Mexican Adobo Chicken

I had Chicken Adobo at a Filipino restaurant last night and absolutely loved it. Then, completely by coincidence, I realized I had a Mexican Adobo recipe on my cooking schedule for today. Apparently, Adobo is having a moment at my house. I’ll take the win!

This recipe does require a little advance work because the dried chiles need some attention before they go into the marinade. If you haven't cooked with dried chiles before, there's one thing worth knowing: they should still be somewhat soft and flexible. If they're brittle, crunchy, and snapping in half, they've been sitting around too long and the flavor probably won't be what you're hoping for.

Of course, I made a couple of changes because apparently I am physically incapable of leaving a recipe completely alone.

First, I skipped the potatoes. I was serving the chicken with rice, and I didn't need to pile another carb onto the plate. I'm trying to show at least a little restraint these days.

Second, I grilled the chicken instead of cooking it in the adobo sauce. Traditional adobo is generally simmered or stewed, and I'm sure it's delicious that way. But when I looked at this recipe, my brain immediately went, "That needs to be grilled." And once my brain decides we're grilling meat, that's pretty much the end of the discussion.

The grilled chicken turned out flavorful and nicely seasoned, but for me, it didn't quite reach the WOW, I need to make this again immediately category. Good? Absolutely. Interesting? Definitely. A repeat? Probably not.

Mexican Adobo Chicken

Recipe from Maricruzavalos.com

Serves 6

• 6 skinless chicken thighs
• 1 pound potatoes (peeled and cut into cubes)
• 3 Tablespoons oil
• Salt (to taste)

For the Adobo sauce:

• 3 guajillo chiles (stems and seeds removed)
• 1 ancho chile (stems and seeds removed)
• 1 pasilla chile (stems and seeds removed )
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• ½ medium onion
• 2 garlic cloves (peeled)
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 Tablespoon oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tablespoon salt

Cut the chiles in half lengthwise and remove seeds and veins. Soak them in hot water for 20 minutes.

Blend the soaked chiles with onion, garlic, spices, vinegar, and ½ cup of the soaking water until smooth. 

Place chicken into a large bowl, add sauce and mix to coat evenly. It's best to strain the adobo before adding it to the chicken.

Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, but preferably overnight.

Heat oil in a braiser pan over medium heat. Sear chicken thighs on both sides until lightly browned, about 5 minutes per side.

Add water or chicken stock and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes, turning the chicken occasionally.

Add potatoes and cook for about 15 minutes, or until fork-tender. Serve with rice or salad.