Chicken Bicol Express

It's creamy, spicy, and delicious with steamed rice! Chicken Bicol Express is a delicious take on the classic Bicol Express, wherein boneless chicken meat replaces the usual pork cubes.

It delivers the same big, bold flavors you love in the traditional version yet is slightly healthier and more budget-friendly. Like the pork version, bite-sized chicken pieces are first sauteed in aromatics and shrimp paste and then stewed in coconut milk and copious amounts of chili peppers.

The resulting dish is gloriously rich, creamy, spicy, and perfect with generous heaps of steamed rice! It makes a great weeknight dinner meal and a delicious addition to any special gathering.

The recipe can be easily doubled (or tripled) to feed a crowd and will surely be a party hit.

Ingredient notes

This Bicol Express with chicken is easy to make with simple ingredients and takes under an hour to prepare.

You'll have a fantastic dish ready in no time!

• The recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat, but I imagine bone-in would also work. Cut the chicken parts into smaller pieces (be careful with the bones!) so more surfaces are coated in the yummy sauce.
• Use a combination of siling labuyo and siling haba. To tame the heat, use fewer peppers or scrape off the seeds before chopping to get the flavor of the chilis without a lot of spice.
• The recipe uses sauteed shrimp paste. If you’re in the U.S. and have only access to the bottled “neon pink” shrimp paste, you might want to rinse it and drain well before using it in the recipe to remove the extra saltiness and bright color that might otherwise bleed into the dish.

Cooking instructions

• Brown the chicken- Saute the onions, garlic, and ginger in a wide pan over medium heat until softened and aromatic. Cook the chicken until lightly browned. Add the shrimp paste and cook until the meat is evenly coated.
• Cook the chicken- Add coconut cream and Thai chili peppers. Simmer until chicken is cooked through, and the sauce is reduced and begins to render fat.
• Add finger chilies and cook for a few more minutes until the peppers are softened.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cooking tip

For a smooth, creamy sauce, cook in a simmer as boiling the coconut milk or heating it too quickly will make it curdle or separate.

How to serve and store

• The stew is delicious as a main dish for lunch or dinner. !
• Because it contains coconut milk, it spoils more quickly than most foods, especially in warmer weather. Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
• Reheat in a saucepan to 165 F or microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals until thoroughly warmed.

Notes

• If using bottled raw shrimp paste, rinse and drain well to rid of the extra saltiness and the bright color that might otherwise bleed into the dish.
• For a smooth, creamy sauce, cook in a simmer as boiling the coconut milk or heating it too quickly will make it curdle or separate.

Nutrition Information

“This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only.

Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.”