Filipino Yellow Chicken Adobo with Turmeric and Coconut Milk
Yellow chicken adobo is a classic Filipino dish that’s sweet and sour, luscious and creamy. It’s the perfect comfort food—warm, hearty, and full of flavor. Adobo is the Spanish word for marinade, but in this context refers to a specific style of cooking developed in the Philippines, where meat and/or vegetables are slowly cooked in a vinegar-based sauce. Originally, this served as a preservation technique; the acidic vinegar saturates the food, prolonging the time you can safely eat it.
Toasted Ground Turmeric—What Gives Yellow Adobo its Distinctive Color
This yellow adobo is made with bay leaves, black peppercorns, turmeric, onion, shallots, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, coconut milk, sugarcane vinegar, and honey. The ground turmeric gives the adobo its vibrant yellow hue. Coconuts are a common ingredient in Filipino cooking and feature heavily in the dish, both in the sauce and as a topping. Coconut milk adds richness to the sauce, while burnt shredded coconut adds a smoky-bitterness. Sugarcane vinegar, a distinctive Filipino ingredient, gives the dish a sour kick. The spicy, sweet, sour and bitter flavors interact and combine to create an intensely flavorful stew.
Prepped Ingredients for Cooking Filipino Yellow Chicken Adobo
Cooking this yellow chicken adobo takes time and effort—you need to prep the ingredients, toast the turmeric and shredded coconut, make the adobo sauce, roast the vegetables, grill the chicken and slowly simmer it in the adobo sauce. However, once you taste it, you’ll know all your hard work was worth it. The chicken is fall-off-the-bone tender and adobo sauce is incredible. I’ve made it countless times and it’s always a favorite!
Have you made adobo before? What’s your favorite Filipino adobo?
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Filipino Yellow Chicken Adobo with Turmeric and Coconut Milk Recipe
Print recipe | Serves | 4 |
| Meal type | Main Dish |
| Misc | Pre-preparable |
| From magazine | slightly adapted from Bon Appetit |
Ingredients
- 10 dried bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons black peppercorns
- 2 tablespoons ground turmeric
- 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 head of cauliflower (broken into small florets)
- 1/4 acorn squash, cut into 1 (about 2 cups)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 small white onion (chopped)
- 2 medium shallots (chopped)
- 6 large garlic cloves (chopped)
- 1 3-inch piece ginger (peeled, finely chopped)
- 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 2 13.5 ounce cans unsweetened coconut milk
- 1 cup sugarcane vinegar or distilled white vinegar (divided)
- 4 chicken legs (drumsticks and thighs seperated)
- 3 tablespoons (or more) honey
garnish (Optional)
- unsalted roasted pumpkin seeds
- thinly sliced Fresno Chiles
- sliced scallions
special equipment
- cheesecloth
Note
Do Ahead: Adobo can be made 3 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill. Reheat gently before serving.
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Place bay leaves and peppercorns in center of cheesecloth and tie closed with kitchen twine; set sachet aside. Toast turmeric in a dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, just until fragrant (be careful not to let it brown), about 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Cook coconut in same skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until burnt (not browned: burnt), about 3 minutes. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Heat oven to 375°. Toss cauliflower and squash on a large rimmed baking sheet with 1 tablespoon oil to coat; season with salt and pepper. Roast vegetables, tossing occasionally, until browned and tender, 40–50 minutes. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot over medium-high. Add onion, shallots, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring often, until golden brown and very fragrant, 8–10 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, just until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in toasted turmeric, coconut milk, and ¾ cup vinegar. Bring to a boil and cook until liquid is reduced by about one-third, 20–30 minutes. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Meanwhile, prepare a grill for medium-high heat (or heat a grill pan over medium-high). Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill, turning occasionally, just until skin is charred (chicken will not be cooked through at this point), 8–10 minutes. | |
| Step 6 | |
| Add chicken and reserved sachet to turmeric sauce. Cook, partially covered, until chicken is tender, 60–80 minutes. Stir honey and remaining ¼ cup vinegar in a small bowl until honey is dissolved; add to braise, then add roasted cauliflower and squash. Taste and season with more salt or honey as needed. | |
| Step 7 | |
| Divide adobo among bowls and top with burnt coconut, pumpkin seeds, chiles, and scallion, if using. | |
