Known as Adobong Hipon a Gata, this Shrimp Adobo in Coconut Milk is the ultimate seafood comfort food that you can make in less than 30 minutes. Serve it over rice with a side of vegetables and you’ve got a quick and easy family dinner!
The smell of Adobong Hipon sa Gata simmering in the kitchen is always one that brings me back to my childhood. It’s the scent of fresh, briny seafood simmering in a classic soy/vinegar adobo sauce with creamy coconut milk and peppercorns.
If you love shrimp, you will absolutely adore this shrimp adobo in coconut milk!
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🦐 What is Adobong Hipon sa Gata?
Adobong Hipon sa Gata translates to Adobo Shrimp with Coconut Milk. And that’s literally what this delectable dish is.
🌟 Why this recipe works
Large shrimp with head and full shells intact soak up the flavorful, creamy adobo sauce. It’s AMAZING and I know you’re gonna love it as much as we do!
- This is a one-pan meal, making cooking and clean-up a breeze.
- You can refrigerate or even freeze leftovers.
- It’s so versatile that you can enjoy it for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
- Use the shells from the shrimp to make a flavorful homemade seafood stock.
This is an amazing ONE PAN recipe, meaning you just need two total kitchen tools to make this dish, and two to prep!
🥥 Recipe ingredients
Shrimp – Buy large or extra large shrimp with the head, shells, tails still intact. I usually find this shrimp at Costco or my local Asian markets usually have them. Sometimes Whole Foods and New Seasons Market will also have them.
If you can’t find them with the heads on (or don’t want them – that’s fine too!), try to at least find some large raw shrimp with the shells. That’s where all the best flavor nestles: between the shells and the meat.
Ground black pepper and whole peppercorn – A mix of ground black pepper and a little whole peppercorn gives you the flavors of authentic Filipino adobo while keeping the dish still pleasant to eat. Too many whole peppercorns can spoil a dish, so that’s why I mix in some ground pepper to keep the flavor but softening the texture.
Soy Sauce – Use your favorite soy sauce. You can also substitute coconut aminos, or tamari, which is a gluten free soy sauce.
Cane vinegar – for the most authentic flavors, use a Filipino cane vinegar. If you can’t find any locally or online, you can use rice wine vinegar instead.
Coconut milk – Use one cup of full-fat canned coconut milk. Do NOT use the kind of coconut milk you find in the pourable box containers next to the regular milk/dairy section. Those tend to be pretty thin.
✅ Step-by-Step instructions
It is SO EASY to make this Filipino recipe! You ready? Let’s do it!
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated up, add the garlic, black pepper, and peppercorn and sauté for 1 minute, just until the garlic is softer and fragrant.
Add the shrimp and bay leaves to the pan.
Pour in the vinegar and soy sauce, stir to combine and coat the shrimp. Cook just until the shrimp has changed color and is just about cooked through.
Then add the coconut milk, stir, and simmer until the shrimp is cooked and the sauce has thickened slightly.
That’s it! So easy and so fast, right?
❓ Recipe FAQs
Adobo is both a cooking method and a sauce. In the Philippines, adobo is a braised meat or seafood marinated and cooked in adobo sauce. Adobo sauce usually consists of soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, bay leaves, and black peppercorn. Filipino adobo tends to be salty and sweet, whereas Mexican adobo tends to be spicier and contain more spices like paprika and oregano.
You don’t have to – but that is how you get fully flavorful, amazing shrimp adobo. You can use peeled shrimp instead. It will still taste good! Just slightly different.
Allow the shrimp to cool at room temperature. Then store shrimp and sauce in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. You can also freeze the shrimp and sauce in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
🍚 What to serve with adobong hipon sa gata
This shrimp adobo is best served over some Instant Pot Filipino Garlic Rice or with some Pandesal rolls to soak up the yummy sauce.
To complete your Filipino feast, make a bowl of warm Almondigas (Filipino Meatball and Noodle Soup). Or make Instant Pot Chicken Adobo, Ground Pork Menudo, or Beef Caldereta. And, of course, no Filipino feast is complete without a big batch of Lumpia!
🔪 Kitchen tools and equipment
Cutting board and knife – You’ll need a sturdy cutting board and sharp knife.
Large skillet – You’ll need a large skillet with high sides or something like this large stainless steel sauté pan to cook this one-pan seafood dish.
Spoon – Use a wooden spoon to sauté the aromatics and stir the shrimp in the sauce.
🥂 Best wine pairings for shrimp adobo
This rich, savory shrimp dish pairs beautifully with an Albariño, Sauvignon Blanc, or a Pinot Grigio.
I’ve also enjoyed shrimp adobo with a glass of Rosé wine.
🇵🇭 More Filipino recipes
For more, you can buy my Filipino cookbook: Modern Filipino Cooking, my 55-page e-Book with authentic Filipino recipes that I’ve adapted for today’s modern kitchen!
Love this recipe? Please consider leaving a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟rating in the recipe card below and a review further down if you REALLY like this, thanks!
Shrimp Adobo in Coconut Milk
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorn
- 1 pound large shrimp in shells
- 3 dried bay leaves
- ¼ cup cane vinegar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 cup coconut milk
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is heated up, add the garlic, black pepper, and peppercorn and sauté for 1 minute, just until the garlic is softer and fragrant.
- Add the shrimp and bay leaves to the pan.
- Pour in the vinegar and soy sauce, stir to combine and coat the shrimp. Cook just until the shrimp has changed color and is just about cooked through. Then add the coconut milk, stir, and simmer until the shrimp is cooked and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is so delicious and super quick to cook. Intact shrimps are the best since they are always more flavorful than shelled ones.
This was everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! Easy, delicious and beautiful; worthy of a restaurant, indeed!
I can’t wait to try this sauce on other meats too! Delicious!
Just what this busy mom needs – a recipe that is quick, easy and the whole family will gobble this up! Perfect!
This was delicious! I used regular tail on shrimp and still so flavorful!