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Skillet Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice. A one-skillet Filipino-inspired chicken in a tangy, sweet, and spicy adobo sauce served over creamy coconut rice. I make mine with pineapple and jalapeños for a sweet-spicy kick. The creamy coconut rice wonderfully compliments the tangy, sweet, and spicy adobo sauce. Add fresh avocado and a side of beans for the perfect healthy dinner, any night of the week.
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- Kosher salt and Black pepper
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Tamari or low sodium soy sauce
- White wine vinegar
- Honey
- jalapeños
- Dried bay leaves
- Pineapple chunks
- Sliced avocado
- Cucumber
- Green onions
- Coconut milk
- Basmati rice
- Fresh cilantro and basil
Everyone always asks where I get recipe inspiration from. And while I get it from just about everywhere, my number one source is my family. It could be a recipe they’re wanting or a dish they had out one night. No matter where their inspiration comes from, I love to cook for them, and cook what they want to eat.
Hail’s (Red’s girlfriend) has been here since before Dew Tour in December. She’s Filipino and I’m always asking her what to make when she’s around. Adobo came up up the other week and I loved the idea of a simple skillet dinner.
I asked how her mom made it. Then we kind of went back and forth on a few changes/additions to hopefully make it even more delicious. This isn’t quite a traditional adobo, but similar and very delicious. Hail’s fully approved.
Here are the details
The amazing thing about chicken adobo is that it’s naturally a one skillet kind of dinner. Meaning, this is so simple and doesn’t require too many ingredients.
Ideally, you want to use chicken thighs for best flavor and to avoid any dry chicken. However, if your family is like mine, you can also use chicken breasts, or even a mix. If you’re dietary restrictions (vegetarian or vegan) restrict you or guests from this recipe, you could always stir fry vegetables and substitute that in for the chicken.
Step One
You’ll want to first sear the chicken, then add soy sauce and vinegar. The vinegar is what adds the tang to the sauce. It’s traditional to use brown sugar too, but since we wanted ours to be less sweet, I just used a small amount of honey.
Once the chicken is seared, add the sauce, then toss in the bay leaves. For some spice, we love to throw in a jalapeño. It’s heat really mellows out as the pepper cooks in the sauce, adding just the right amount of spice. Not too spicy, but just right.
Step Two
At the end of cooking, stir in the pineapple chunks. This is also not traditional, but so yummy. Especially with the jalapeño, it really balances the flavors nicely. After you sauté these ingredients for a bit on medium heat, set to simmer and focus on the coconut rice.
Step Three
The coconut rice
While the chicken simmers on the stove. Make the coconut rice. We love coconut rice around here. It’s creamier and with just a small amount of coconut flavor it pairs really well with Asian style dishes.
A little cilantro and pinch of salt at the end makes everything just perfect. Then serve the chicken and rice with sliced avocado and cucumber.
Everyone in my family has agreed, they could easily eat this once or twice a week. The chicken is tender, and the sauce is everyone’s favorite – spicy, sweet, and tangy.
The rice completes it all! Also, the great thing about this dish is that you can be creative with it! If you want more veggies, add them in!! Adding sautéed garlic cloves or shallots will add to the flavor and you could even sauté some spinach into the mix. Make this dish yours! This recipe also makes for a great lunch the next day as well, simply heat up the recipe in a microwave or oven after storing in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This recipe will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days. However, it’s always best fresh…right off the skillet!
Looking for other skillet recipes? Here are my favorites:
Lemon Butter Dijon Chicken and Orzo
French Onion Tater Tot Casserole
Greek Meatballs and Lemon Butter Orzo
Lastly, if you make this Skillet Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice, 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 tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
Skillet Chicken Adobo with Coconut Rice
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 619 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Watch the How-To Reel
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
- black pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3/4 cup tamari, or low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 2-3 tablespoons honey, use to your taste
- 1-2 jalapeños, seeded, if desired, and sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, smashed
- 4 dried bay leaves
- 1 cup pineapple chunks
- sliced avocado, cucumber, and green onions, for serving
Coconut Cilantro Rice
- 1 can (14 ounce) coconut milk
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- 1. Season the chicken all over with black pepper. In a large glass measuring cup, combine the tamari/soy sauce, vinegar, honey, and 1/2 cup of water.2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the chicken and sear on both sides until golden, 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 jalapeños and bay leaves. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, uncover and cook another 10-20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Stir in the pineapple. 4. Remove the bay leaves and discard. Serve the chicken adobo over rice. Top each plate with avocado, green onions, jalapeños, and cucumber.
Coconut Rice
- 1. Combine the coconut milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium pot. Bring to a low boil. Add the rice and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, cover, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes on low, then turn the heat off completely and let the rice sit, covered, for another 15-20 minutes (don't take any peeks inside!). 2. Remove the lid, add the cilantro, and pinch salt. Fluff the rice with a fork.
This post was originally published on January 19, 2022
So.Darn.Good. Loved the flavor profiles in this dish. As a cooking-challenged person, I thank you for the avocado, green onion and cucumber suggestions. They were perfect additions. I envy your skills.
Hey Angie,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
I absolutely loved how easy this recipe was and the taste was incredible. My only disappointment was that my sauce did not thicken even after adding some cornstarch. Would you recommend adding the pineapple in the last few minutes of cooking to maybe get your sauce thicker and caramelized?
Hey Chantel,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! I add the pineapple right at the end. xTieghan
This was delicious! I have to admit I omitted the jalapeño and pineapple to make it more traditional and subbed rice vinegar, but even with all the changes it was still sooo good. I’m wondering if those whose sauce didn’t thicken maybe used breasts instead of thighs? The fat from the chicken thighs helps, so definitely recommend using those.
Hey Janna,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
This was delicious! And easy to make. That coconut rice was so rich and creamy and the chicken was tender and flavorful. I used chicken breasts for mine. Will definitely make this again. Yum!!
Hey Linda,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
No leftovers! This was sooooo tasty and easy to make (even for a novice cook like me).
Hi Sarah,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
Can I sub for brown Basmati rice? Would I follow package directions for cooking since brown rice takes longer?
Can’t wait to try this tonight!!!!
Hey Dani,
Yes, that would work well and yes just follow the package instructions. Please let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope it turns out amazing for you! xTieghan
I really wanted to like this more. I found there was a large volume of sauce and it was very thin and didn’t permeate the chicken with its flavor. That said, I left the leftovers in the sauce overnight and the flavor (in the chicken) was better the next day. In making this again, I don’t know if marinating in the sauce (before cooking) would achieve better flavor or if thickening the sauce when serving would help. The sauce has good flavor and I would improve the heat by leaving some jalapeno ribs and seeds. Loved the pineapple chunks.
The coconut rice was delicious and will become a new staple.
Hey Helen,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback! You can add some cornstarch next time to help thicken the sauce or just allow it to simmering longer until thickened. I hope this helps! xTieghan
A new HBH favorite! The flavors are amazing. I used coconut aminos and skipped the water. It came together perfectly. I served it over a sweet potato as I can’t eat grains. It was a great compliment. Thank you!!!!
Hi Theresa,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am thrilled to hear it was enjoyed. Thanks for sharing your comment! xTieghan
Hello Tieghan – looking forward to trying this. I don’t have pineapple – would dried apricots work? Thanks, all your recipes are amazing. You have changed my food life for the better!
Hey Cat,
I think mango would be best in place of the pineapple. I hope this recipe turns out amazing for you, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Fantastic combination of flavours. The coconut and cilantro in the rice was very nice. I didn’t have jalapenos so used some red chili pepper flakes which worked well. This will be a new go-to recipe! Thank you!
Hey Brenda,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Fantastic recipe!! Delicious flavor profile and super easy to make. I didn’t have wine wine vinegar on hand so I swapped for rice wine vinegar and it worked well. The sauce didn’t reduce on its own, but did a cornstarch flurry and added in which worked like a charm. Will be making again. Thanks!
Hey Mikaela,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Ugh, sorry to be in the minority but this was awful. It was so so soooo salty! The only flavor is salt. I didn’t modify anything and made it as written and it was inedible. We chucked out a whole pan of chicken, such a shame to waste it.
Hey Cath,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, so sorry to hear it wasn’t enjoyed. xTieghan
This recipe is incredible. I used a cast iron skillet, and skin on chicken thighs. The only tweak I needed to make was at end it was very broths, so I turned heat up to medium high and constantly stirring and moving chicken around reduced the.liquid and it turned out thick and coated everything like the picture. The addition of cucumber and avocado at the end is a must. Oh and the coconut rice…..ahhhmazing and so darn easy. I did two of HBH recipes in a row and they were both A+ . The other was lemon butter chicken and orzo. Next up the Cuban bake!
Hey Ashley,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT
So tasty! I added bagged coleslaw and mango the last couple of minutes and fresh basil since I was out of cilantro. Worked really well. Will definitely make again. Thanks Tiegan!
Hi Debbie,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT
Would jasmine rice work for this? Would you change cook time at all?
Hey Maddy,
Yes, jasmine rice would work well for you, you can follow the recipe as is! Please let me know if you give the dish a try, I hope you love it! xTieghan
I am a first generation Filipino so I was pleasantly surprised to see this on your IG stories! My Filipino
husband has been begging me to make chicken adobo ever since we got married but I would always deflect to my mom – ‘she can make that for you!’ I made it for the first time tonight (with the coconut rice) and it was delicious! My husband asked for this to be a weekly staple.
Hey Denise,
Wonderful!! I am so so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks a bunch for making it! xT