Mexican Adobo sauce recipe

This Mexican Adobo sauce recipe has few ingredients but exceptional cooking potential. Typically made from a base of dried chili peppers, it is the beginning of many traditional Mexican dishes like red enchiladas, pozole, tamales, pork stew, menudo, chilorio, and chilaquiles. Make a batch or two and keep it handy in your fridge or freezer; you will be glad you did. 

Remarkable multipurpose dried pepper sauce

Adobo sauce is a fundamental component of Mexican cuisine and is well known for its rich and complex flavors. Originating from pre-Hispanic times, chile sauce has evolved over centuries, blending indigenous ingredients with Spanish influences.

Typically made from a base of dried chili peppers, garlic, sometimes vinegar, and various spices such as cumin, oregano, and cloves, adobo sauce offers a perfect balance of flavors. The mixture is perfect for seasoning meats, mainly pork or chicken and either prepared into a stew or rubbed with the paste to marinate and grill. 

In This Post

• Remarkable multipurpose dried pepper sauce
• How to make Adobo sauce recipe
• Notes and Tips:
• What to Make with this Mexican Adobo Sauce.
• More Mexican Recipes To Enjoy
• Frequently Asked Questions About Adobo Sauce
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

The recipe I’m sharing is very basic and not too complicated, but it requires a little time to clean the peppers. So, when you prepare the sauce, try to double the amount so you always have some extra in your freezer for those days when you are in a hurry and need to make dinner in less time. By the time you need to use it, just add the herbs or spices needed. The most common herbs and spices used are bay leaves, thyme, oregano, and cumin.

How to make Adobo sauce recipe

JUMP TO FULL INSTRUCTIONS

Ingredients

Here is the list of ingredients in this traditional Mexican sauce recipe:

• Guajillo peppers
• Ancho Peppers
• Warm water
• Garlic cloves chopped
• Black peppercorns or freshly ground black pepper
• Salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:

• To clean the dried chile peppers, we will slit cut along the pepper with the help of your kitchen scissors or a small sharp knife.
• Remove the veins and de-seed the peppers. (Please check the ingredients list below)

• Place the cleaned peppers in the warm water and soak for 10-15 minutes.

• Once the peppers are soft, drain the excess water and place them in a blender or food processor with the garlic and black peppercorns.
• Add 1 ½ cup of the soaking water and process.

• Blend until you have a homogenous paste.

• Use a colander or sieve if your sauce is not too smooth to your taste.

• Pour in a medium saucepan, place it at medium-high heat, season with salt, and when it comes to a boil let it simmer for about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, and allow it to cool.
• Store in a glass jar in the fridge for up to five days or in the freezer for 3-4 months. Stir well after defrosting. To use season according to the recipe of the dish you are preparing.

¡Buen provecho!

Mely,

PS. Please share other dishes where you use this sauce. Thanks!

Notes and Tips:

Here are some notes and tips to keep in mind:

• When buying dried peppers, make sure you are buying the right ones. I have found some brands' labels to be incorrect, sometimes naming Mulato peppers pasilla peppers. To avoid confusion, I will post pictures of the peppers I use in a recipe.
• Check the expiration date on the pepper's packaging. Preparing your sauce with old peppers will produce a bitter and sometimes burnt-tasting paste. 
• If the pepper is too dry and breaks while handling, place it in a warm skillet for a couple of minutes, not hot! Just warm it and turn it frequently. This softens the peppers and allows them to blend smoothly into a sauce. Another option is to place them in the microwave for 10 seconds.
• To control the spiciness of the adobo sauce, you can remove the seeds and membranes from the chili peppers before soaking them. 
• Along with garlic, common spices in adobo sauce include cumin, Mexican oregano, cloves, and black pepper. 
• Lastly, but important to know, this colorful sauce can stain your clothing and hard surfaces.

What to Make with this Mexican Adobo Sauce.

This sauce is really versatile. It can be part of many traditional Mexican dishes such as enchiladas, pozole, tamales, pork stew, menudo, chilorio, chilaquiles, to name a few. The best part of this sauce is that you can add it to meats, poultry, or seafood before grilling or roasting. Beyond its use as a marinade or sauce for meats like chicken, pork, or beef, adobo sauce adds depth to soups, stews, and even vegetarian dishes. 

More Mexican Recipes To Enjoy

If you enjoyed this recipe, take a look at some of these other Mexican recipes:

• Creamy Jalapeño Salsa
• Mexican potato soup 
• Piquin pepper salsa 

EN ESPAÑOL

PS. Please share other dishes where you use this sauce. Thanks!

Frequently Asked Questions About Adobo Sauce

Before I share my recipe, here are a few questions you may have about this recipe. 

What is adobo sauce?

This simple sauce is a blend of Mexican dried chilies, spices, and other ingredients to create a tick and flavorful paste. The consistency is like a ticker salsa or barbecue sauce that you can use in many recipes and is usually ancho chiles, guajillo peppers, garlic, and black peppercorns. However, there are many additional ingredients added depending on your taste and the recipe that you are making. Some recipes include white vinegar, Mexican oregano, cinnamon, cumin, thyme, and even tomato paste. Like the pork ribs in adobo sauce that includes almost all those ingredients. 

What does adobo sauce taste like?  

if you haven't tried it before and wonder about the flavor of adobo sauce, let me tell you that it is definitely a rich sauce. If I have to Describe its taste, it is a balance of tangy, smoky, spicy, and savory notes. And according to my husband, it makes everything taste better and just more flavorful. 

Is adobo sauce spicy? 

Spiciness levels will vary depending on the chili peppers (how old they are and how many are used in the sauce). In my opinion, it's not spicy, but I am a Mexican who loves a little kick with my food. 

What's the difference between chipotle sauce and adobo sauce?

Chipotle sauce primarily consists of chipotle peppers (smoked and dried jalapeño peppers) and other ingredients like tomatoes, garlic, and onions. In comparison, adobo sauce combines dry peppers and spices. Regarding their flavor, chipotle sauce tends to have a more pronounced smoky flavor, while adobo sauce offers a broader range of flavors and applications.

How long does adobo sauce last? 

Adobo sauce can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days to a week. If you decide to freeze it for longer-term storage, it is recommended to freeze it in small portions, like ice cube trays, and then in airtight baggies. Frozen sauce will last for up to 3-4 months. Add 2 tablespoons of white or apple cider vinegar if you want it to last longer at the final cooking step.

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