Chicken in Adobo Sauce is an easy stewed chicken that is spicy and hearty. You can serve the chicken over white rice like a stew. Also, you can shred the chicken and serve it with tacos or tostadas. The best part is the rich savory sauce, which brings all of the flavor!
The best sauce
One of the things that I love about Chicken in Adobo Sauce is how inexpensive it is to make. The chiles will cost you less than a dollar and chicken thighs are usually priced very reasonably at the supermarket. You can always substitute chicken breasts or drumsticks if you like. Even though they are cheap, I love the richness of chicken thighs. My fave!
The most expensive part of making Chicken in Adobo Sauce is having a good blender. However, good blenders are an excellent investment in your kitchen. I love my blender because it makes wonderful sauces that I could never find at a restaurant.
Lightly roast the chiles
Roast the chiles very lightly as they can burn quickly. Also, make sure that your kitchen is well ventilated so that the fumes from the chile roasting do not irritate your lungs.
Once I make this dish, the leftover chicken is usually shredded and added to tacos, flautas, nachos or taco salad. The sauce is so flavorful that it makes any dish special!
The Spanish translation of this recipe is Pollo Adobado. An adobo sauce can mean different recipes in different Spanish language countries. In Mexico, an adobo sauce is a thick sauce made with chiles. There are thousands of ways to make an adobo sauce, but simple recipes are always my favorite!
My favorite accompaniment for Chicken in Adobo Sauce is white rice which absorbs every drop of that lovely sauce. And of course, I have to have a beer with this dish!
PrintChicken in Adobo Sauce
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
2–3 tbsp. olive oil (30-45ml)
2 lbs. chicken thighs (1kg)
Sauce:
1 lb. ripe tomatoes (500g)
1 onion, peeled and halved
1 clove garlic
2–3 dried chile guajillo
2–3 dried chile ancho
1 stale corn tortilla
2 cups chicken broth or water (480ml)
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven with a lid. Add the chicken thighs and brown for about 10 minutes. Turn the chicken over and brown for 10 more minutes. (I prefer to brown the chicken uncovered for a better texture.)
Meanwhile, prepare the adobo sauce. Heat a griddle on the stove.* Coat with about 1 tbsp. (15ml) of olive oil and add the tomatoes and onions. Grill the tomatoes and onions lightly until there are golden brown spots. Add the clove of garlic and roast for about 30 seconds. Remove all of the vegetables and place in the container of a blender. Add the dried chiles to the griddle and roast for about 30 seconds on each side (Make sure your roasting area is well ventilated with an exhaust hood or open window.)
Toast the corn tortilla on the heated griddle and remove once the tortilla is dark brown.
Wearing gloves, remove the stems from the dried chiles. Cut the chiles lengthwise and remove the seeds. Place the prepared chiles in the blender along with the vegetables. Add the toasted corn tortilla. Puree until smooth.
Pour the adobo sauce over the chicken in the Dutch oven. Cover the pan and allow to simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve hot over cooked rice.
Notes
*You can also use the broiler in your oven. Simply brush the vegetables and dried chiles with a small amount of olive oil before placing under the heated broiler. Make sure to only roast the garlic and chiles for about 30 seconds. You can toast the tortilla under the broiler as well.
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