Coconut chicken adobo is the most beloved Filipino dish where chicken is slowly simmered in a rich mixture of soy sauce, coconut milk, vinegar, and other aromatics. Traditionally eaten with a bed of rice, this is both a delicious and easy weeknight meal!

What is Adobo?

Adobo is one of the most popular Filipino dish in the world! Some may even call it the Philippine’s national dish for that very reason.

I take a lot of pride in our adobo, there’s so many regional variations to this recipe and it’s guaranteed that each household will have their own standardized recipe for this dish. Regardless of those differences, the heart of any adobo always consists of: soy sauce, vinegar, and garlic. Bay leaves and black peppercorns are also added to give the braising liquid a mellow, aromatic taste.

Adobo is an umbrella term for SO many different Filipino dishes. So long as you have those basic ingredients mentioned above, then it’s typically considered adobo. Some of my favorite adobo variations include adobong sitaw (string bean adobo), which is a perfect way to pack in some veggies, chili oil chicken adobo, which is my own spicy take on the classic chicken adobo, as well as adobo fried rice, the perfect recipe to clean out your fridge of any leftovers.

In this recipe, we’ll be making chicken adobo, but with the addition of coconut milk and coconut water. The coconut works perfectly as a braising liquid to not only soften the brightness and acidity of the vinegar, but to also make the sauce richer!

Ingredients for coconut chicken adobo

Chicken thighs: no exceptions! We want to use dark meat for this recipe due to its tenderness and fat content. This will be an amazing compliment to our adobo sauce.
Soy sauce: ideally, you’d want to go for a Filipino brand of soy sauce. Datu Puti, Silver Swan, or Marca Piña are great options since they tend to be more savory, salty, and will give our final adobo a deep, rich, caramel color. Otherwise, any brand of soy sauce should work.
Cane or coconut vinegar: these are the most common vinegars you’d typically see Filipinos cook with. Regular white vinegar can also work as a substitute.
Coconut milk: I love going for the canned coconut milk that’s imported from Thailand (they seriously have the best coconut milk/water products). It’s rich, creamy, and has a great mouthfeel. Aroy-D or Thai Kitchen are my go-to’s for any coconut milk recipe!
Garlic, black peppercorns, bay leaves: I like to call these the “holy-trinity” of Filipino cooking since you’ll see this combination of aromatics everywhere. Don’t skip any of these, they’re essential to almost every adobo recipe.
Onion, dried chilies: these are the additional aromatics that aren’t as common, but can pack serious flavor. The onion lends a mild sweetness, while the dried chilies give the sauce a mellow spice.
Brown sugar: sugar helps to balance out the tangy and savory flavors from the sauce. Add more or less to your taste preference!

Instructions

Heat and oil a wide pan over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken thighs on both sides until golden brown in color, set aside.

In the same pan, saute the onions until tender. Add in the garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves, and dried chilies. Stir and continue to saute for an additional 2-3 minutes until fragrant.

Pour in the soy sauce, vinegar, coconut milk, and brown sugar. Stir to combine.

Add back in the chicken. Pour in just enough coconut water to cover the chicken thighs. Bring to a boil, then let simmer with a lid on for 45 minutes.

Remove the lid, turn the heat up to a high, and begin boiling the adobo liquid to reduce the sauce.

(This can take anywhere between 10-20 minutes of reducing depending on how thick you want the final sauce to be. The longer you boil, the more thicker in consistency and the more concentrated in flavor it will be!)

Serve with rice. Top with green onions and more sauce, if desired. Enjoy!

How to serve coconut chicken adobo

As with most Filipino food, chicken adobo is best served with a side of rice. The whole point of the rice is to essentially balance out those robust, strong flavors of the main dish, so that you get a perfectly balanced bite when you take a spoonful.

That being said, any other side dish can work for this recipe. You can try salads or other vegetables, or even shred up the chicken to be used as a filling for sandwiches (which tastes amazing by the way).

Craving for more delicious comfort foods? Here’s a couple that you might love:

Beef Giniling (Filipino Picadillo)
Vietnamese Caramelized Spare Ribs
Tamago Sando (Japanese Egg Sandwich)
Lugaw (Filipino Rice Porridge)