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    Home > Recipes > Chicken

    Chicken Kelaguen (Paleo, AIP, Whole30)

    Published: Mar 14, 2021. Modified: Apr 8, 2022 by Arika | FoodCourage·This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase after clicking a link, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. · Leave a Comment

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    Pinterest pin for chicken kelaguen with 2 images of the dish.

    Chicken kelaguen, a Chamorro specialty, is about as flavorful as it gets! You are going to love this stuff.  I've literally made it 3 times this week because my family and I love it so much. This is the type of dish you can serve to guests and take to parties and they will rave about it. 

    The dish is usually served cold as a side dish or main dish over rice or in tortillas. The recipe does take a little planning because the chicken needs to marinate for a while.

    That aside, this is a very easy dish with only a few ingredients and little active prep time. I'm usually impatient when it comes to meal prep but this meal is completely worth the wait!

    If you're wanting more chicken recipe ideas, check out my AIP Chicken Recipes post which has over 130 recipes.

    **Just a quick heads up- this post contains affiliate links which means if you click on them and buy something,  I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) to help continue maintaining this site. 

     

    What is Chicken Kelaguen?

    Chicken Kelaguen uses lemon juice, green onions, coconut, salt, and hot pepper (aka finadene sauce) to marinate cooked chicken, raw fish, or raw beef. Similar to ceviche, the acids in the marinade are used to "cook" the fish or meat. Chicken is cooked beforehand for food safety purposes.      

    Chicken Kelaguen is a Chamorro dish. The Chamorro people are indigenous to the Marianna islands (think Guam). These are located southeast of Japan and to the south-west of Hawaii.

    chicken kelaguen in a metal bowl

    How to Make Chicken Kelaguen AIP Friendly

    Luckily, there are very few adjustments that need to be made to make chicken Kelaguen AIP friendly. Often the chicken is first marinated in soy sauce, vinegar (or lemon juice), and chili peppers before cooking it. It's then mixed with it in lemon juice, onions, chili peppers, coconut, and sometimes a little bit of coconut milk. 

    To make the chicken marinade AIP, I used coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and omitted the chili peppers. If you want some additional spice and you're not doing AIP, you could certainly add peppers to the marinade.

    For the second part of the recipe (the lemon juice mixture), the typical ingredients are compliant except for the chili peppers. I left these in the recipe as an optional ingredient for those AIPers who have reintroduced nightshades and those who are doing Paleo or Whole30. I will say though that it is such a fabulous dish with or without the peppers. If you are in the elimination phase of AIP, just omit the chili peppers. 

    What's In This Chicken Kelaguen Recipe?

    • Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs

    • Coconut Aminos

    This is a great condiment that adds a ton of flavor to pretty much anything. I tried to minimize the amount of coconut aminos needed for this recipe because they're not entirely cheap. They're necessary for this recipe though and completely worth it. 

    • White Wine Vinegar

    Try to use white wine vinegar if possible. If you don't have it, you can alternatively use lemon juice or red wine vinegar in equal amounts. 

    • White Onion

    This adds another level of flavor to the marinade.

    • Lemon Juice

    This is used for the second step of the recipe (after the chicken is cooked). The lemon juice adds a nice tang to the dish. 

    • Green Onions

    Green onions seem to have a slightly subtler flavor than other onions. Thus, they work perfectly in this recipe and don't overpower the other flavors. 

    • Coconut Chips or Flakes

    Usually, fresh coconut is used in Kelaguen. That being said, I couldn't find fresh coconut the day I was testing this recipe. Also, I find it very very hard to open a coconut! Anyway, I decided to just use unsweetened coconut chips (basically just thick coconut shreds) for this recipe. They worked great. Of course, if you prefer to use fresh coconut, definitely go for it. 

    simple truth coconut flakes

    • Hot Chili Peppers or Serrano Peppers

    As mentioned above, you can just omit these if you're doing the AIP elimination phase. I couldn't find hot chili peppers at my Kroger, so I tested the recipe with serranos and they worked well. 

    • Full Fat Coconut Milk

    Just a tiny bit of full-fat coconut milk added to the chicken mixture adds a little bit of creaminess. It seems simple but it really transforms the flavor profile. It's so delicious with it- don't leave this part out!

    My go-to for guar gum-free coconut milk continues to be Thai Kitchen's 2 Simple Ingredient coconut milk. It's by far, the most consistent product I've used. I've never had issues with it. I use it so much, that I keep it on a monthly subscribe and save delivery schedule with Amazon.
    • Sea Salt

    Any type of sea salt is fine. Make sure it's fine grain. 

    Do I have to Marinate the Chicken?

    Yes. While it may be tempting to skip this step, the magic of this recipe is in the marinade. I'd recommend marinating the chicken for at least 8 hours. Overnight is even better. You can marinate for less time but longer is better (up to 24 hours). 

    I'd recommend putting the chicken in the marinade the night before you want to cook it. The marinade is just 3 ingredients so it's not a lot of prep to get it ready and toss the chicken in for dinner the following night. 

    How Cook Chicken for Kelaguen

    You have a few options for cooking the chicken. Ideally, you want to grill it or use an air fryer to get some good grill marks and a bit of smokey flavor. I used my Ninja Foodi air fryer to cook it (grill setting on Low/400 degrees) for about 16-18 minutes. It turned out so beautifully doing it this way. I definitely recommend it if it's an option for you. 

    You can also just pan fry the chicken on medium-high heat for 5-6 minutes per side (or until it reaches 165 degrees F. 

    grilled chicken thighs in a ninja foodi air fryer

    How to Serve Chicken Kelaguen

    • Over cauliflower rice
    • Over broccoli slaw
    • In a coconut wrap
    • In a lettuce wrap

    How Long Does Chicken Kelaguen Keep in the Fridge?

    This dish will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container. 

    Can You Freeze Chicken Kelaguen?

    I haven't tried it but I wouldn't think it would freeze well. However, if you wanted to freeze the raw chicken in the marinate as a meal prep option, that would work beautifully!

    If you enjoyed this post, you may also like: 

    Moroccan Chicken Stew

    Ground Turkey Stroganoff

    Air Fryer Ninja Foodi Teriyaki Chicken

    Korean Glass Noodle Recipe with Ground Beef

    57+ AIP Pantry Items and What to do With Them

    chicken kelaguen in a tan square bowl on a black and white towel with a fork next to it

    Conclusion:

    I hope you found this post useful. What's your favorite variation of AIP cauliflower fried rice? Please leave a comment below!

    Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @foodcourage for the latest AIP/Paleo recipes, autoimmune nutrition info, and Food Courage happenings!

    This post is shared on the Paleo AIP recipe roundtable.

    chicken kelaguen in a tan square bowl

    Chicken Kelaguen (Paleo, AIP, Whole30)

    Arika | FoodCourage
    Chicken Kelaguen, a Chamorro specialty, is marinated in a super flavorful marinade, then grilled. Prep only takes about 15 minutes so it's pretty easy to make. It's definitely a crowd-pleaser.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 15 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Marinating/Chilling 9 hrs
    Total Time 9 hrs 35 mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Chamorro
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 485 kcal

    Equipment

    • air fryer optional

    Ingredients
      

    • 2 pound boneless skinless, chicken thighs

    Marinade (for raw chicken)

    • 1/2 cup coconut aminos
    • 3/4 cup white wine vinegar
    • 1 cup white or yellow onion, chopped

    Lemon Mixture (for cooked chicken)

    • 1/4 cup lemon juice
    • 1 bunch green onions, diced (about 6 green onions)
    • 1 cup thick coconut flakes, unsweetened
    • 1-2 serrano peppers or hot chili peppers, minced (Optional, Omit for AIP)
    • 2-3 tbsp full fat coconut milk
    • 1/4 tsp sea salt

    Instructions
     

    • Mix the marinade ingredients in a medium bowl, add the chicken and make sure it's covered. Refrigerate and allow to marinate for 8 hours or overnight.
    • If you have an air fryer, use the grill setting and preheat the air fryer to low (400 degrees), and set the time to 17 minutes.
    • Once preheated, add the chicken to the air fryer and discard the marinade. Close the lid. Flip it half-way through.
    • (If no air fryer, heat a pan with olive oil over medium-high heat on the stove and cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes per side or until it reaches an internal temp of at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit).
    • Once done cooking, put the chicken on a plate and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes.
    • While the chicken cools, combine the lemon juice, green onions, coconut shreds, coconut milk, and salt.
    • Dice the chicken into small bite-sized pieces and add it to the lemon juice mixture. Stir it well and put it in the fridge to chill for about an hour.
    • Serve with cauliflower rice or Paleo/AIP-friendly pitas/tortillas.

    Notes

    Makes 4 1 cup servings. 
    Store in the fridge for up to 4 days in an airtight container. 

    Nutrition

    Nutrition Facts
    Chicken Kelaguen (Paleo, AIP, Whole30)
    Serving Size
     
    1 cup
    Amount per Serving
    Calories
    485
    % Daily Value*
    Fat
     
    25
    g
    38
    %
    Saturated Fat
     
    16
    g
    100
    %
    Trans Fat
     
    1
    g
    Polyunsaturated Fat
     
    2
    g
    Monounsaturated Fat
     
    4
    g
    Cholesterol
     
    215
    mg
    72
    %
    Sodium
     
    1040
    mg
    45
    %
    Potassium
     
    800
    mg
    23
    %
    Carbohydrates
     
    17
    g
    6
    %
    Fiber
     
    4
    g
    17
    %
    Sugar
     
    4
    g
    4
    %
    Protein
     
    46
    g
    92
    %
    Vitamin A
     
    130
    IU
    3
    %
    Vitamin C
     
    11
    mg
    13
    %
    Calcium
     
    45
    mg
    5
    %
    Iron
     
    3
    mg
    17
    %
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    Keyword basil chicken, finadina sauce, kelaguen
    Did you make this recipe?Mention @foodcourage or tag #foodcourage on Instagram!
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    HI! I'm Arika and I'm a Nashville-based registered dietitian with Hashimoto's. I founded Food Courage in 2019 as a way to share delicious and practical AIP/Paleo recipes and strategies for thriving with autoimmunity. Check out my about page to read more.

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