Description
Mexican Chicken Adobo is tender bone-in chicken cooked in a rich, savory red chile sauce made with tomatoes, guajillo, ancho or chipotle, and pasilla or New Mexico chiles. Garlic, onion, vinegar, and warm spices give the sauce its deep, balanced flavor.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 bone-in chicken legs
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinless, or skin-on if preferred
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Sauce
- 1 small brown or yellow onion, sliced
- 4 Roma tomatoes, quartered
- 4 garlic cloves, chopped
- 3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 dried ancho chile or dried chipotle chile, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried pasilla or New Mexico chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sea salt or Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon dried coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- Chopped cilantro for garnish
To Serve (Optional)
- White rice
- Spanish Rice
- Corn or flour tortillas
- Avocado slices
Instructions
- Season the chicken legs and thighs with salt and ground black pepper. Heat some of the olive oil in a large skillet or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken pieces, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the same pan if needed. Add the sliced onion, quartered Roma tomatoes, and chopped garlic. Cook until the onion begins to soften and the tomatoes start to break down.
- Add the prepared guajillo chiles, ancho or chipotle chile, and pasilla or New Mexico chiles. Add the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, sea salt or Kosher salt, cumin, oregano, coriander, ground cloves, and bay leaves. Cook until the vegetables and chiles have softened enough to blend.
- Remove the bay leaves. Carefully transfer the cooked chile and tomato mixture to a blender and blend until smooth.
- Return the browned chicken to the skillet or pot. Pour the blended adobo sauce over the chicken, making sure the pieces are well coated. Continue cooking until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve with white rice, Spanish rice, corn or flour tortillas, or avocado slices.
Notes
- The recipe allows either dried ancho or dried chipotle chile. Chipotle will give the sauce a smokier flavor.
- The chicken thighs can be skinless or skin-on according to preference.
- Remove the bay leaves before blending the sauce, and use caution when blending hot ingredients.
- Store leftover chicken together with the adobo sauce to help keep it moist when reheating.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8 servings
- Calories: 550 calories
Keywords: Mexican Chicken Adobo, Adobo de Pollo, Mexican chicken recipe, chicken adobo, Mexican adobo chicken, red chile chicken, dried chile chicken