Mexican Chicken Adobo (Adobo de Pollo) Recipe
Mexican Chicken Adobo, or Adobo de Pollo, is a traditional flavorful dish featuring tender, bone-in chicken legs and thighs simmered in a rich and aromatic sauce made from dried chiles, tomatoes, garlic, and a blend of warm spices. This classic Mexican comfort food is perfect served with white rice, Spanish rice, or tortillas and garnished with fresh cilantro and avocado slices for a satisfying meal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 4 bone-in chicken legs
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinless or skin-on as 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
To Serve (Optional)
- White rice
- Spanish rice
- Corn or flour tortillas
- Avocado slices
Instructions
- Prepare the Chicken: Season the chicken legs and thighs generously with salt and ground black pepper on all sides to ensure flavorful meat.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces skin-side down if skin-on, and sear until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes per side. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the sliced onion until translucent and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another 1 minute until aromatic.
- Prepare the Sauce Base: Add the quartered Roma tomatoes to the pan and cook until they soften, approximately 5 minutes. Meanwhile, toast the dried guajillo, ancho (or chipotle), and pasilla (or New Mexico) chiles in a dry skillet for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then soak them in hot water for 10 minutes to rehydrate.
- Blend the Sauce: Transfer the sautéed onion, garlic, tomatoes, soaked chiles (with soaking water), chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, cumin, oregano, coriander, cloves, and bay leaves to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth to create a rich sauce.
- Simmer the Chicken: Return the seared chicken to the skillet and pour the blended sauce over the chicken. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce to low. Cover and cook for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, turning the chicken occasionally to evenly coat with sauce.
- Finish and Garnish: Remove the bay leaves from the skillet. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with chopped fresh cilantro before serving.
- Serve: Serve the Mexican chicken adobo hot with white rice or Spanish rice, alongside corn or flour tortillas, and avocado slices for a complete and hearty meal.
Notes
- Use bone-in chicken for the best flavor and moisture retention.
- Adjust the number and type of dried chiles according to your preferred spice level.
- Removing the chile seeds reduces heat and bitterness in the sauce.
- If you don’t have a blender, you can finely chop the ingredients and cook the sauce longer to meld flavors.
- Leftovers keep well refrigerated for up to 3 days and taste even better the next day.
- For a thicker sauce, simmer uncovered for the last 10 minutes.
Keywords: Mexican chicken adobo, adobo de pollo, chicken stew, Mexican cuisine, dried chile sauce, traditional Mexican chicken