This delicious Filipino adobo recipe makes eating chicken liver quite enjoyable! If you didn’t grow up eating liver or other organ meats, chicken liver can be a difficult food to stomach. This recipe uses rich flavors that transform the strong taste of liver into a delicacy!
What is Adobo?
The term adobo can be a little confusing, because it describes something different depending on which culture you ask. You may be familiar with the term “adobo” as a seasoning, or as the Hispanic version of a spicy pepper based sauce. Filipino cuisine adobo on the other hand, is a stew made with various meats that are braised in vinegar and garlic- among other ingredients like soy sauce, bay leaves and black pepper that work together to create a savory sauce. It’s a very popular Filipino dish, in fact it is the national dish of the Philippines!
How Did Abobo Get its Name?
The Spanish word for marinade is “adobar”. With the influence of Spain in the Philippines, the term adobo was used by the Spaniards to describe this traditional Filipino stew, and is still used in the Philippines today. “Adobong Manok” is the name for Chicken adobo, “Adobong baboy” is pork adobo, and so on.
With the strong flavors of vinegar and garlic, adobo is the perfect way to change the flavor of liver so that instead of having the “liver” flavor with a somewhat metallic taste, it takes on the flavors of the dish!
Why Eat Liver?
Liver is a superfood! Chicken liver provides high levels of B vitamins, vitamins A and C, iron, copper, zinc, folate and selenium in bioavailable forms. It’s no surprise that liver is lately being termed “nature’s multivitamin”!
Don’t Eat Liver Every Day
Being extremely nutritious, you don’t need to be eating liver every day. You may get too much of some nutrients if you have too much liver. Depending on how much you are having, usually it’s best not to have it more than a couple of meals a week. Do a little research to see how much is best for your body weight, as it’s different for everyone.
With organ meats being very nutritionally dense, they are optimal foods to be adding to your diet. For the times you don’t have them as a meal, there are lots of supplement options in pill form! See some recommendation links listed below. All in all, I believe adding organ meats to your diet will give you a healthier life.
How to Make Adobong Atay Ng Manok (Chicken Liver Adobo)
Step 1
Begin by soaking fresh organic chicken livers in cold filtered water. Soak in the refrigerator for at least one hour before cooking. This helps pull some of the strong unpleasant flavors out. Rinse and drain well, then chop liver into 1 inch pieces.
Step 2
On a stainless steel frying pan over medium heat, preheat your own fat of choice, such as pasture raised butter, grass fed beef tallow, or pasture raised lard.
Step 3
Add grated garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant.
Step 4
Add chicken livers and cook, stirring frequently, until all sides are browned (about 1 minute).
Step 5
Add vinegar and soy sauce or tamari sauce, and salt. Cook for 1 minute.
Step 6
Add coconut sugar or brown sugar for a hint of sweetness, and fish sauce for a rich umami flavor.
Step 7
Add bay leaves and black pepper and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until liver is fully cooked and sauce is thickened to your liking (not too thick or in will be very salty).
Step 8
Remove bay leaves.
Step 9
Serve over white rice and top with sliced green onions and red pepper flakes.
Enjoy!
Adobong Atay Ng Manok (Chicken Liver Adobo)
Equipment
- Large stainless steel frying pan or sauté pan
- Cutting board
- Chopping knife
- Grater for garlic and ginger
- Sieve or colander for rinsing liver
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb Fresh organic chicken livers
- 3 grated garlic cloves
- 1 inch grated ginger
- 3 tbs pasture raised butter or healthy cooking fat of choice
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbs organic tamari or organic soy sauce
- 1 tbs fish sauce see notes
- 1 tsp coconut sugar or brown sugar
- 2 bay leaves
- Red pepper flakes
- Green onions
Instructions
- Begin by soaking fresh organic chicken livers in cold filtered water. Soak in the refrigerator for at least one hour before cooking. This helps pull some of the strong unpleasant flavors out. Rinse and drain well.
- Chop liver into 1 inch pieces
- On a stainless steel frying pan on medium heat, preheat butter or your own fat of choice (such beef tallow or lard).
- Add grated garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant.
- Add chicken livers and cook until brown on all sides.
- Add vinagar and tamari or soy sauce. Cook for 1 minute.
- Add coconut or brown sugar and salt.
- Add bay leaves and black pepper and cook on medium-low heat for about 10 minutes, or until liver is fully cooked and sauce is slightly thickened.
- Serve over white rice and top with sliced green onion and red pepper.
Notes
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High quality fish sauce
