Mexican Chicken Adobo
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Get ready to spice up dinner with this bold and flavorful Mexican Chicken Adobo recipe! Made with tender chicken simmered in a rich, smoky, and spicy adobo sauce, this dish is packed with authentic Mexican flavors that will have everyone coming back for more.
The best part? This adobo de pollo recipe is easy to make! Serve it with warm tortillas, rice, or beans for a delicious meal that’s perfect for weeknights but impressive enough for a dinner party.
Why you’ll love this recipe
Inspired by the popularity of my chicken birria recipe, I created another popular dish from Mexico that involves simmering chicken thighs in a deliciously spicy sauce. This Mexican chicken adobo recipe is layered with flavors, but it’s actually quite simple to make. Here’s why I know you’ll love it!
- The versatility. This chicken adobo can be used in everything from bowls and tacos, to enchiladas and quesadillas. You can make a big batch of it on Sunday, then use it in different meals throughout the week!
- The flavor. This recipe is packed with flavor. From the juicy chicken thighs, coated in adobo seasoning and chipotle powder, to the homemade adobo sauce made with chipotle peppers, cilantro, tomatoes and a variety of spices, this dish is filled with bold flavors in every bite!
- The ease. You only need 20 minutes of hands-on time to prepare this dish. You can even prep the sauce in advance for an easy weeknight meal in no time!
Ingredients
Here I explain the best ingredients for this Mexican chicken adobo recipe, what each one does, and substitution options. For the exact ingredient measurements, see the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Avocado oil – or canola oil. You want an oil with a high smoke point for searing the chicken.
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Roma tomatoes – these tomatoes are perfect for sauces because they’re firm and don’t contain a lot of juice that could water down the sauce.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce – these peppers are easy to find in the Hispanic section of the grocery store. I use an entire can to make this sauce. If you want to make the recipe less spicy, only use half of the can of peppers and sauce.
- Chicken broth
- Apple cider vinegar
- Fresh cilantro
- Adobo seasoning – click the link for my homemade seasoning made with a combination of garlic powder, ground cumin, Mexican oregano, and other pantry staples. If you prefer not to make your own spice blend, Goya adobo seasoning, sold at most grocery stores, is a good substitute.
- Granulated sugar – just a teaspoon of sugar will balance out the spice and acidity in the sauce.
- Salt
- Chicken thighs – I recommend boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. They have more flavor than chicken breasts, making an incredibly flavorful chicken adobo. You can also use bone-in chicken thighs, but you will want to remove the skin. Another option is to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts. While not as flavorful as chicken thighs, they will soak in so much flavor from the chiles and spices in this recipe, that it will still be delicious.
- Chipotle powder – this ground chili powder adds a spicy, smoky flavor to the adobo seasoning used as a rub on the chicken thighs.
- Butter – you’ll use both avocado oil and butter to sear the chicken. The oil has a high smoke point which makes it good for searing meat at a high temperature, while the butter adds a rich, delicious flavor to the chicken.
Instructions
I’ve included step by step photos below to make this recipe super easy to follow at home. For the full detailed recipe instructions, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Prepare the Mexican adobo sauce.
- Cook onions, tomatoes and garlic. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Add large diced onions and cook for 5 minutes. Add roughly chopped garlic cloves and sliced roma tomatoes to the skillet and cook for another 5 minutes. Remove the vegetables from the heat and set them aside.
- Add the other sauce ingredients to a blender. Add an entire can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to a blender with chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, cilantro, adobo seasoning, sugar and salt. Add the cooked onions, garlic and tomatoes.
- Blend the sauce until it’s smooth. Set it aside or store it in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to prepare the chicken.
Prepare the chicken adobo.
- Season and sear the chicken. Season chicken thighs on all sides with adobo seasoning and chipotle chili powder. Heat a large dutch oven on the stove over high heat. Add avocado oil and butter to the dutch oven. Once the oil is hot and the butter has melted, add the seasoned chicken thighs and sear on both sides for 2 minutes per side. You might have to do this in two batches depending on the size of your pan.
- Simmer in the adobo sauce. Pour the adobo sauce from the blender over the chicken. Bring the sauce to a simmer. Once the sauce is simmering, cover the pan, turn the heat on the stove down to medium-low and simmer the chicken in the sauce for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes you can serve the chicken, or you can turn the heat down to low and let it continue to simmer for up to an hour on the stove.
Ways to serve it
I’ve made this Mexican adobo chicken recipe so many times that I think I’ve figured out just about every way to use it, then I find another way! It’s so versatile and will pair with just about any Mexican meal.
These are all the ways I’ve tried it so far. Comment below if you use it in another way. I’m always looking for any excuse to make this recipe over and over again!
- Bowls – you’ll see the chicken pictured in this post over Mexican Rice (my new Instant Pot version!) with pickled red onions and sliced avocado. I love this and will continue to eat it on repeat. You could also use cilantro lime rice as a base and add any of your favorite burrito bowl toppings, like black beans, cheese, or guacamole.
- Tacos – after the chicken is fully cooked, use tongs to remove it from the sauce and shred it or slice it. Add the chicken to warm corn tortillas or flour tortillas for delicious tacos. This is one of my favorite ways to serve it at a dinner party! Fill the adobo chicken tacos with your favorite toppings like cheese, diced onions, shredded lettuce or chopped cilantro.
- Enchiladas – this recipe makes a lot of sauce, so you can use both the chicken and sauce to make delicious homemade enchiladas. All you need to add is cheese and tortillas! Coat tortillas in the sauce, fill them with the shredded chicken and shredded cheese, roll them up and place them in a casserole dish. Top with more sauce and shredded cheese, then bake at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. I love this for an easy weeknight meal!
- Quesadillas – fill a tortilla with shredded cheese and shredded adobo chicken, fold it over and cook it in a skillet for 3-4 minutes per side. Serve it with warm adobo sauce on the side for dipping.
Make it in a slow cooker
If you prefer to slow cook the chicken, prepare the sauce as directed. Sear the chicken in the same skillet that you cooked the onions, then transfer the chicken to a slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the chicken and slow cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
Storage and reheating
Store chicken adobo leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
I recommend reheating the chicken in the sauce on the stove in a large skillet over medium heat. Simmering the chicken in the sauce will keep it juicy and tender as it reheats. You’ll need to simmer the chicken for about 10-15 minutes to reheat it all the way through.
You can also make the chicken in advance then transfer it from the fridge to a slow cooker set to low heat and let it reheat in the slow cooker for 2-3 hours before serving.
More popular Mexican recipes
If you love this Mexican chicken adobo recipe, I know you’ll love these other tested and perfected Mexican recipes!
Mexican Chicken Adobo
Ingredients
Adobo Sauce
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, or canola oil
- 1 yellow onion, large dice
- 4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
- 4 roma tomatoes, sliced
- 12 ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup fresh cilantro
- 3 tablespoons adobo seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Adobo Chicken
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons adobo seasoning, click link for the recipe
- 1 tablespoon chipotle powder
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil, or canola oil
Instructions
Prepare the sauce.
- Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large skillet on the stove over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomatoes, cook for 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor.
- Add the entire can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce to the blender. Add the chicken broth, apple cider vinegar, cilantro, adobo seasoning, sugar and salt.
- Blend until the sauce is smooth. Set aside.
Prepare the chicken.
- Season the chicken thighs with the adobo seasoning and chipotle powder on all sides.
- Heat the butter and oil in a large skillet, or dutch oven, on the stove over high heat.
- Once the butter has melted and the oil is hot, add the seasoned chicken and sear on both sides for 2 minutes per side. You might have to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your pan.
- Pour the prepared adobo sauce from the blender over the chicken in the pan and bring the sauce to a simmer. Cover the pan, turn the heat on the stove down to medium-low, and simmer for 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes you can serve the chicken, or you can turn the heat down to low and let it continue to simmer for up to an hour on the stove.
Notes
- If you want to make the recipe less spicy, only use half of the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce.
- If you prefer to slow cook the chicken, prepare the sauce as directed. Sear the chicken in the same skillet that you cooked the onions, then transfer the chicken to a slow cooker. Pour the sauce over the chicken and slow cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
- You can also reheat the chicken in a slow cooker. Simply transfer the cooked chicken in adobo sauce from the fridge to a slow cooker set to low and reheat for 2-3 hours.
Nutrition Facts
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