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Adobo sauce in a bowl, next to garlic, and dried chiles.
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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.
Course Salsas
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword Adobo Sauce Recipe, Basic Adobo Sauce Recipe, Mexican Adobo Sauce Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Soaking time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 16 Servings ((or 2 cups)Cups
Calories 25kcal

Ingredients

  • 4 (30 grams) Guajillo peppers
  • 3 (50 grams)Ancho Peppers
  • 3 cups of warm water
  • 2 garlic cloves chopped
  • 8 black peppercorns or ⅓ teaspoon freshly ground
  • Salt to taste

Instructions

  • 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.
  • 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 the sauce 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.
  • Enjoy!

Notes

  • 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.
 
 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 2Tbsp. | Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 141mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1970IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 1mg