (Optional; chopped for garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Rinse the rice thoroughly under cool water until the water runs mostly clear. Transfer the rinsed rice to the inner pot of the rice cooker.

2. 2

   Add the amount of water you would normally use for the rice, then remove 1/2 cup of that water to make room for the liquid from the soy sauce and vinegar. The final water amount may vary slightly depending on the rice variety and your rice cooker's usual measurement.

3. 3

   Layer the diced chicken thighs on top of the rice. Keep the rice layer underneath rather than stirring the chicken into it.

4. 4

   Add the soy sauce, optional dark soy sauce, white vinegar, minced garlic, sliced onion, brown sugar, black pepper, and bay leaves over the chicken and rice.

5. 5

   Gently stir only the top layer so the seasonings are distributed and the chicken is coated, taking care not to disturb the rice at the bottom too much.

6. 6

   Close the rice cooker and select its normal rice-cooking cycle. Cook until the cooker finishes and switches to its keep-warm setting, about 20 minutes, or according to the appliance's normal rice program.

7. 7

   Once the cooker switches to keep warm, leave the lid closed and let the dish rest for 10 minutes so the rice can finish steaming. If the cooker has no keep-warm setting, let it rest covered for an additional 10 minutes after the cooking cycle ends.

8. 8

   Remove and discard the bay leaves. Fluff the rice and chicken gently, then serve warm. Garnish with chopped green onions if desired.

Notes

The exact water amount depends on the rice cooker and rice variety; reduce the appliance's usual water measurement by 1/2 cup because the soy sauce and vinegar provide additional liquid. Short-grain or medium-grain rice is recommended for a soft, cohesive texture. For less pepper, reduce the black pepper to taste. The recipe is designed for a rice cooker; cooking it in a conventional pot may require adjusting the liquid and cooking time.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• one-pot
• rice cooker
• Filipino-inspired
• Japanese-style rice
• chicken
• easy
• weeknight