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Filipino Chicken Adobo with Coconut Broth

Filipino Chicken Adobo with Coconut Broth

  • Makes
    4 servings
  • Cook Time
    1 hour 45 minutes
  • Active time plus cooling
    30 minutes active
  • Rating

Thousands of islands make up the Philippines. And there probably are as many recipes for chicken adobo, the classic Filipino dish that turns handful of ingredients—loads of garlic, black pepper and vinegar—into a bright and tangy meal. We tailored our recipe for weeknight ease, using a hefty dose of rice vinegar blended with soy sauce and aromatics to create a potent marinade for bone-in thighs. For heat we used serrano chilies. Look for chicken thighs that are uniform in size; if some are smaller than others, begin to check them early and remove them as they come up to temperature

Tip

Don’t use regular soy sauce. As the chicken braises, the cooking liquid reduces, concentrating the flavor—and salt. Low-sodium soy sauce produced a broth that was well-seasoned.

Ingredients
  • 1½

    cups unseasoned rice vinegar

  • ¾

    cup low-sodium soy sauce

  • 6

    garlic cloves, smashed

  • 3

    serrano chilies, halved lengthwise

  • 4

    bay leaves

  • 1

    teaspoon black peppercorns

  • 8

    bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 to 3½ pounds)

  • 1

    cup unsweetened coconut milk

  • ⅓

    cup chopped fresh cilantro

  • Steamed white rice, to serve

Step 1

In a large Dutch oven, combine the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, chilies, bay leaves and peppercorns.

Add the chicken thighs, submerging them. Cover and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes.

Step 2

Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high. Reduce to medium-low and cook, turning the thighs occasionally, until the chicken registers 170ºF, 25 to 30 minutes, adjusting the heat as necessary to maintain a medium simmer.

Heat the broiler with an oven rack 6 inches from the element. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil. Remove the chicken thighs from the pot and arrange skin side up on the baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towels and set aside.

Step 3

Strain the cooking liquid, discarding the solids, then skim off the fat. Return 1 cup of the defatted liquid to the pot, stir in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer over medium.

Take the pan off the heat, stir in the cilantro, then cover and set aside.

Step 4

Broil the chicken until the skin is deeply browned and blackened in spots, 3 to 8 minutes. Serve in shallow bowls with steamed white rice, ladling the broth over the rice.

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