An international dish that makes your taste buds tingle, Coconut Chicken Adobo.
There are many variations of Chicken Adobo. This recipe comes from the beautiful islands of the Philippines. It comes from the Luzon region. Chicken Adobo is one of several national dishes of the Philippines and can be made with just a couple of household items. It’s rich and sweet and a little tangy. I personally love Filipino foods whether it be Sisig or Chicken Adobo you really can’t beat the amazing flavors of this particular Pacific island.
I remember the first time I tried Filipino food, I had a Filipina babysitter growing up and she would make traditional meals for me on a regular basis. While my friends at school all thought Asian food was Chinese takeout or Japanese hibachi and sushi. I learned early on that in the Philippines their cuisine could be more comparable to the Asian equivalent of American comfort food. It’s rich, flavorful, and will bring back memories with every bite. Filipino cuisine has held such an important place in my life that I actually bring this Coconut Chicken Adobo to every summer barbecue I attend.
The dark meat of the chicken thighs and drumsticks soaks up all that great flavor while maintaining the chickens’ moisture. I honestly believe that this is going to become your new favorite Asian chicken dish. Unlike Teriyaki or straight soy sauce, this homemade Adobo sauce uses chili flakes and peppercorns to add a little spice to the meal. This recipe also uses coconut oil, coconut milk, and coconut vinegar which will lend a little natural sweetness without the traditional addition of brown sugar.
The delicious flavors of this adobo sauce will soak into the chicken thighs as they cook but will also leave you with a lot of additional sauce in the pan. My recommendation is to spoon some of that sauce over the rice. The full flavor of this sauce is so delicious that you’ll want to use it on everything.
Why Place the Chicken Skin Side Down?
When you place the skin of a protein down you are creating a foundation. You can’t build a house without a foundation. Cooking with the bone in it helps give it more flavor but it does more than that because it makes the chicken crisp up from the fatty oils of the skin. You are probably thinking but that doesn’t answer the question. Don’t worry I’m getting there. We start with the chicken skin side down to create the crisp, tasty foundation but also because it is easier to flip. Depending on the color of the skin you can see if the cook is going well. As a side note I normally don’t have a problem with people changing out chicken breast in place of chicken thighs but for this recipe, you should absolutely not amend the recipe, the dark meat of the chicken thighs is needed for this dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 15 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks and thighs
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/2 cup coconut vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 8 fresh bay leaves
- Cooked rice, for serving
Instructions
Prep time – 15 minutes
Cooking time – 1 hour and 30 minutes
Yields – 6-8 servings
Step 1: Start by heating the coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering.
Step 2: Add the chopped garlic, whole black peppercorns, ground black pepper, and red-pepper flakes to the pot. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes, until the garlic is golden and the mix smells amazing.
Step 3: Place the chicken in the pot, skin-side down, without moving it, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to start rendering the fat.
Step 4: Pour in the coconut milk, coconut vinegar, and soy sauce. Add the bay leaves and a cup of water, then bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer. The chicken should be tender enough to almost fall off the bone after about 1 hour of simmering. Remember to give it a gentle stir halfway through.
Step 5: Turn up the heat to medium-high and keep cooking, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens into a smooth gravy, which should take around 15 minutes. Serve this luscious chicken and its sauce over a bed of warm rice.
FAQs & Tips
Remove the bones and place the remaining meat into an air-tight storage container. It can be kept in the fridge for three to five days. You can also freeze it and store it in the freezer for three months.
It varies on your dietary needs. Most things are healthy in moderation. The Adobo sauce itself is fairly healthy, you can use a low-sodium soy sauce to make it a little healthier. The skin on chicken thighs are also rich in sodium, iron, and protein.
Rice would be a great pairing! Rice soaks up all sauces you put on it, with that in mind putting the Coconut Chicken Adobo atop some fluffy white rice and then spooning the additional adobo sauce on top will be delicious.
I love to make Filipino fried rice by dicing up the leftover chicken thighs and rice with the additional adobo sauce, some fried egg, and vegetables to make a really nice second life for this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
Serve Coconut Chicken Adobo alongside Vegan Ravioli Recipe, Delicious Boiled Carrots, Easy Seared Ahi Tuna Steak, and Make-Ahead Freezer Mashed Potatoes. For dessert try Banana Pudding Poke Cake, and Flourless Chocolate Cake.
Coconut Milk Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil
- 15 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 4 pounds bone-in skin-on chicken drumsticks and thighs
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
- 1/2 cup coconut vinegar
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 8 fresh bay leaves
- Cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- Start by heating the coconut oil in a large pot over medium-high heat until it’s shimmering.
- Add the chopped garlic, whole black peppercorns, ground black pepper, and red-pepper flakes to the pot. Lower the heat to medium-low and cook for about 5 minutes, until the garlic is golden and the mix smells amazing.
- Place the chicken in the pot, skin-side down, without moving it, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes to start rendering the fat.
- Pour in the coconut milk, coconut vinegar, and soy sauce. Add the bay leaves and a cup of water, then bring everything to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and let it simmer. The chicken should be tender enough to almost fall off the bone after about 1 hour of simmering. Remember to give it a gentle stir halfway through.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and keep cooking, stirring now and then, until the sauce thickens into a smooth gravy, which should take around 15 minutes. Serve this luscious chicken and its sauce over a bed of warm rice.
