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You’ve probably heard or tasted the standard Filipino chicken adobo recipe. My dad told me about a variation where you add coconut milk, and when I cooked it at home, I was shocked that more people haven’t made this.
It is just as easy as making the standard Filipino chicken adobo with only a few adjustments. The coconut milk creates a creamy flavor that makes this dish shine on its own. Try it; it might end up being your new favorite chicken dish.
This coconut milk variant is from the Bicol region of the Philippines. Bicol is especially known for adding some spiciness to food so I highly recommend adding chili peppers
Soy Sauce and Vinegar
For full list of ingredients and detailed steps, check out the bottom of this page.
The two main flavorings for the sauce in adobo is soy sauce and vinegar. I like to use light/regular soy sauce. I’ve seen a lot of recipes call for dark soy sauce but I think it makes it too salty.
My standby vinegar for adobo is apple cider vinegar but you can use others such as sugar cane vinegar, coconut vinegar, and so many more. You can use white distilled vinegar but if you do, add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Basically, you want a bit of sweetness with the vinegar that you can get from vinegars that aren’t white distilled.
Make It Spicy
I store the red thai spicy chilis in the freezer which makes it convenient for use anytime. Feel free to adjust the amount of chilis depending on your spice tolerance. Also, play around with other types of chilis! Remember, food from Bicol is known for have a little bit of a spicy kick!
Go cocoNUTS!
Coconut milk is not the same as coconut cream. If you want to use coconut cream, you’ll have to dilute it with water since it is thicker.
For coconut milk, make sure you’re using the canned, unflavored, full fat coconut milk. This is NOT the same as the large coconut milk beverage cartons.
Here’s a list of coconut milk brands I think are great for this recipe (and in general):
- Kara
- Trader Joe’s
- AROY D
- Chaokoh
- Thai Kitchen
I’ve found that the thickness of coconut milk will vary from brand to brand. Some even have additives to make them thicker. In this recipe, its not something to worry about as opposed to baking recipes. Just make sure you’re using unflavored, full fat coconut milk.
Process
For full list of ingredients and detailed steps, check out the bottom of this page.
Before I show photos, I do want to mention that I don’t marinate the raw chicken ahead of time like other people. I find the flavors develop if you let the adobo sit a few hours after cooking. I suggest you cook this dish hours ahead of when you plan to eat or even let it sit overnight and reheat it!
Brown chicken on both sides but start skin side down
Remove the chicken and begin sautéing the aromatics.
Add the chicken back in and add soy sauce, vinegar, and coconut milk
Mix in the spicy chili and let it simmer for a long time.
Enjoy with white rice!
Video
Recipe
Filipino Chicken Adobo with Coconut Milk
Ingredients
Method
- Salt chicken on both sides.
- In a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan, brown both sides of the chicken. Start with the skin side down to release some of the natural oils. If your chicken is skinless, add some oil.
- Once the chicken is browned on the outside, remove it from the pan and set aside.
- To the pan you just browned the chicken, add the aromatics: garlic, bay leaves, and peppercorns. Sautee these for a few minutes to release the aromas.
- To the same pan, drop the chicken in again and add the soy sauce, vinegar, and coconut milk. Bring this to a boil and simmer for 45 minutes
- When you simmer is complete, the liquid should be significantly reduced. If not, remove the chicken and continue to simmer the sauce on low heat until reduced, then add the chicken back into the pot.
- Top with chopped Thai chilis and serve with rice!
Notes
- I like to use light/regular soy sauce. I’ve seen a lot of recipes call for dark soy sauce but I think it makes it too salty.
- My standby vinegar for adobo is apple cider vinegar but you can use others such as sugar cane vinegar, coconut vinegar, and so many more. You can use white distilled vinegar but if you do, add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar. Basically, you want a bit of sweetness with the vinegar that you can get from vinegars that aren’t white distilled.
- Coconut milk is not the same as coconut cream. If you want to use coconut cream, you’ll have to dilute it with water since it is thicker.