The doula group that I work with meets on a regular basis to participate in continuing education, share stories, and just gather together. A few years ago, we started centring our gatherings around a simple potluck, with dishes hailing from Iran to Costco, including everything from hand-crafted spanikopita to generations-old family fudge recipes. The power of food always holds an allure, and it wasn’t long before these educational evenings became something to look forward to each month.
Centring around all this feasting has always been a single recipe: chicken adobo, or doula chicken, as it’s come to be known, which was always served as the cornerstone of our yearly summer barbecue celebration, and sometimes at other times of year as well. It makes me immeasurably happy to work with a program that has a signature food.
There’s a reason for its popularity, of course. It is universally loved by all who eat it, and once you see the recipe, you’ll love it for its simplicity as well. It’s best served on the back patio, with a salad of fresh summer vegetables.


- 8 pieces chicken, preferably thighs
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Combine the garlic, soy sauce, vinegar and sugar in a medium-sized bowl or ziplock bag. Marinate the chicken in this mixture in the refrigerator for at least two hours, longer if you can.
- Place the chicken in a skillet and simmer over medium heat until just tender. Finish off the cooking on the barbecue, using the marinade to baste until the chicken is done.
- Enjoy!