Chicken Adobo with Rice + Super Fudgy Brownies

Tonight: A dinner that lets you whip up brownies while your chicken slow-cooks—all in under an hour of prep time.

   

There is something timeless about serving a chicken dinner with brownies for dessert. It’s a comforting combination that feels like a parental embrace but gives you the freedom of being an adult—also known as the ability to cook and eat whatever you please. Before you get overwhelmed choosing the perfect poultry pair with your Super Fudgy Brownies (the sheer number of chicken recipes on the internet has garnered its own column), we've narrowed down the options to this one-pot Chicken Adobo with Rice.

This dish comes with some good news: Not only will you likely already have most of the ingredients for the chicken in your pantry, but you'll have enough leftover brownies for tomorrow's breakfast, lunch, or afternoon snack. And while brownies shine at every meal, they make this one especially good; the semi-sweet chocolate rounds out the rich flavors of the chicken beautifully, so you can end your day on a sweet note.

The Menu

Click through on the recipe photos or titles to see (and save and print) the full recipes, or take advantage of our handy grocery list and overview below.

Chicken Adobo with Rice by Jackie Varriano

 

Super Fudgy Brownies by Merrill Stubbs

Grocery List:

(Organized by the area of the market)

Serves 4, with brownies leftover

2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs or drumsticks
1 bunch scallions
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 ounces high-quality semisweet chocolate
1/4 cup cocoa nibs

We are assuming you already have ground black pepper, whole black peppercorns, bay leaves, garlic powder, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, flour, salt, sugar, vanilla, eggs, and butter. If not, add those to your list, too!

Overview: 

An hour before dinner, rinse the chicken thighs or drumsticks and pat dry them dry. Pan-fry them in a Dutch oven until the skin is golden brown. Remove the chicken, then add in vinegar, soy sauce, water, peppercorns, bay leaves, and garlic. Place the chicken back in and allow it to cook in the sauce over medium heat, covered, for 45 minutes. If you want to serve your chicken over rice, start cooking it now. Using a rice cooker is a great way to keep it warm until dinner, but pan-cooked rice also works wonders.

At this point you'll have about 35 minutes till dinner. While the chicken and rice cook, start making dessert.

By now, your chicken should be just about done, so don’t forget to check on it before transferring your brownie batter to your prepared baking pan. Stick your brownies in the oven, then serve yourself dinner: Pour the chicken and sauce over rice, and garnish with chopped scallions.

You'll have 40 to 45 minutes to enjoy your dinner while the brownies cook, though you might have to get up during your meal to rotate the baking pan halfway through. While you do the dishes (or luxuriate over the last bites of your slow-cooked chicken), remove the brownies from the oven—you'll know they're done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some fudgy crumbs attached. Allow the brownies to cool completely on a cooling rack. When you're ready, cut the brownies into 12 squares and serve yourself. Heck, we'd even recommend putting some ice cream on top, too.

Photos by James Ransom