Hawaiian · beginner
Hawaiian Lau Lau Style Chicken And Spinach Skillet
A quick skillet adaptation of classic Hawaiian lau lau featuring tender chicken, sweet potatoes, and lush spinach simmered in coconut water and red salt broth.
- PREP TIME
- 15 min
- COOK TIME
- 25 min
- SERVES
- 4
Good things
start in the kitchen.
LET’S MAKE IT
Step by step
- 01
Heat vegetable oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
- 02
Add the cubed chicken thighs and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until light golden on all sides.
- 03
Add the cubed sweet potatoes, coconut water, soy sauce, and Hawaiian red sea salt to the skillet.
- 04
Bring liquid to a gentle boil, then cover with a lid, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until sweet potatoes are tender.
- 05
Uncover the skillet, increase heat slightly, and stir in the baby spinach in batches until completely wilted into the braise.
- 06
Drizzle with sesame oil, adjust salt to taste, and remove from heat.
- 07
Serve hot in wide bowls with the savory coconut spinach broth.
A LITTLE KITCHEN KNOW-HOW
Skillet Braising
Searing ingredients briefly before cooking them covered in a small amount of liquid over gentle heat.
Notes from the kitchen
- Cutting sweet potatoes into uniform half-inch pieces ensures they cook through at the same time as the chicken.
- Baby spinach mimics the earthy leaf wrap of traditional lau lau while cooking down tenderly in minutes.
- Original home-cooking adaptation inspired by Hawaiian; regional versions vary.
- Use halal-certified meat, poultry, stock, sauces, cheese and other processed ingredients. Check labels and avoid cross-contamination. Recipe screening is not halal certification.