Description
Mexican Chicken Adobo is a flavorful and tender chicken dish cooked in a rich, smoky sauce made from dried guajillo and ancho chiles, spices, garlic, and apple cider vinegar. This traditional Mexican recipe is perfect for a comforting main course and pairs wonderfully with rice, warm tortillas, or roasted vegetables.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup chicken broth
Adobo Sauce
- 4 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
- 1 cup hot water
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1/2 medium onion, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 bay leaves
Instructions
- Soften Chiles: Place the guajillo and ancho chiles in a bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak for 15 minutes until softened.
- Blend the Sauce: Transfer the softened chiles to a blender along with the garlic, chopped onion, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, dried oregano, ground cumin, ground cinnamon, and 1/2 cup of the chile soaking liquid. Blend until smooth to create the adobo sauce.
- Season Chicken: Season the chicken thighs and drumsticks with salt and black pepper evenly on all sides.
- Brown the Chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and brown them for 3 to 4 minutes per side until golden brown.
- Combine and Simmer: Pour the blended adobo sauce over the browned chicken in the pot. Add the bay leaves and chicken broth. Stir to coat all the chicken pieces with the sauce.
- Cook Slowly: Bring the mixture to a simmer, then reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook for 35 to 40 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has thickened.
- Finish and Serve: Remove the bay leaves before serving. Spoon extra adobo sauce over the chicken and serve hot with your choice of rice, warm tortillas, or roasted vegetables.
Notes
- Serve with rice, warm tortillas, or roasted vegetables for a complete meal.
- For a spicier adobo, add 1 to 2 dried arbol chiles to the sauce when blending.
- Bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks provide the best flavor and tenderness for this dish.
- The apple cider vinegar adds a tangy brightness that balances the smoky chiles perfectly.
