The Best Filipino Pork Adobo Recipe with Coconut Milk

This melt-in-your-mouth tender Filipino pork adobo (Adobong Baboy) recipe is a classic. It's creamy from the coconut milk, or "gata" in Tagalog, which means coconut. It's perfectly tangy and salty for that traditional pork adobo that I crave all the time. You, too, will be craving this dish once you make it. 

This Filipino Pork Adobo with Coconut Milk or adobo sa gata is the perfect pork stew to be enjoyed anytime especially during the cold winter months. I also love serving this when we have guests over. It is a fantastic way to show off my culture's most famous and iconic dish.

This is the best pork adobo recipe but I have several Filipino adobo recipes here on my site. Try my Classic Chicken Adobo, Chicken Adobo with Coconut Milk and my Pork Belly Adobo. 

Pork Adobo Ingredients

• Cubed pork shoulder
• Onion
• Garlic
• Low sodium soy sauce
• White vinegar (or Cane Vinegar)
• Water
• Brown sugar
• Black peppercorns
• Bay leaves
• Coconut milk (make sure you use no sugar)
  
• Green onion, crispy garlic and Thai red chili for garnish

See recipe card for quantities

How to make the best pork adobo recipe

Making the best pork adobo is easy. Braising is one of the easiest techniques. Here are my foolproof instructions.

Sear the pork shoulder.

Add the sauce ingredients except the coconut milk. Simmer for 30-40 minutes.

Add a can of coconut milk.

Simmer again for 30 minutes or until the sauce has reduced and the pork is tender.

Prepare the Pork: First thing to do is cube the pork shoulder into bite-sized or small pieces if it's not already cubed.

Sear the Pork: Heat a dutch oven over medium heat. Add the cubed pork to the skillet vegetable oil or any oil. The fat from the pork will render out as it cooks, allowing it to golden brown without additional oil. Cook the pork until it's nicely browned on all sides, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning. This may take about 15 minutes.

Add Aromatics: Once the pork is browned, remove and set aside. 

Add the minced onion and smashed garlic cloves to the large skillet. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent and fragrant.

Deglaze: Pour the soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce, water and vinegar over the aromatics. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom. 

Sugar and Spices: Add the brown sugar, black whole peppercorns, and bay leaves or you can also discard bay leaves to the dutch oven. Stir to combine all the ingredients.

Add back the PORK: Add back the pork. 

Simmer: Lower the heat to medium low and let the pork mixture simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together and the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.

Add Coconut Milk: After simmering for 30 minutes, pour in the can of coconut milk. Stir well to incorporate it into the pork mixture.

Reduce and let the pork tender: Allow the mixture to simmer again, this time with the coconut milk, until the sauce thickens and becomes silky smooth and glossy. This might take an additional 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally to prevent burning.

Garnish and Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat once the flavorful sauce has reached your desired consistency. Garnish the pork adobo with chopped green onions, sliced red chili, and crispy garlic.

Serve: Serve the pork adobo hot over steamed jasmine rice, with the garnishes sprinkled on top and boiled egg. Enjoy your delicious classic adobo and popular Filipino dish!

Substitutions

Cubed pork shoulder - you can use chicken, pork butt, pork pieces, chicken thighs, beef or any other pork cuts like pork belly. 

Onion and Garlic - crucial aromatic to make this dish amazing. You can use onion powder and garlic powder.

Low sodium soy sauce - if you're gluten free, feel free to use tamari or coconut aminos or gluten-free soy sauce

White vinegar (or Cane Vinegar) - cane vinegar (Datu Puti Vinegar) is traditional but sometimes can be hard to find. White vinegar, coconut vinegar, mixture of vinegar, or apple cider vinegar is a great substitute. 

Brown sugar - You can use any sweetener you want such as honey, white sugar or maple syrup.

Coconut milk - if you don't like coconut milk, feel free to omit this.

GARNISHES: Green onion, Crispy garlic, Thai red chilis

Equipment

• Large dutch oven 
• Knife 
• Cutting board
• Tongs
• Bowls

How to store, freeze, and reheat pork adobo

To store, refrigerate pork adobo in an airtight container for up to next day to 4 days. For 

freezing, portion cooled adobo into freezer-safe containers or bags for up to 2-3 months. 

Reheat thawed adobo on stovetop or microwave until warmed through, adding a splash of water if needed.

Pork Adobo Recipe - FAQs

Other Filipino Adobo recipes

Looking for other adobo recipes like this? Try these:

Pairing

These are my favorite dishes to serve with this pork adobo:

Carmen Spillette

The Best Filipino Pork Adobo Recipe with Coconut Milk

5 from 2 votes

This melt-in-your-mouth tender Filipino pork adobo recipe is a classic. It's creamy from the coconut milk, or "gata" in Tagalog, which means coconut. It's perfectly tangy and salty for that traditional pork adobo that I crave. You, too, will be craving this dish once you make it.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Course: braise

Cuisine: braise

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 3 lbs pork shoulder cubed1 onion, minced6 cloves of garlic, smashed¼ cup soy sauce½ cup vinegar ½ cup water1 tablespoon brown sugar1 tablespoon black peppercorns5 bay leaves1 can coconut milk (make sure you use no sugar)
• Green onion and Thai red chili for garnishRed chili sliced, for garnishCrispy garlic, for garnish

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Equipment

• cutting board
• Glass Bowl with Lid
• Kana Cast Iron Pans
• knife
• tongs

Method

 

1. Prepare the Pork: Cube the pork shoulder into bite-sized pieces if it's not already cubed.
2. Sear the Pork: Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the cubed pork to the skillet without any oil. The fat from the pork will render out as it cooks, allowing it to brown without additional oil. Cook the pork until it's nicely browned on all sides, stirring occasionally to ensure even browning. This may take about 15 minutes.
3. Add Aromatics: Once the pork is browned, remove and set aside. 
4. Add the minced onion and smashed garlic cloves to the skillet. Stir and cook for a few minutes until the onions are translucent and fragrant.
5. Deglaze: Pour the soy sauce, water, and vinegar over the aromatics. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom.
6. Sugar and Spices: Add the brown sugar, black peppercorns, and bay leaves to the dutch oven. Stir to combine all the ingredients.
7. Add back the PORK: Add back the pork. 
8. Simmer: Lower the heat to medium-low and let the pork mixture simmer uncovered for about 30 minutes. This allows the flavors to meld together and the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking and ensure even cooking.
9. Add Coconut Milk: After simmering for 30 minutes, pour in the can of coconut milk. Stir well to incorporate it into the pork mixture.
10. Reduce and let the pork tender: Allow the mixture to simmer again, this time with the coconut milk, until the sauce thickens and becomes silky smooth and glossy. This might take an additional 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it and stir occasionally to prevent burning.
11. Garnish and Serve: Remove the skillet from the heat once the sauce has reached your desired consistency. Garnish the pork adobo with chopped green onions, sliced red chili, and crispy garlic.
12. Serve: Serve the pork adobo hot over steamed jasmine rice, with the garnishes sprinkled on top. Enjoy your delicious classic Filipino dish!

Notes

• For slow cooker/Instant Pot pork adobo, brown pork, then add all ingredients. Cook on low for 6-8 hours (slow cooker) or high pressure for 30 minutes (Instant Pot).
• Browning the pork without oil enhances flavor by allowing the fat to render. Ensure even browning for rich taste.
• Simmer uncovered initially to concentrate flavors. Maintain a gentle simmer throughout cooking to prevent the sauce from becoming too thick or the meat from drying out.
• Adjust seasoning gradually. Taste as you cook to achieve the perfect balance of salty, tangy, and sweet flavors.

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Food safety

• Cook to a minimum temperature of 145 °F
• Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
• Wash hands after touching raw meat
• Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
• Never leave cooking food unattended
• Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
• Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove

See more guidelines at USDA.gov.