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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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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 instantly became my favorite meal ever! I make it all the time when I host and people love it. I always have the ingredients on hand for this recipe now!! So good and so easy. I have forgotten the pineapple a time or two by accident and still just as delicious but definitely recommend adding it! Based on the comments, sometimes I have had to use corn starch to thicken the sauce but other times it turns out without it.
Hey Christin,
Fantastic!! 🍁🍂 I am delighted to hear that this recipe is always a hit, thanks so much for making it and sharing your review! xT
3 stars for the coconut rice! It was great- used basmati rice and half the water. The adobo sauce lacked adobo flavor and the pineapple made the dish sweet. Will make the rice again for other dishes.
Hi Jena,
Thanks for giving this recipe a try and sharing your feedback, so sorry to hear it was not enjoyed. Let me know if there is anything that I can help with! xx
Hi, want to try this for the weekend – can I leave out the pineapple? We are not big fans of warm pineapple😛 Thanks!
Hey Carin,
Yes, totally fine to skip the pineapple:) I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
I have made this recipe several times because it’s great to scale for dinner with lots of friends and fam! And everybody has loved it! So good and so easy!
Hey Eliza,
Happy Wednesday! Thanks a bunch for trying this recipe out, I love to hear that it was a winner! xx
I love so many of HBH’s recipes, but I feel like this one is truly underrated! We absolutely loved this and can’t wait to make again!
Hey Jane,
Amazing!! I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for trying it out:)
Another weeknight hit! A must try. I used chicken tenderloins and the chicken was very moist. The sauce was the bomb! Thx for the super easy recipes!
Hey Melissa,
Happy Wednesday!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe and sharing your review, I love to hear that it was tasty!?
Love the Staub pot you use to cook your rice in! Which size pot is it?
Hi Caroline,
Here is the link for my rice pot:
https://rstyle.me/+5l5OVgb5yHFRQLEQ6IFKxQ
Please let me know if you have any other questions! xTieghan
I’ve been making a new recipe of yours once or twice a week, and we are always pleased with the results. We love both your coconut rice and your turmeric rice. Unfortunately, because of a health issue we need to cut white rice out of our diet, but can have brown rice. How can I adapt your rice recipes, using brown rice? I am particularly interested in your coconut rice, as well as your turmeric rice. I sure hope that you have some tips for me, because now that I’ve found your rice, I want to keep eating it! Thanks!
Hey Jackie,
Thank you so much for your kind message and trying so many recipes!! I would use the brand of rice and the cooking time/liquid measurements on the rice box as a guide and just adjust accordingly with the recipes. I this works well for you!! xTieghan
This recipe was delicious. The entire family enjoyed it! Everyone LOVED the taste of the chicken and the coconut rice complemented very well. The condiments recommended were a nice addition to the dish. I will be making this dish again. I have made many of your recipes, and you never disappoint!
Hey Annmarie,
Thanks so much for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that it was a hit! xTieghan
Boy did we love this one!! I added 1 tbsp of cornstarch to thicken the sauce and I snuck in some sautéd bok choy as well. This recipe was a hit and it will absolutely make it again!
Hey Nicole,
Thanks so much for your comment and sharing your feedback! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit and thanks for making it! xTieghan
Compared to other recipes on the website this isn’t best. I saw the other comments saying the sauce wasn’t thick enough so I halved all of the sauce ingredients and it still came out very thin, added some flour to thicken it up but still didn’t have the greatest consistency. Overall still pretty good!
Hi Angelique,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try and sharing your feedback. Halving the sauce recipe wouldn’t cause it to become thicker, you would want to simmer longer or add some cornstarch for thickness. I hope this helps for next time! xx
Just wow! This ranks as one of my family’s all-time favorite recipes I’ve made for them. It’s a staple request every time my sister comes home from college and even made it on the Mother’s Day menu this year, too. “Tastes like something you’d be served in a restaurant!” – my mom. It’s just that good! The sauce really makes the meal, and it heats up really nicely for leftovers in a skillet with a little extra tamari / soy sauce the next day. At this point, I’ve used bone-in and boneless chicken thighs (both work), I usually double the pineapple to 2 cups and add fresh grated ginger to the rice, simply because I have both on hand. Thanks for this winner!! 🙂
Hi Katie,
I love to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try and sharing your review:) Thanks so much for your kind message! xxTieghan
Hi! The rice has great flavor, but when I make it it comes out really wet, almost a bit soggy. What am I doing wrong?
Hey Brooke,
Thanks for giving the recipe a try!! Sorry to hear you are having issues with the recipe. What kind of rice are you using? Is there anything you might be adjusting? A little more info would help me to better answer your question! xTieghan
This is a weekly go to for our family. I keep the jalepenos separate until I portion out the kids’ meals. It’s simple and incredibly flavourful. I always have lots of leftovers for lunches, too!
Hey Tonya,
That’s great!! I love to hear that this recipe was a hit, thanks so much for making it! xxT
Love this recipe. Do you think it could be adapted (besides the rice part) to be made in an instant pot? My kitchen situation will be changing this summer, but I want to be able to keep this in the rotation!
Hey there,
Sure, that would work well for you, I would cook for 10 minutes on high pressure! Let me know if you give the recipe a try, I hope you love it! xx
Fabulous…I would double the chicken,pineapple,rice and toppings. I cut my chicken into cubes and did not need to cook as long. We only had enough for three servings; plenty of sauce and the flavor was wonderful. I made the rice in the rice cooker and got lucky…it was perfect! We will be enjoying this again soon.
Hey Jennifer,
I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xxT