Coconut Milk Chicken Adobo
Updated Jan. 21, 2026
- Total Time
- 1¾ hours
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 2tablespoons coconut oil
- 15garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 2teaspoons whole black peppercorns, plus 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- 4pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks and thighs
- 1cup unsweetened coconut milk
- ½cup coconut vinegar
- ½cup soy sauce
- 8fresh bay leaves
- Cooked rice, for serving
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)
643 calories; 47 grams fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 16 grams monounsaturated fat; 8 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 40 grams protein; 1064 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
- Step 1
In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the garlic, whole peppercorns, freshly ground pepper and red-pepper flakes, drop the temperature to medium-low and cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic is toasted and softened and mixture is fragrant, about 5 minutes.
- Step 2
Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook over medium-high, undisturbed, until fat starts to render, about 5 minutes.
- Step 3
Stir in the coconut milk, coconut vinegar, soy sauce, bay leaves and 1 cup water, and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken feels loosened and just about falling off the bone, stirring halfway through, about 1 hour.
- Step 4
Increase the temperature to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce is thickened to a velvety gravy, about 15 minutes. Serve chicken and sauce over rice.
Private Notes
Comments
Coconut vinegar? Is there a substitute for that?
Is there a reasonable substitute for coconut vinegar?
Coconut vinegar is easily found at Asian grocery stores, most regular stores, and online. Sugarcane vinegar is a good substitute. If you can’t get those, regular white vinegar is best in Filipino adobo recipes.
I have made this several times now and it always turns out delicious. I don’t like whole peppercorns so I lightly crush the 2tsp of whole. I usually use a whole can of coconut milk and up the soy and vinegar for a bit more sauce. If you wait to crank the heat on your pan and slide each thigh around to coat in oil and move the garlic mix between each piece there shouldn’t be any issue with burning the garlic. At that point my pan is completely full. I’ve also browned the thighs first and set aside while the garlic cooks. It’s a totally valid approach but I really like the ease of this one pan approach.
It was delicious and easy. A very interesting (but addictive) flavor. I made a half-batch for two, used boneless skinless thighs because that's what I had, mixed apple cider and rice wine vinegar, and supplemented with red bell pepper (added when the simmering began) since I didn't have enough thighs. Simmered it for an hour and it was delicious although the peppercorns were still hard. We should have had leftovers for the next day... but we did not!
Delicious and simple. I used only thighs and seared them first to get them good and golden on both sides then took them out and sauteed the garlic, peppercorns, etc until it was golden and deglazed with the liquid and bay leaves to scrape up all the brown bits for extra flavor. Then nestled the thighs back in the sauce and simmer. At the end I over reduced the sauce and it was a bit salty so added a a bit of water to get it right.