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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.

overhead close up photo of Filipino Coconut Adobo Chicken

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).

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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.

overhead photo of Filipino Coconut Adobo Chicken

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!

overhead close up photo of Filipino Coconut Adobo Chicken

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.

Author: Tieghan Gerard
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
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.

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Ingredients

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
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Filipino Coconut Adobo Chicken on plate with rice

This post was originally published on March 6, 2019
4.36 from 352 votes (274 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. Unlike most of the comments below I’m posting this after I actually made the dish. My sauce looked nothing like your picture. The sauce in your picture looks beautifully dark and rich. My was a pale brown. I had to reduce and thicken with corn starch to get a more velvety sauce. Picture misleading however flavor was very good.

    Reply

  2. 5 stars
    Made this for my weekly meal prep and it was delicious! I did have a problem thickening the sauce so I removed the chicken and cooked the sauce down for another 20 minutes. Turned out perfect!

    Reply

  3. 4 stars
    The chicken and sauce we’re delicious, but like some others I also couldn’t get my sauce to thicken and the color was more like peanut butter. I used 3/4 cup of canned full fat coconut milk, but I think I used too much olive oil during searing. The sauce didn’t thicken much even after I let it go another 15 minutes. I’m no culinary major but maybe I broke the sauce lol

    Still came out tasty though!! Love your recipes.

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    I have had this recipe pinned for quite a while now, and eventually made it this evening. Delicious. Dare I admit I did not serve with rice!!!, instead with super chunky homemade chips (fries) and flatbread, with some of the sauce drizzled over….which means I have plenty of sauce left to make again….with rice next time.
    Thanks for the recipe. Did I mention it was delicious.

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    My mom’s recipe does not include using coconut milk, so this sounded intriguing to me. It was definitely a hit with my family! Thanks for yet another lovely recipe 🙂

    Reply

  6. 5 stars
    Concern- my sauce didn’t thicken! Any tips for next time?

    Otherwise this was a bomb diggity dish!

    Reply

    1. Hi Olivia! Did you do anything different? To thicken the sauce, just simmer and additional 10-15 minutes longer. That should thicken it right up! Please let me know if you have any other questions. So glad you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply

  7. Hello from « chilly » Quebec, Canada! We made this last night with a whole organic chicken. We left the skin on chicken thighs. And we cooked it in the oven which made the sauce reduce well and caramalized the skin nicely. Tasted amazing. We will cook this again, surely. Oh, and lastly, we replaced olive oil with coconut oil! We served with cilantro, lime wedges, and green onions. Yummy!

    Reply

    1. I am so glad this turned out amazing for you Johanne! Thank you so much! I hope you’re staying warm! xTieghan

      Reply

  8. Made this recipe tonight! Cannot wait to dig in! It smells heavenly! Thank you for sharing all your amazing recipes!!

    Reply

  10. 5 stars
    I recently discovered this blog and I am so excited to try so many of your recipes! Your pictures and stories are really fun to look through. I made this adobo chicken last night and it turned out wonderfully! After reading many of the comments I made a few changes and easily achieved the results pictured. I cut the coconut milk by 1/4 cup, and never added any water. I drained any remaining oil in the pan after searing the chicken and before adding the garlic, bay, & sauce. I also simmered the chicken never using a lid, until it hit 165 degrees (about 20 min on my stove), then set it aside to boil down the sauce for another 10 minutes. It darkened and thickened up perfectly. I returned the chicken to warm it back up and get it all saucy, then served. I’m excited to try more of your recipes. Dinner plans this week already include the chicken gyros and falafel naan wraps 🙂

    Reply

    1. Hi Summer! I am so glad you found my blog and loved this recipe! Thank you for trying it! I hope you love all of the other recipes you try! xTieghan

      Reply

  11. I make this, didn’t take a pic , but it was fabulous!!! Served it with green bamboo rice and roasted broccoli ..Great reviews! Will make again. Please keep up the great work !! You’re young and energetic-go for it!!

    Reply

  13. I made this dish last night (without bay leaves as I didn’t have any). I left the sauce to simmer for at least 25 minutes more to get the right colour and texture (otherwise it was pale brown at first). It was absolutely delicious. Thank you!

    Reply

    1. HI! Yes, apple cider vinegar will be great! Please let me know if you have any other questions. I hope you love this recipe! Thank you! xTieghan

      Reply