Description
Chicken adobo with coconut milk brings together tender chicken braised in a savory sauce of vinegar, soy sauce, and spices that gets richness from creamy coconut milk, creating a comforting Filipino dish that pairs perfectly with your rice. This straightforward recipe shows you how a few basic ingredients combine into something deeply satisfying that your family will keep asking for.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein and Base:
- 1 kilogram chicken, cut into pieces
- 1 large onion, chopped
Seasonings and Aromatics:
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 2–3 pieces chili peppers, sliced
- 2 bay leaves
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Cooking and Serving:
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 1 cup coconut milk
- steamed rice for serving
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a large pot over medium heat until it shimmers slightly.
- Add 4 minced garlic cloves and 1 chopped large onion to your hot pot, stirring occasionally for about 2-3 minutes until the mixture becomes fragrant.
- Place your 1 kg of chicken pieces into the pot with the garlic and onion.
- Pour 1/2 cup of soy sauce and 1/4 cup of vinegar over your chicken, stirring well to coat everything evenly.
- Increase the heat and bring your mixture to a boil, which takes about 5-7 minutes.
- Lower your heat to medium-low and let everything simmer for 15 minutes so the chicken absorbs the soy and vinegar flavors.
- Add 1 cup of coconut milk, 2 bay leaves, and 2-3 sliced chili peppers to your pot, stirring gently to combine.
- Continue simmering your chicken for 20-30 minutes at medium-low heat until the meat becomes completely tender and pulls away easily from the bones.
- Taste your sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper as needed for your preference.
- Serve your finished dish hot over steamed rice.
Notes
- Brown your chicken pieces before adding the soy sauce and vinegar, which deepens the overall flavor and creates a richer sauce that coats each piece beautifully.
- The simmering time is crucial; don’t rush past those 15 minutes of the initial reduction, as this is when the vinegar and soy sauce bond together and lose their harsh edges.
- Coconut milk can separate if it boils too vigorously, so keep your heat low once it goes in and stir occasionally to keep everything creamy and well-combined.
- For a spicier version, add extra chili peppers or keep the seeds in; if your family prefers milder food, remove the seeds and use fewer peppers since the heat builds as the dish simmers.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 35-45 minutes
- Category: Simmered Chicken
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Filipino
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 310 kcal
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 12 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg