In adobong Bisaya na manok, the chicken is braised in garlic and vinegar before deep-frying. The braising liquid, when cooked down, turns into the adobo sauce.
Adobong Bisaya, or Visayan-style adobo, requires a braise and a deep-fry. You first add your meat to a simmering mixture of vinegar, garlic, and black pepper. Next, the braised meat takes a dunk in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. The leftover braising liquid turns into a rich adobo sauce—just add soy sauce and some sugar, cook it down to a syrupy thickness—to pour over or dip into.
Adobo refers to the Filipino dish and cooking technique where ingredients are braised in vinegar with salt (usually soy sauce), garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves. Almost anything can be adobo: meat, fish, seafood, vegetables. You’ll find endless variations on adobo across the Philippines, each with their own unique flavors, ingredients, spices, and textures.
The key to crispy adobong Bisaya na manok is to dry your chicken out properly. Any moisture left on the surface will turn into steam when deep-fried, which will get in the way of properly crispy chicken. Be patient and let your chicken air dry after the braise. Pat it dry with paper towels if you like. Or better yet: Use a hair dryer!
Cook chicken: Heat 2 tbsp neutral oil in a deep pan or pot over medium heat. Add garlic cloves and black peppercorns. Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Add water, vinegar, bay leaves, and Maggi Magic Sarap. Once boiling, reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Add chicken, cover pan, and simmer until cooked through, 15–20 minutes.
Carefully remove chicken, taking care to keep the skin intact, and transfer to a metal rack or baking sheet. Let chicken cool and dry, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. (You can speed up this process with a hair dryer.) Aim for matte skin with as little moisture on the surface as possible.
Make adobo sauce: Add soy sauce and brown sugar (if using) to the remaining liquid in the pan; stir to dissolve sugar. Increase heat to medium-high, and once the liquid starts boiling, reduce heat to medium-low to maintain a simmer. Reduce sauce, uncovered, by about ¾—the sauce should be thick and slightly syrupy, with soft garlic cloves you can eat whole. Season to taste as needed. Set adobo sauce aside and keep warm.
Fry chicken: Heat neutral oil for frying in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once it registers 350°F in an instant-read thermometer, add chicken in batches and fry until crispy golden brown all over, 6–8 minutes.
If shallow-frying in a wide, deep pan, fry chicken until first side is golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn to fry the second side, about another 4 minutes.
Transfer fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate or metal rack fitted over a tray. Season immediately with salt while still fresh out of the fryer.
Serve: Arrange fried chicken in a large serving platter. Transfer adobo sauce to a small serving bowl or smaller individual bowls for dipping. Serve hot.
