Chicken Binakol with Young Coconut
Recipe Guy
Filipino Classics
Coconut water gives chicken binakol a lightly sweet broth without making it creamy. Ginger and bruised lemongrass bring aroma, while young coconut strips echo the liquid in a tender bite. Green papaya or chayote and a last handful of greens complete the pot.
About This Recipe
Local name: Binakol na Manok
Bone-in chicken simmers in unsweetened coconut water with stock or water, fish sauce, and aromatics. The coconut should support a savory soup, so check the carton before pouring: this calls for coconut water, not coconut milk or a sweetened coconut drink.
Green papaya or chayote goes in once the chicken is tender. Young coconut follows, and malunggay or spinach wilts after the heat is off. That order keeps the final additions distinct instead of subjecting every ingredient to the full chicken simmer.
Ingredient Notes
Coconut water
Use unsweetened coconut water. Sweetened drinks can make the soup taste flat and sugary.
Young coconut meat
Fresh is best, but frozen young coconut strips work well after thawing.
Chicken
Bone-in thighs and drumsticks stay juicy and enrich the broth.
Greens
Malunggay is traditional, but spinach or pepper leaves are good substitutes.
Cooking Notes
- Bruise the lemongrass stalks before adding them, leaving them in pieces large enough to find. Remove the tough stalks before serving rather than leaving them among the edible coconut strips.
- Keep young coconut meat separate from the papaya or chayote during prep. It needs only its short final simmer, not the longer cooking required to soften the vegetable wedges.
Chicken Binakol with Young Coconut Recipe
Chicken Binakol is a delicate Ilonggo chicken soup simmered with coconut water, young coconut meat, ginger, lemongrass, green papaya, and leafy greens.
Yield: 6 servings Serving size: 1 1/2 cups soup with chicken
Yield note: Bone-in chicken gives better broth; boneless thighs shorten cooking by about 15 minutes.
Shopping List
Meat
- Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
Produce
- Ginger
- Lemongrass
- Green papaya or chayote
- Malunggay or spinach
- Scallions
Pantry
- Unsweetened coconut water
- Young coconut meat
- Fish sauce
- Jasmine rice
Ingredients
Soup
- 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 2 inches ginger, sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, smashed
- 2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
- 6 cups unsweetened coconut water
- 2 cups chicken stock or water
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Vegetables
- 2 cups green papaya or chayote wedges
- 1 cup young coconut meat strips
- 2 cups malunggay leaves or baby spinach
- 2 scallions, sliced
- Calamansi or lime wedges
Serve
- Steamed rice
- Fish sauce with chilies, optional
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry and season lightly with salt.
- Warm oil in a heavy pot. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and lemongrass; cook 3 minutes until aromatic.
- Add chicken pieces and cook 5 minutes, turning once, just until the outside loses its raw look.
- Pour in coconut water and stock. Add fish sauce and salt.
- Bring to a simmer, skim foam from the surface, then cover loosely and cook 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is tender and the thickest pieces reach 165°F (74°C) on an instant-read thermometer, measuring away from the bone.
- Add green papaya or chayote and simmer 10 to 12 minutes, until just tender.
- Stir in young coconut meat and simmer 3 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and add malunggay or spinach. Cover for 2 minutes to wilt.
- Rest the soup 10 minutes, then taste and adjust with fish sauce or calamansi.
- Serve hot with rice and scallions.
Nutrition Estimate
Estimated per bowl with bone-in chicken, unsweetened coconut water, young coconut, and vegetables.
Tips For The Best Chicken Binakol with Young Coconut
- Use unsweetened coconut water: It should taste fresh and lightly sweet, not like a dessert drink.
- Do not boil hard: A gentle simmer keeps the broth clear and the chicken tender.
- Add greens last: Malunggay and spinach lose color quickly if boiled.
- Balance at the end: Fish sauce and calamansi should sharpen the broth without covering the coconut.
How To Serve And Store
Serving: Serve with steamed rice and a small bowl of fish sauce with sliced chilies.
Make Ahead: The broth and chicken can be cooked a day ahead; add greens after reheating.
Refrigerate: Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Freeze: Freeze without greens for up to 2 months.
Reheat: Reheat gently and add fresh greens at the end.
Safety: Cool perishable leftovers within 2 hours and reheat cooked foods to steaming hot before serving again.
Common Questions
Is Chicken Binakol the same as tinola?
They are related, but Binakol uses coconut water and young coconut meat, giving the broth a distinct gentle sweetness.
Can I use boneless chicken?
Yes. Use boneless thighs and reduce simmering time, but add a little chicken stock for depth.
Can I use canned coconut milk?
Not for this version. Coconut milk makes the soup creamy, while Binakol is usually clear and based on coconut water.
What can replace green papaya?
Chayote is the easiest substitute and holds its shape well in soup.
Can coconut milk stand in for coconut water in binakol?
Not for this version. Coconut water provides the light broth, while coconut milk would make a much richer, creamy soup. Use unsweetened coconut water and keep the young coconut meat as a separate addition.
When do the spinach or malunggay leaves go into the soup?
Turn off the heat after the young coconut has simmered, then add the leaves and cover to wilt them. They do not need to boil through the chicken or papaya cooking stages.
