Chicken Adobo With Coconut Milk

Recipe from Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan

Adapted by Sam Sifton

Updated July 17, 2024

Chicken Adobo With Coconut Milk
Craig Lee for The New York Times
Total Time
2 hours, plus 2 hours' refrigeration
Rating
5(5,616)
Comments
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It is the national dish of the Philippines, and the subject of intense and delicious debate across its 7,100 islands whether made with chicken, pork or fish. Whichever, the protein is braised in vinegar until pungent and rich, sweet and sour and salty at once, then sometimes crisped at the edges in high heat, and always served with the remaining sauce. Its excellence derives from the balance of its flavors, in the alchemy of the process. Cooking softens the acidity of the vinegar, which then combines with the flavor of the meat to enhance it. Whether consumed in Manila’s heat or on the edge of a New York winter, adobo holds the power to change moods and alter dining habits. It is a difficult dish to cook just once. The recipe that follows derives from one given to The Times in 2011 by Amy Besa, who runs, with her husband, Romy Dorotan, the excellent Purple Yam restaurant in Ditmas Park, Brooklyn. —Sam Sifton

Featured in: The Adobo Experiment

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1cup coconut milk
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 1½ cup rice vinegar
  • 12garlic cloves, peeled
  • 3whole bird’s-eye chilies or other fiery chili
  • 3bay leaves
  • 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 to 4pounds chicken thighs
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

1036 calories; 78 grams fat; 29 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 28 grams monounsaturated fat; 14 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 69 grams protein; 1209 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine all of the marinade ingredients in a large, nonreactive bowl or resealable plastic freezer bag. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 2 hours.

  2. Step 2

    Place chicken and marinade in a large lidded pot or Dutch oven over high heat and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and tender, around 30 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Heat broiler. Transfer chicken pieces to a large bowl, raise heat under the pot to medium-high, and reduce the sauce until it achieves almost the consistency of cream, about 10 minutes. Remove bay leaves and chilies.

  4. Step 4

    Place chicken pieces on a roasting pan and place under broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, until they begin to caramelize. Remove, turn chicken, baste with sauce and repeat, 3 to 5 minutes more. Return chicken to sauce and cook for a few minutes more, then place on a platter and drizzle heavily with sauce.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
5,616 user ratings
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Comments

Steve Muni

Having been born and raised in the Philippines, this is comfort food for me. This version is from the Bicol, in the southern part of Luzon. Around Manila they don't use coconut milk. A relish of two parts chopped tomato and one part chopped white onion, flavored with a little lemon juice and salt, makes a nice accompaniment.

Dhel

Don't need to put under the broiler Marcia. If you want follow the marinade process. when ready to cook, heat oil in a pan and brown it in batches to get a nice brown color set aside, in same pan put the marinade mixture and let it boil, season as your taste. Put the chicken back in the sauce and simmer it until the chicken is tender and the sauce is a bit thicken.

Yvamne

Being from Panay island in the Visayas, this recipe would constitute as "Adobo Sa Gata" meaning, abobo in coconut milk, a variation of adobo. Regular adobo does not have coconut milk. And we don't ever marinate them. We throw everything all at once in a pot, chicken (or pork, or both), garlic, onions, soy sauce, vinegar (cane or coconut), bay leaves and black pepper, no chilies until the liquid reduces considerably to a thick, delicious sauce.

Rebecca C.

Delicious and easy. I used the whole can of coconut milk and had to sub cayenne for the Chiles. Served over hot rice. Will make this one over and over again.

Linda W

For my non-Filipino palate, I wasn't thrilled with the addition of coconut milk vs adobo without coconut milk. It felt a bit more like wanna-be Thai food and almost needed the addition of ginger to help the flavor profile. The recipe was super easy, I followed the instructions for broiling the chicken thighs after they simmered in the sauce. I will adopt that method of browning the thighs but will go back to my usual vinegar, garlic, bay leaves and peppercorn sauce.

Josh

Followed this recipe to the letter, and honestly, the finished product was terrible. The vinegar taste was overpowering, and it was the worst meal I've cooked probably since I started cooking. I was worried that 1 1/2 cup of rice vinegar would be too much, and clearly I was right. Felt bad for my family, who tried to put on a brave face for me, but it really was that bad.

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Credits

Adapted from Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, Purple Yam restaurant, Brooklyn

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