Description
Mexican Chicken Adobo is a flavorful, tender chicken dish simmered in a rich adobo sauce made from dried guajillo and ancho chilies, garlic, and aromatic spices. This traditional recipe offers a perfect balance of smoky, tangy, and mildly spicy flavors, ideal served with rice or warm tortillas for an authentic Mexican meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 chicken thighs (bone-in, skin-on)
Adobo Sauce
- 2 dried guajillo chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 2 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 onion, roughly chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup chicken broth (for blending)
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth (to cook)
Cooking
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Optional Garnish
- Chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Toast Chilies: Toast the dried guajillo and ancho chilies in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, making sure not to burn them to preserve their flavor.
- Soak Chilies: Soak the toasted chilies in hot water for about 10 minutes to soften them, then drain off the soaking water.
- Make Adobo Sauce: In a blender, combine the soaked chilies, garlic cloves, chopped onion, ground cumin, oregano, cinnamon, apple cider vinegar, and 1/2 cup of chicken broth. Blend until the mixture is smooth to form the adobo sauce.
- Season Chicken: Season the chicken thighs generously with salt and pepper on both sides to enhance flavor.
- Sear Chicken: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and sear until the skin is golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Cook Sauce: Pour the prepared adobo sauce into the skillet, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom to incorporate flavor. Add the remaining 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and stir to combine.
- Simmer Chicken: Return the seared chicken thighs to the skillet. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let simmer gently for 30-40 minutes until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
- Garnish and Serve: Optionally garnish the finished dish with chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Serve hot with rice or warm tortillas to enjoy an authentic Mexican meal.
Notes
- To make the dish spicier, keep some seeds in the chilies during soaking and blending.
- For a smoother sauce, strain the blended adobo before cooking.
- Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs ensure the meat remains juicy and flavorful during simmering.
- You can substitute vegetable oil with avocado oil for a healthier fat option.
- Leftover adobo sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and tastes great with other proteins or vegetables.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
