Chicken Laing
intro
Rich, spicy, creamy Bicolano Filipino dish of tender chicken and dried taro leaves slow-simmered in spiced coconut milk, best served hot over steamed rice.
Ingredients
Steps
Prep measured ingredients
Cut 500g boneless chicken thighs into uniform 2-inch cubes, pat fully dry with paper towels. Tear 100g dried taro leaves into 3-inch pieces, discarding thick, woody stems. Mince garlic, ginger, chop onion, and slice chilies, setting all prepped items within easy reach. Do not wash dried taro leaves, as excess water causes unpleasantly slimy texture.
Sauté aromatic base
Heat 2 tablespoons neutral cooking oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat (175°C / 350°F). Add chopped red onion first, sauté for 3 minutes until soft and translucent, then add minced garlic and ginger, cooking for 1 additional minute until fragrant, taking care not to burn the garlic. Add sliced bird’s eye chilies and stir for 30 seconds to release their spicy aroma.
Sear chicken pieces
Increase heat to medium-high (200°C / 400°F). Add cubed chicken thighs to the pot in a single layer, working in batches if needed to avoid overcrowding. Sear for 2 minutes per side until light golden brown on all edges, then stir in 2 tablespoons fermented shrimp paste and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, tossing to coat chicken evenly for 1 minute.
Simmer coconut base
Pour all 400ml full-fat coconut milk into the pot, stirring gently to combine with chicken and aromatics. Bring liquid to a gentle rolling boil, then reduce heat to low (95°C / 200°F), cover the pot, and simmer for 10 minutes to let chicken absorb coconut flavor, stirring once halfway through to prevent sticking to the pot bottom.
Cook taro leaves slowly
Do not stir initially: spread all torn dried taro leaves in an even layer on top of the simmering coconut liquid, pressing them down gently with a heatproof spatula to fully submerge under the milk. Keep heat on low, cover the pot tightly, and let leaves cook undisturbed for 15 minutes. This undisturbed low-heat cook removes the irritating calcium oxalate crystals in taro that cause itchy throat, and prevents coconut milk from curdling.
Finish and adjust seasoning
After 15 minutes, gently stir the softened taro leaves into the chicken and coconut sauce, letting leaves break down slightly into the thick, velvety mixture. Simmer uncovered for 5 more minutes on low heat, tasting and adjusting salt only if needed (fermented shrimp paste is already quite salty). The final dish will have thick, clinging sauce, tender chicken, and fully soft, non-itchy taro leaves. Serve hot with steamed white rice.
Tips
2.Use only full-fat coconut milk for this recipe: light coconut milk has a high water content that easily curdles during simmering and will not produce the rich, velvety sauce traditional laing is known for.
3.If fermented shrimp paste (bagoong alamang) is unavailable, substitute with 2 tablespoons of high-quality fish sauce, though the deep, savory umami flavor will be slightly milder; adjust the number of chilies up or down to match your preferred heat level.
OMG this was SO good! I made this for our Sunday family dinner when my parents came to visit, and even my super picky 7 year old asked for seconds. I was a little nervous cooking taro leaves for the first time because I heard they can be itchy if you don’t cook them right, but following the 45 minute cook time exactly worked perfectly. The creaminess from the coconut milk with that little kick of spice? Total game changer. Will definitely be bringing this to our next neighborhood potluck!
I’ve been looking for a reliable laing recipe ever since I had it at a Filipino food pop-up in Chicago last month! This came out so rich and flavorful, I didn’t have to adjust the spice level at all for my partner who hates super hot food, it was just the right gentle kick. Cooked it in my Dutch oven and the whole house smelled amazing for hours.
Tried this for dinner the other night and honestly? It was just okay for me. I think I overdid the chili flakes because mine was way spicier than I expected, and the taro leaves I got were a little more tough than I thought they’d be even after cooking the full 45 minutes. Maybe I’ll give it another shot with fresher leaves and less spice next time, but it wasn’t the home run I was hoping for.
Game. Changer. I brought this to my office potluck yesterday and people were coming up to me asking for the recipe all afternoon! I used boneless chicken thighs like the recipe suggested and they were so juicy and tender, I don’t think chicken breast would have worked half as well here. Pro tip: serve it over extra fluffy jasmine rice to soak up all that creamy coconut sauce, *chef’s kiss*.
As someone who mostly makes super quick 20 minute weeknight meals, this medium difficulty recipe felt totally doable! The instructions were super clear, I didn’t get confused at any step, and the end result tasted like something I’d order at a restaurant for $20+. My only small gripe is I had to go to three different grocery stores to find dried taro leaves, but once I tracked them down it was smooth sailing.
My kids loved it! I was worried the spice would be too much for them, so I cut the chili amount in half and added a little extra ginger, and they ate two full servings each. This is going straight into my regular meal rotation, it reheats so well for work lunches too. 10/10, don’t skip the garlic fried rice on the side if you have the time!
Made this for my partner’s birthday dinner since he’s been craving Filipino food, and he said it tasted just like his lola’s cooking! I added a handful of sliced long beans like he remembered from his grandma’s version, and it added such a nice fresh crunch. The creamy, spicy, savory balance is absolutely perfect, I can’t believe I’d never made laing before this. Will be making this for every special occasion from now on!