Some food memories in your nose. For me, it’s the tangy garlic forward aroma of adobo. Not your usual chicken or pork adobo. I’m talking about golden, crispy fried adobo flakes!
Growing up, adobo flakes were never a planned recipe. It only happened when there was leftover adobo in the fridge on a weekend. The meat got shredded and dropped in a pan of hot oil. The result- golden, crackling, deeply flavored adobo crisps! I loved piling it over white rice and a fried egg.
This shortcut version is when you crave those flavors, but don’t have any leftover adobo in the fridge!
What are Adobo Flakes?
If you’ve never had adobo flakes, here’s what they are: shredded adobo meat– usually leftovers that are deep fried until crispy. Growing up, I assumed this was just my family’s resourceful way of using up all the food, something my grandmothers concocted to “waste nothing.”
Turns out, this is a beloved Filipino staple that families across the diaspora have been making all along! The interest just helped up all realize we were in the same leftover secret recipe!
The Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut
After seeing many version of this floating around TikTok and Instagram (examples: IanKewks and JFloCooks), I was inspired to make my version. I wanted it to taste like the one from my childhood, but make it more accessible for busy weeknights or lazy Sunday brunch cravings.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Store-bought rotisserie chicken
- water
- soy sauce
- vinegar
- garlic cloves
- bay leaf
Instead of making chicken adobo from scratch and waiting for leftovers, this recipe starts with Costco rotisserie chicken. One pound of cooked, already seasoned chicken meat goes into a quick simmer with the classic adobo lineup: water, soy sauce, white vinegar, smashed garlic, and bay leaf.
Simmer Then Fry
It’s an extra step to simmer and marinate the chicken. I’ve tried to skip the simmer, but the flavor just isn’t as intense.
Simmering is crucial, and it’s what separates this from the even quicker “skip everything, just fry it” shortcuts you’ll see elsewhere.
That brief simmer infuses the rotisserie chicken with real adobo flavor: tangy, salty, garlicky, with the subtle herbal background of bay. Then the meat gets shredded and deep-fried until golden.
Frying Tips for Perfect Adobo Flakes
Use enough oil. The oil should cover at least ¾ of the chicken, ideally submerging it completely. Higher oil levels mean less stirring, more even browning, and faster cooking.
Choose the right pan. A wider pan allows you to monitor color better and fry multiple batches more efficiently.
Minimize movement. Stir only as needed to ensure even browning—excessive stirring slows the cooking process. The chicken won’t stick significantly.
Pull early. Remove the flakes just before they look fully done. Residual heat from the clinging oil will finish the cooking, preventing over-browning.
Clean between batches. Skim out burnt bits between frying rounds—they’ll turn bitter and ruin later batches.
Save the oil. Strain and store the frying oil. Use it for cooking eggs, fried rice, or vegetables for an instant flavor boost.
Serving Suggestions
For me, there’s only one way to serve adobo flakes- that is with rice and egg (fried, sunny side up or over easy). That is my favorite way to enjoy this dish.
There are many delicious ways to incorporate chicken adobo flakes:
- Lugaw or Arroz Caldo topping – adds umami and crunch to rice porridge
- Fried rice mix-in – toss into sinangag garlic fried rice
- Pandesal filling – stuff them into warm pandesal
- Salad topping – sprinkle over cucumber onion tomato salad
Storage and Leftovers
Store leftover adobo flakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They will lose their crispiness as they sit, but a quick return to a hot dry pan or a few minutes in the air fryer brings them right back. You can also freeze them for up to a month — reheat from frozen in the air fryer at 375°F for 4–5 minutes.
Pro tip: Do not discard the frying oil. Strain it and use it to make sinangag (garlic fried rice), fried eggs, sautéed vegetables, and more. It adds a nice umami kick!
Crispy Chicken Adobo Flakes (Rotisserie Chicken Shortcut)
Ingredients
- 1 pound rotisserie chicken meat, your choice of white and/or dark meat
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup white cane vinegar , or plain distilled white vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon soy sauce, see notes
- 8 cloves garlic, smashed
- 1 bay leaf , fresh or dried
- ½ cup grapeseed oil or vegetable oil, more or less as needed for frying
Instructions
- Simmer the chicken. Add rotisserie chicken meat chunks to a small pot with water, vinegar, soy sauce, smashed garlic cloves, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes until most liquid has evaporated or been absorbed.
- Shred. Let cool slightly, then strain out garlic and bay leaf. Shred chicken into thin strands—smaller pieces fry faster and crispier.
- Prep for frying. Choose a wide, shallow pan for better visibility and batch size. Add enough neutral high-smoke-point oil (like grapeseed or vegetable) to cover ¾ of the chicken, ideally submerging it completely. Heat over medium-high until shimmering or until bubbles form around a chopstick inserted into the oil.
- Fry in batches. Add shredded chicken in an even layer without crowding. Stir minimally—just enough to ensure even browning. Fry for about 5 minutes, pulling the flakes just before they look fully golden. Residual heat will finish the job. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.*Expect some splattering—the chicken holds moisture.
- Repeat. Fry remaining chicken in batches, skimming debris between rounds to prevent burning.
Notes
- Chicken: Dark meat produces more flavorful, juicy flakes. White meat crisps up more easily.
- Vinegar: DO NOT use balsamic or flavored vinegars.
- Soy Sauce: Works with regular soy sauce or reduced sodium soy sauce. I’ve made it with Kikkoman less sodium and Filipino Silver Swan soy sauce- both work!
- Frying Oil: Do not discard the frying oil. Strain it and save for later oil. Use the oil to cook eggs, fry rice, saute vegetables. It adds extra umami flavor!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!More Childhood Favorites
- Cheese Pimiento Spread
- Filipino Spaghetti (kid’s party classic!)
- Pork Sinigang
- Chicken Sotanghon
