Adobo Sauce (2024)

This adobo sauce recipe is an authentic, earthy, rich Mexican condiment, marinade or sauce that is huge on flavor and easy to make at home!

Adobo Sauce is a rich,ridiculously flavorful, velvety, earthy, tangy-sweet, spicy, smoky Mexican staple made with ground ancho and guajillo chiles. It takes about 30 minutes to make from start to finish (15 minutes of that is hand’s off simmering) and then the hypnotic blend is ready to elevate all your dishes throughout the week or it can be frozen in portions for later. This smoky adobo sauce is begging to be mopped over steak or chicken, as a braise for chicken or beef, as a sauce for enchiladas or burritos, as a dip for birria tacos, vegetables, etc. or drizzled over eggs. With one taste, you’ll be hooked!

Sauces are the best way to add flavor to any dish! Try this adobo sauce, chipotle sauce,guacamole,avocado crema,roasted red pepper sauce,barbecue sauce,tzatzikiandchimichurri.

HOW TO MAKE adobo sauce recipe VIDEo

Adobo Sauce Recipe Ingredients

The ingredients for this adobo sauce recipe may look a little intimidating at first glance, but that’s just because it’s packed with flavorful spices. If you don’t usually cook with whole spices or keep them stocked, you may substitute with ground instead. Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll need (full measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of the post):

The Whole Spices

The whole spices are toasted to unlock their flavor, then stewed with the chilies and blended into the smoky adobo sauce. I have included dried and granulated substitutions in the recipe, but go whole if you can because their toasted aroma adds a complex depth to the adobo sauce. Many of these seasonings can be picked up at the grocery store, but you may need to order some online. I’ve linked the seasonings below to Amazon for easy purchasing if need be:

The Sauce

In addition to the whole spices, the adobo sauce is made with whole ground chilies, onions, garlic, tomatoes and apple cider vinegar for its signature tanginess. I’ve provided more information on the dried chiles further down this post, but here’s an overview of these ingredients:

HOW TO MAKE adobo sauce

This is a very easy adobo sauce recipe and hard to mess up! Although there are a few extra steps you may not have tried before (like toasting the spices and using whole chilies), it’s SO worth the extra 5 minutes to use whole ingredients.

Step 1: Remove the Seeds from the Chiles

• The seeds need to be removed from the chilies before using because the seeds contain most of the heat – if you leave them in, your mouth will be on fire and the adobo sauce will be inedible.
• The easiest way to remove the seeds is to cut the tops off of the chilies with kitchen shears. Next, cut the chilies along one edge and open them like a book to expose the seeds inside.
• Scrape out all of the seeds.
• Next, toast the chilies in a dry skillet for just a few minutes. Set aside until ready to use.

Step 2: Toast the Whole Spices

• Dry toast the whole spices over medium heat until super fragrant. You can do this any time before making the recipe. Set aside until ready to use.

Step 3: Sauté the Aromatics

• Heat some oil a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, then add the garlic and sauté for one minute.
• You’ll notice my onions are deeply golden because I sautéed them in the same pot I browned my chicken in. This adds additional complexity of flavor.

Step 4: Stew the Chilies

• Add the toasted spices, deseeded chilies, tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, smoked paprika, dried thyme and bay leaves. Add 3 cups of the water or broth. Bring to a simmer for 10-15 minutes, until the peppers are very soft, stirring occasionally.

Step 5: Blend the sauce

• Transfer the mixture to a high-powered blender and puree until smooth.

• Want to make it spicier?Add an additional 1 chili de arbol for super spicy adobo sauce.
• Want to make it tangier?Add up to 2 tablespoons additional apple cider vinegar ½ tablespoon at a time.
• Want to make it thinner?Add additional water or broth until it reaches your desired consistency.
• Want to make it more flavorful?This adobo sauce recipe is plenty flavorful so if your sauce tastes like it’s missing something, it’s probably heat or salt. Add cayenne or salt to taste.
• Want to mix up the flavors? Use a different ratio of chiles. Try increasing the chilies de arbol and reducing the guajillo chilies for a shift in flavor.

• Chicken Adobado (Mexican Chicken Adobo): Season 3 pounds bone-in chicken thighs with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Sear the chicken then pour the sauce over top. Cover, and bake at 350 degrees for 25-35 minutes or until cooked to 175 degrees F. You can enjoy the chicken with rice or shred and use in tacos, burritos, quesadillas, flautas, etc. outlined below.
• Beef Adovada: Cut 3 pounds boneless chuck roast into 4-inch pieces then season with 2 teaspoons kosher salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Sear the beef on all sides then pour the sauce over top along with 3 cups beef broth. Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 3 hours or until fall apart tender. Shred the beef and use it in tacos, burritos, etc.
• Stew: Serve shredded adobado chicken or beef adovada as a stew with rice and warmed tortillas on the side with chopped onions, cilantro and freshly squeezed lime.
• Mexican Inspired Soups: Add spicy adobo sauce to any of your favorite soups like Crockpot Chili, Chile Colorado, Taco Soup, Chicken Enchilada Soup, Chicken Tortilla Soup, Pozole, etc. for an instant punch of flavor.
• Adobo Enchiladas: Use it in chicken or beef enchiladas, or enchilada casserole instead of your favorite enchiladas sauce.
• Enchilada Sauce Substitute: Swap it for enchilada sauce in any recipe such as Beef Barbacoa, Chipotle Pork, Fajita Pasta, Taco Pasta, Mexican Chicken and Rice, etc.
• Dressings: Mix some smoky adobo sauce into your favorite dressing like cilantro ranch or simply with some mayonnaise and sour cream to create a dressing or sauce.
• Crema: Stir a couple tablespoons into Greek yogurt, sour cream and/or mayonnaise (or even guacamole!) to create a subtly smoky crema for veggies, fries, pita bread,taquitos,flautas,fries,grilled chicken,grilled shrimp,pork,etc. orto drizzle overtacos, fajitas, burritos, etc.
• Spread: Stir a couple tablespoons into mayonnaise to create a spread for sandwiches, burgers, wraps, paninis, etc.
• Rice: Stir some spicy adobo sauce into plain rice or rice with shrimp, chicken or beef.
• Beans: Stir some smoky adobo sauces into beans for a meaty, smoky, earthy depth.
• Marinade: Mix some adobo sauce with olive oil and use as a marinade for chicken, beef or pork.
• Breakfast foods:Drizzle it over chorizo eggs,chilaquiles,breakfast tacos,breakfast taquitos,breakfast enchiladas,huevos rancheros,migas, etc., or spice up traditional breakfast foods like scrambled eggs, omelettes,frittatas,quiche,etc.
• Chicken or Beef Birria Tacos: Adobo Sauce is the sauce used in both chicken and beef birria tacos! Stew the meat in the sauce until fall apart tender, then remove and shred. To make the tacos, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working with one tortilla at a time, dip it into the top of the sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes until the bottom is golden. Flip the tortilla over and immediately cover the entire surface with shredded Oaxaca cheese. Cover, and cook until the cheese is mostly melted. Uncover and top half of the cheese with shredded meat. Cook until the bottom is lightly charred then fold the tortilla over in half to form a taco. See my Beef Birria Tacos for exactly how to make them.
• Adobo Quesadillas: Layer a burrito size tortilla with cheese and chicken adobado or beef adovada and grill until golden, cheesy perfection. Top with guacamole, sour cream, chopped lettuce, hot sauce, etc.
• Flautas or Taquitos: Roll shredded chicken adobado or beef adovada in corn (taquitos) or flour (flautas) tortillas along with cheese and beans if desired. To pan fry, heat 1 cup vegetable oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until 325 degrees F. Once hot, add 2-4 flautas/taquitos seam side down in oil. Fry, turning as needed until golden brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes, adjusting burner as necessary to maintain oil temperature so they don’t fry too quickly. To bake, place taquitos/flautas on a wire rack placed on a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Brush the taquitos/flautas with olive oil and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Broil for extra crispiness.