Mexican Chicken Adobo (Adobo de Pollo)

Mexican Chicken Adobo aka Adobo de Pollo, features tender chicken thighs and chicken legs braised in a rich and deeply flavored adobo sauce made with dried chiles and spices. Enjoy the traditional Mexican flavors of this savory, spicy and robust chicken recipe for dinner any day of the week.

📝 Ingredients

• 4 bone-in chicken legs
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs, skinless ((or skin-on if preferred))
• Salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 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
• Chopped cilantro for garnish
• White rice
• Spanish Rice
• Corn or flour tortillas
• Avocado slices

👨‍🍳 Instructions

1. 1Season the chicken: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Set aside while you make the sauce.
2. 2--- Make the sauce: ---
3. 3Sauté onions: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven or large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions and tomatoes and sauté, stirring occasionally for about 4 minutes or until the onions start to become translucent.
4. 4Simmer chiles in broth: Stir in the garlic and cook for about a minute. Stir in the dried chiles and the broth and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to low and with a spoon, push the dried chiles down to make sure they are completely submerged in the broth. Cover the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes so the chiles softened.
5. 5Blend and season: Remove from the heat, uncover the pot and allow to cool at room temperature for about 5 minutes. Transfer the chiles and about half of their liquid to a blender. Add the apple cider vinegar, salt, cumin, coriander and ground cloves and blend at high speed for about 2-3 minutes or until smooth. Add the remaining cooking liquid and continue to blend until the sauce becomes smooth. Set aside.
6. 6--- Cook the Chicken: ---
7. 7Place the same Dutch oven or pot on the stove over medium-high heat (you want to let the pot dry up a bit before adding the oil to prevent splatters).
8. 8Heat the oil: Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.
9. 9Brown the chicken: Once the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown for about 2-3 minutes per side. You may need to do this in 2 batches not to overcrowd the pot. If you need to, transfer the browned chicken to a plate and keep warm while cooking the next batch.
10. 10Simmer: Return all the chicken to the pot and add the sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil then, lower the heat, partially cover the pot with the lid and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add additional broth if needed.
11. 11Serve: Remove the bay leaves, season to taste and serve. Oven Method:
12. 12--- Stove Top + Oven Method ---
13. 13For your convenience and to keep this a one-pot recipe, use a Dutch oven or an oven safe pot.
14. 14Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
15. 15After browning the chicken, stir in the sauce and bay leaves. Bring to a boil then, cover the pot and transfer it to the preheated oven.
16. 16Kake: Bake for 40-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 165o Fahrenheit when checked with an instant read thermometer.
17. 17Serve: Remove from the oven, stir and season to taste. Remove the bay leaves and serve.