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My twist on a classic Filipino dish, One Skillet Filipino Coconut Adobo Chicken. Pan seared chicken braised in a soy sauce, vinegar, coconut milk, and bay leaves, a classic Filipino recipe that’s both easy and delicious. I added coconut milk for just a touch of creaminess to this sweet and tangy adobo sauce. This is best served over steamed rice with fresh avocado and a side of beans. The perfect healthy dinner, any night of the week.
It’s no secret, but I truly love a good skillet dinner. When things are as hectic as they are right now, I turn to skillet recipes just about every other night. I feel like everyone’s on the same page…easy, tasty, healthy..ish weeknight dinners. You’re with me on this, right?
100% yes. With family in town for the Burton-US-Open, and not much time to spare, this adobo chicken has been on repeat. Since I’ve been making it so often lately, I figured it needed to be shared. Because that’s just what I do.
So here’s the story. My brother’s girlfriend is Filipino. Over Christmas, she told me I needed to make a good adobo chicken…among other dishes…which will be coming shortly! Oddly, I’d never made adobo chicken before, so I immediately tried out a few recipes. Over the last couple months I’ve perfected my version of adobo chicken (and I’m working on a few other Filipino recipes too).
Even though I’ve been making this chicken for weeks now, I am still so excited about the recipe.
For those of you who might be unfamiliar, adobo is a Filipino dish that can be made with pork or chicken. I believe pork is traditional, but I’m going with chicken. What’s really most important here is the sauce…the sauce is always the most important.
Traditionally, adobo sauce is made with soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, black pepper, garlic, and bay leaves. The chicken is braised slowly in the sauce until it is tender and falling apart. It’s super simple, but also so delicious.
Me being me, I of course had to adapt the recipe a bit to make it my own. I made two simple additions that really make all the difference. I swapped out the brown sugar for honey and added in creamy coconut milk. The honey adds a nice touch of sweetness, but it’s not over powering. Plus, I love that it makes the dish lower in sugar content too. The coconut milk gives a hint of sweet coconut flavor and makes for a super rich adobo sauce. It also helps to tame the tanginess from the vinegar, while making the sauce a little creamier.
Trust me, this sauce is a game changer.
Best part? This is so easy to make. Start by pan searing the chicken (I prefer breasts over thighs, but use what you love). This will give the chicken its color and lock in those juices. Then add the adobo sauce and let the chicken slowly cook in the sauce. While that’s happening, I highly suggest making some rice, slicing up an avocado, and warming the beans.
You cannot serve adobo chicken without a side of rice. I recommend this sesame rice, which is very much my go-to. If you’d like to add a vegetable, roasted asparagus, broccoli, and sautéed peppers would all be delicious pairings.
And guys? That’s kind of it. Like I said, it’s really a very simple recipe, but do not let that fool you one bit. Everyone in my family has agreed, they could easily eat this once or twice a week and still not be sick of it. The chicken is extra tender, and the sauce is mouth wateringly good…sweet, tangy, and a touch coconutty.
Perfect!
If you make this Filipino coconut adobo chicken, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to also tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
One Skillet Filipino Coconut Adobo Chicken.
Servings: 6 6
Calories Per Serving: 620 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless chicken breasts or thighs
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce (use more to your taste)
- 1/3 cup white vinegar
- 3/4 cup canned full fat coconut milk
- ¼ cup honey
- 6 cloves garlic, minced or grated
- 4 dried bay leaves
- green onions and limes, for serving
Instructions
- 1. Season the chicken all over with black pepper. In a large glass measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, coconut milk, honey, and 1/4 cup of water. 2. In a large skillet with sides, heat the olive oil over high heat. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken, working in batches if needed. Sear on both sides, about 4-5 minutes per side. 3. Add the garlic, cook until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and pour in the soy sauce mixture. Add the bay leaves. Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, uncover and cook another 10-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is thickening slightly. If the sauce is thickening too fast, add ¼ cup of additional water. If the sauce is not thicken, simmer an additional 10 minutes. It's better to have more sauce than less sauce.4. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Serve the adobo over rice and top with green onions and squeeze of lime juice, if desired
This post was originally published on March 6, 2019
This looks great! Can’t wait to try it this weekend. Do you think it would do well in a crockpot?
HI! I don’t recommend this for the crockpot as the sauce doesn’t really get thick. The taste is great, but the sauce is a littler thinner than what you see in the photos. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
For everyone wondering if they can sub coconut milk for something, just skip it – coconut milk isn’t necessary for delicious adobo! I’m Filipina and can make adobo in my sleep. I would skip the limes too.
Thanks Alexis! xTieghan
Cooked this tonight for our family and it came out perfectly. Tender chicken, flavorful sauce – a winner with my picky husband and my picky kiddo. Your recipes always turn out! Thanks so much for sharing them!
Thank you Elizabeth! I am so glad this recipe turned out amazing for you! xTieghan
This delicious recipe was a bit hit for dinner Monday nite! Super easy and full of flavor (as usual). Only had lite coconut milk but it was still great. Thanks so much!
I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Michelle! Thank you! xTieghan
This was so flavorful and easy except mine was very. liquidy – just wondering what I may have done wrong. The picture of yours looks more thick. Thanks!
HI! How much coconut milk did you use? I recommend just simmering the sauce 10-15 minutes longer to thicken it. You can also leave the top off the skillet while cooking to thicken the sauce faster as well. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
So easy and so full of flavor! I used boneless chicken thighs. Will definitely make again.
I am so glad you loved this Kat! Thank you! xTieghan
Oh wow, this is so delicious!! And SO simple! I made it with wild rice and roasted asparagus on the side. The sauce is so good I wanted to drink it. I have one question regarding the directions. When I covered the skillet, it trapped in the moisture so the sauce never thickened. When the chicken was cooked through, I set it aside and let the sauce boil down without a cover until it was thick. Any suggestions on what to do different next time? Thanks for another amazing recipe!
Hey Sarah! It sounds like you did just the right thing to get the sauce thick. Next time, I would not cover the dish while the chicken cooks and see if that yields a better result for you! Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan
I love your recipes so I hate to say this… but I really did not enjoy this. I found it to be way too salty once it reduced down and the sauce never thickened as you mentioned. What perplexes me most about this recipe are your photos. I followed the recipe to a T and found that it was more the color of peanut butter (as many other commenters have also pointed out). There is NO WAY to get the results shown in your pictures following the recipe you provided. Just not possible. Maybe that is adobo without the addition of coconut milk? Either way the pictures are misleading. Those results are not possible with the recipe as you’ve written it.
Hi Jocelyn! I am so sorry this did not turn out well for you.. Are there any questions I could help you with? Please let me know here or shoot me an email! xTieghan
De-lish! I looooved how simple this recipe was. I didn’t have low-sodium soy sauce, so the chicken was pretty salty, but it was still a 5 star dinner. I’ll definitely buy low-sodium soy sauce and make it again. Thanks Teighan ❤️
I am so glad you loved this Michelle! Thank you so much! xTieghan
Eek! I am so excited that you posted a Filipino recipe. I am Filipino myself. I’ve been cooking a good amount of your recipes, and I am definitely going to try your twist on this Adobo recipe. I am looking forward to seeing what other Filipino recipes you have coming up 🙂
I hope you love this recipe Erika! Thank you so much! xTieghan
My sauce never thickened and became dark like your pics. However, it was delicious! Any idea what went wrong? It seemed like way too much liquid.
Hi there! How much coconut milk did you use? Try using 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup coconut milk. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you! xTieghan
Had it with coconut sushi rice (1 cup coconut milk, 3/4-1 cup water, 1 cup rice), sauteed bok choy and yes, the avocado – loved it!!! Also added grated ginger to the adobo, & a few sezchuan peppercorns to the mix instead of on the chicken, but otherwise followed all the proportions and it was absolutely delicious!! A now favorite to make often!
That is so amazing! I am so glad you loved this recipe, Taryn! Thank you! xTieghan
Yummy! To stay AIP, I had to sub coconut aminos for the soy sauce and leave out the black pepper, but it was very delicious!
Thank you Patricia! xTieghan
Mine seems to be a much lighter brown, almost like a peanut butter sauce! What did I miss?
Hi there! How much coconut milk did you use? Try using 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup coconut milk. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you! xTieghan
Does anyone have an instant pot version of this?
HI! I am sorry, I do not recommend this recipe for the instant pot as it turns out watery. Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan