Mexican Adobo is a delicious red-chili based sauce that's thick, rich, spicy, and savory. Use this earthy chili sauce as a marinade, sauce, or salsa for meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables.
This recipe for Mexican adobo only takes about 25 minutes to make but is a powerhouse of flavor that can be used to make a wide variety of dishes, like Adobo Fish Tacos, Mexican Adobo Chicken, and Vegan Taco Meat.
Adobo is a staple sauce in Mexican cooking used in every way imaginable in a wide variety of dishes. Mexican adobo is vegan, gluten free, and low in carbohydrates, making it one of the best quick and easy condiments to have in your recipe box.
- Mexican adobo can be used as a simmer sauce, marinade, or grilling sauce for seafood, meat, poultry, and vegetables.
- Bake white fish in Mexican adobo for the best fish tacos you've ever had.
- Use it to make Vegan Stuffed Poblano Peppers.
- Stir it into a simple pot of rice and beans to add immediate rich smoky flavor.
- The spicy sauce is also delicious spread on warm tortillas or bread
- Spoon Mexican Adobo over tacos, tostadas, burritos, or enchiladas.
- Use it to add complex flavor to vegan taco meat.
- I also love to stir adobo into scrambled eggs or use it instead of salsa and/or ranchero sauce to make huevos rancheros.
- Simmer boneless, skinless chicken thighs in Mexican adobo for quick, one-pot adobo chicken that's pure comfort food!
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Ingredients Needed to Prepare this Recipe
All you need to make Mexican Adobo is a handful of dried spices, some garlic and jalapeños, and pureed red chilies.
- Vegetable, canola, or extra virgin olive oil. The oil is used to cook the garlic, jalapeño, spices, and red chile.
- Diced garlic and jalapeño.
- Spices: Ground cumin, dried oregano, ground thyme, and chili powder (I used chipotle chili powder).
- Granulated sugar - just a half teaspoon of sugar rounds out the flavor of the red chile while keeping the sauce rich and savory.
- Frozen pureed red chili, red chile sauce, or Better Than Bouillon Adobo Base (see information below).
- Cider vinegar. You can also use red or white wine vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar.
- Fresh cilantro.
- Salt.
*See recipe card for quantities and substitutions.
3 Red Chili options for Quick Mexican Adobo
Mexican Adobo is usually made by toasting and soaking dried chilies and then pureeing them into a paste. Thankfully, there are three delicious options that shortcut this process:
Both frozen red chili puree and El Pinto red chile sauce are simply red chilies that have been soaked and pureed into a smooth paste. Both are equally delicious and so much easier than starting with dried chilis.
Some supermarkets carry packages of frozen red chili puree in their freezer section. The brand that I most often see in supermarkets around the country is Bueno Red Chili.
I've never El Pinto Hatch Red Chile Sauce in a supermarket, but have ordered it many times on Amazon. It's now something I keep in my pantry at all times so I have it available to me whenever I want to make Mexican Adobo or Red Enchilada Sauce.
The other great option is Better than Bouillon Adobo Base. Most supermarkets carry a variety of Better than Bouillon flavors in their soup aisle, but the Adobo Base can be harder to find. Snatch it up if you see it, or order it on Amazon.
Variations and Substitutions
- Chili Powder: I used chipotle powder because I like the smokey flavor chipotle chilies add to the sauce. Also, chipotle chiles and adobo are a delicious match. You've probably used chipotle chilies in adobo sauce to make other recipes. But, you can use whatever kind of chili powder you like in this Mexican Adobo recipe. Specialty markets and online stores are now selling a wide variety of dried chili powders like pasilla, ancho, guajillo, etc. Use whatever you prefer.
- In a pinch, use paprika instead of chili powder. If you don't have any chili powder, you can use smoked or hot paprika instead.
- Use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. If you don't have any fresh garlic, use a teaspoon of powdered or granulated garlic instead.
- To make adobo spicier: The spice level of adobo is dependent on the heat of the red chili puree and chili powder you use. If you want to make it even spicier, add some crushed red pepper or ground cayenne.
How to Make Mexican Adobo
Thanks to starting with pureed red chilies or adobo base, making Mexican Adobo is incredibly easy!
The whole process requires about 15 minutes of hands on time plus about 10 minutes to let the sauce cool down. After that, you can use it immediately, or store it in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
Step #1: Pour some oil into a skillet and then add chopped garlic and jalapeño, ground cumin, dried oregano and thyme, some chili powder, and a pinch of sugar. Cook the vegetables and spices over medium heat for a couple of minutes to soften the veggies and open up the flavors in the dried spices.
Step #2: Pour the chili puree into the pan and bring it to a boil.
If using Adobo Base, stir 1 tablespoon of the base into 8 ounces of water and pour that into the skillet.
Step #3: Cook the adobo for about 5 minutes to round out and intensify the flavors. As the sauce cooks, the color of the red chili will darken and the sauce will thicken slightly.
Step #4: Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool down for about 10 minutes.
Scoop the adobo into the bowl of a food processor and add some vinegar, cilantro and salt. Process the adobo until it's smooth. Taste the sauce and add more salt if you like.
That's it! The adobo is now ready to use!
How to store Mexican Adobo
Mexican Adobo will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks and in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If storing in the refrigerator, simply scoop it into a jar or airtight container and pop it into the fridge.
To freeze the entire batch of Mexican Adobo, scoop it into an airtight container or zip-to bag.
If you'd like to freeze adobo in small portions that can be added to soups, scrambled eggs, or used as a topping for tacos, freeze the sauce in a clean ice cube tray. Then, pop out the frozen cubes of adobo and store them in a zip-top bag or other airtight container.
You can also cover meat, poultry, or fish in adobo before freezing it. Add whatever protein you'd like to use in a zip-top bag and scoop in a generous amount of adobo. I like to aim for 1 cup of adobo per 2 pounds of protein.
Seal the bag and use your fingers to rub the adobo over the protein so that it's completely covered. Freeze for up to 3 months. Allow the meat, poultry, or fish to thaw in the refrigerator overnight and you have pre-marinated protein that's ready to be baked, grilled, sautéed or broiled.
How to Use Mexican Adobo
As I've already mentioned, three of my favorite ways to use Mexican Adobo are to make Adobo Fish Tacos, Mexican Adobo Chicken, and Vegan Taco Meat. But, the uses for Mexican adobo are virtually unlimited.
It's a crucial ingredient in traditional Mexican dishes like tacos al pastor, birria, and homemade chorizo. Here are some other ways to use Mexican adobo:
- Stir it into scrambled eggs.
- Use it instead of enchilada sauce to make stuffed poblano peppers.
- Mexican Adobo is one of those versatile condiments that can add immediate smoky, rich flavor to vegan, gluten free, or low-carb dishes.
- Stir it into a simple pot of rice and beans.
- Adding Mexican Adobo to soups and stews to give the broth instant favor and complexity.
- Use it as a dipping sauce or spread for warm homemade tortillas.
- Use it as a sandwich spread. Use it plain, or mix it into some mayonnaise or aioli.
- Replace BBQ sauce with Mexican Adobo in pretty much any recipe.
- Leave out the vinegar and use it as a sauce for enchiladas. (By the way, my favorite red enchilada sauce uses the same chili puree/ Chile sauce used in this recipe to save the hassle of toasting, soaking, and pureeing dried chilies!)
Equipment Needed to Make Mexican Adobo
You need two pieces of equipment to make Mexican Adobo - a skillet to cook the spices and Chile sauce in and a food processor or blender to puree it.
- This Cuisinart Nonstick skillet is one of the pans in my kitchen that gets used the most and is perfect for sautéing the veggies, spices, and Chilies to make Mexican Adobo.
- This Cuisinart Mini Food Processor is the perfect size for this recipe! I received this mini food processor as a gift 3 years ago and honestly thought I would never use it. After a year, I got rid of my regular size food processor because the mini processor was the only one I was using!
- If you have a high powered blender, like a Vitamix, you can use that to blend adobo sauce instead of a food processor.
📖 Recipe
Easy Mexican Adobo Recipe
Mexican Adobo is a delicious red-chili based sauce that's thick, rich, spicy, and savory. This recipe for Mexican adobo only takes about 25 minutes to make but is a powerhouse of flavor that can be used to make a wide variety of dishes.
Use this earthy chili sauce as a marinade, sauce, or salsa for meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable, canola, or extra virgin olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried, ground thyme
- 1 tablespoon ground chili powder (I used chipotle powder)
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 1 jalapeño, stem and seeds removed and roughly chopped
- 1 cup/ 8 ounces frozen pureed red chili or El Pinto red chili sauce, or 1 tablespoon Better than Bouillon Adobo Base (See note below or information above for clarification and recommended brands)
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white wine, red wine, or unseasoned rice wine vinegar)
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- ½ teaspoon salt, more to taste
Instructions
- In a small skillet or saucepan, add the oil, garlic, cumin, oregano, thyme, chili powder, sugar, and jalapeño. Set it over medium heat. When everything in the pan is sizzling, cook for 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly.
- Pour the chili sauce or chili puree into the pan. If using Better than Bouillon Adobo Base, add 1 tablespoon of the base and 1 cup/ 8 ounces of water.
- Bring to a boil and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes longer. Remove from heat and let cool for at least 10 minutes.
- Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the vinegar, cilantro and salt, and puree until completely smooth. Taste and add more salt if desired.
Notes
Three Red Chili Options:
Mexican Adobo is usually made by toasting and soaking dried chilies then pureeing them into a paste. A FANTASTIC shortcut to this process is to use frozen chili puree, El Pinto red chili sauce, or Better than Bouillon Adobo Base.
- Some supermarkets will carry packages of frozen red chili puree in their freezer section. The brand that I most often see in supermarkets around the country is Bueno Red Chili.
- The other good option is El Pinto Hatch Red Chile Sauce. This is basically the same thing as frozen red chili puree, but each container is heat-sealed so no refrigeration is needed. I've never seen this product in a supermarket, but have ordered it many times on Amazon.
- Better than Bouillon Adobo Base is available in many supermarkets in the soup aisle. Or, you can order it on Amazon.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
¼ cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 117Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 10mgSodium: 468mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g
Ann says
I have had this before, but have never tried making it at home. Your recipe seems very simple, will have to give it a try!