• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Andrea Meyers logo

  • About
  • Photography
  • The Farm Project
  • Cooking with Kids
  • Grow Your Own
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Photography
  • The Farm Project
  • Cooking with Kids
  • Grow Your Own
    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Photography
    • The Farm Project
    • Cooking with Kids
    • Grow Your Own
    • Flickr
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Budget Meals

    Chicken Kelaguen (Kelaguen Mannok)

    Jul 17, 2006 · Modified: Jun 19, 2021 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 7 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Chicken Kelaguen (Kelaguen Mannok) - Andrea Meyers

    This dish is one of my fond memories of four years spent in Saipan. Local celebrations always included chicken kelaguen, red rice, empanadas, pancit, and other delicious island foods.

    Traditional kelaguen starts with a whole chicken, cut in half or in pieces, that has been grilled till cooked but still juicy. Then you combine the remaining ingredients and stir with the chicken and let it stand and cool for an hour or so. To enjoy, put some into a tortilla and wrap it up and eat it. The sweet fresh coconut balances the heat of the peppers and the tartness of the limes.

    Fresh coconut is key, so don't buy sweetened flake or frozen coconut, which has added sugar.To open the coconut, drill some holes in the end where the three indentations are located—a ¼-inch drill bit works well—and turn the nut over to drain the liquid. You can also use a hammer and a large nail, but Michael enjoyed getting out the drill for this. Then wrap the nut in a towel and pound it a few times with a hammer until it breaks into several large pieces. Pry the meat out of the shell with a small knife.

    I have to agree with Santos at The Scent of Green Bananas: grilling the chicken over charcoal renders the best flavor for this dish, but it still tastes great if you use a gas grill or if you broil or bake in the oven.

    Variations

    Broil: Use your oven broiler to cook the meat following the same directions as for grilling.

    Bake: Preheat oven to 350° F and bake in foil-lined 9x13 pan for about 30 minutes. Don't over cook; you want the meat to retain it's juices.

    Other peppers: I like to add finely chopped green and red bell pepper for additional color.

    [Updated March 26, 2010.]

    Chicken Kelaguen (Kelaguen Mannok) - Andrea Meyers
    Print Pin

    Chicken Kelaguen (Kelaguen Mannok)

    Adapted from the Saipan Community School Cookbook, 1986.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Resting Time1 hr
    Total Time1 hr 45 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Micronesia
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Keyword: chicken, coconut, gluten free, grill
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 247kcal

    Equipment

    • grill
    • sharp knife
    • cleaver or meat grinder
    • juicer or reamer
    • large bowl

    Ingredients

    • 1 whole chicken (cut into pieces, or 3 pounds (~1.3 kilos) boneless, skinless chicken breast)
    • 4 limes (juiced)
    • 1 small onion (finely chopped)
    • 1 coconut (grated)
    • sea salt (to taste)
    • 3 Thai hot peppers (finely chopped (or other small red hot peppers))
    • tortillas
    US Customary - Metric

    Preparation

    • Grill chicken pieces for 10 minutes on one side and then turn and grill 5 more minutes. Remove from grill and allow to cool a few minutes so that you don't burn yourself. Remove skin and bones and finely chop or grind the meat.
    • In the large bowl, stir together chicken, juice, coconut, salt, onions, and peppers. Let stand 1 hour. Adjust seasonings to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature wrapped in tortillas.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 247kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 19g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 71mg | Sodium: 71mg | Potassium: 309mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 311IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Share in the comments!

    Resources

    • Wikipedia - Kelaguen
    • The Scent of Green Bananas (blog about food on Guam)

    More Dishes from the Grill

    Grilled Eggplant Salad with Lentils and Tomatoes - Andrea Meyers
    Grilled Eggplant Salad with Lentils and Tomatoes (The Kids Cook Monday)
    Grilled Pork Chops with Tandoori Spice Rub - Andrea Meyers
    Grilled Pork Chops with Tandoori Spice Rub
    Thai Grilled Chicken Salad with Mango - Andrea Meyers
    Thai Grilled Chicken Salad with Mango
    « How to Make Prepared Horseradish
    Rhubarb Pie »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jean says

      November 05, 2006 at 9:50 pm

      I make this all the time! As a matter of fact, just bought three chickens from Costco and several packets of frozen coconut meat from our asian market. Yeah, plan to make this tomorrow. 🙂 I usually make this with green onions and red pepper flakes. It makes the dish look "Purdy".

      Nice site. Booked marked it.

      Reply
    2. beverly says

      March 26, 2010 at 9:26 am

      I'm born and raised in
      guam but i've been in palm bay florida now since 2003 and I'm sure i'm not the only chamorro here. I think it's time for someone to open a chamorro restaurant or something to that effect. GOOD MONEY!!!

      Reply
    3. Dave says

      July 13, 2012 at 1:59 am

      When I lived on Saipan, someone served this with red pickled ginger chopped in. It intensified the freshness of the taste. Has anyone else ever heard of this variation?

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        July 15, 2012 at 10:26 pm

        Hi Dave. I don't remember ever having red pickled ginger in kelaguen, but it sounds good!

        Reply
    4. Katherine Carrigan says

      April 08, 2013 at 7:09 am

      One of my favorite fiesta foods, we lived in Dededo for 2 years in the late seventies and made tones of food for our village feast day. I remember sometimes wrapping the keleguan in steamed cabbage leaves instead of tortillas.

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        April 11, 2013 at 2:51 pm

        Hafa Adai, Katherine! It's also good wrapped in lettuce leaves.

        Reply
    5. Rosa Wawrzyniak says

      October 21, 2021 at 5:17 pm

      I am Mexican and we eat ceviche on tostadas. Could this be eaten on tostadas as well? It reminds me of ceviche.

      Reply

    Thanks for visiting! Let me know what you think! Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Andrea Meyers photo

    Hi, I'm Andrea Meyers: educator, photographer, tea drinker, avid cook, and gardener. I love helping people learn how to do great things.

    More about me →

    Seasonal Favorites

    • Slow Cooker Cuban-Style Black Beans with Rice
    • Baked Boston Brown Bread
    • Slow Cooker Boston Baked Beans (Kids Cook Monday)
    • Slow-Cooker Chicken Korma
    • Roasted Bacon-Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
    • Country Captain Chicken

    Trending

    • Southern Buttermilk Cornbread
    • Dry Beans and Legumes Cooking Chart (From the Pantry)
    • Colombian Hot Chocolate
    • Cincinnati Chili
    web hosting

    Footer

    Return to the top


    About

    • About Andrea
    • Contact
    • Advocacy
    • FAQs
    • As seen in
    • Work with me

    Policies

    • Privacy Policy
    • Nutrition Disclaimer
    • Comment Policy
    • Accessibility
    • Copyright Policy

    As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases.

    ALL PHOTOS AND ORIGINAL TEXT COPYRIGHT © 2005-2022 ANDREA MEYERS PRODUCTIONS LLC
    YOU MAY NOT USE ANY PHOTOS OR ORIGINAL TEXT WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION.