Pollo Adobado is the perfect filling for gorditas, tacos, flautas or is delicious over cauliflower rice if you are into keto or low carb. Sauce made with chiles always seems so mysterious and challenging, but if you have a blender and can boil water, you can definitely make Pollo Adobado.
I especially love Pollo Adobado as a filling for gorditas. I have already posted another tutorial on how to make gorditas by hand. The challenge is real, but with a little practice you can be making gorditas by hand as well. Filling them with Pollo Adobado would make you a kitchen star no matter where you live!
Chile Ancho is mild and delicious!
Chile ancho is a very mild dried chile with just a kick of spice. If you can’t find dried chile ancho at your local market, you can definitely find them online.
I especially like making Pollo Adobado a day ahead of time so the flavors have a chance to blend and settle. Of course, it is delicious right out of the pan. But making gorditas from beginning to end with the filling can be pretty time consuming. If you make the filling in advance, you will have an easier time once you are ready to enjoy your gordita feast.
Pollo Adobado is great for leftovers too!
Even though this recipe gives you instructions for boiling chicken, you can most definitely used leftover cooked chicken. Simply shred 12oz (340g) of cooked chicken and add it to the pureed sauce once it is simmering in the pan. If you don’t have chicken, feel free to experiment with cooked shredded beef or pork. For vegetarians, I would suggest stirring in browned tempe or pan grilled strips of seitan.
Pollo Adobado will be one of your go-to dishes that you can make year-round. Even though it is great as a filling, you can use it as a topper on rice, noodles or even on a Sloppy Joe roll.
Pollo Adobado (Chicken in Chile Sauce)
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
Ingredients
2 bone-in chicken breasts (1lb total/500g)
2 dried chile ancho
2 cups water (480ml)
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil (30ml)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Place the chicken breast in a medium saucepan, fill with water and bring to a boil. Boil the chicken breasts over medium heat until they are completely cooked, about 35 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and remove the chicken breast to a separate plate so they can cool more quickly.
Once the chicken breasts are cool, remove the skin and bones. Shred or chop the chicken. Discard the bones and skin, and the leftover chicken broth can be used in another dish.
Meanwhile, place the dried chile ancho in a saucepan half-filled with water and bring to a boil. Lower the heat, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until the chiles are tender. Drain the water and remove the stems and seeds. Rinse away any extra seeds. Discard the stems, water and seeds.
Place the prepared chiles in the container of a blender and add the water, garlic and season with salt. Puree the chiles well.
Heat the vegetable oil in a medium sized skillet. Add the pureed chile sauce and saute for 2-3 minutes. Add the shredded cooked chicken and toss to combine with the sauce. Cook over a low flame for about 5 minutes. If the sauce reduces too much and the dish seems dry, add a spoonful of the leftover chicken broth or water.
Notes
Leftover cooked chicken can also be used for this recipe. Simply shred 12 oz of cooked chicken and simmer as directed with the pureed chiles.
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