This Mexican adobo sauce is a traditional red chile sauce made with dried chiles, vinegar, garlic, and spices. It is the flavorful base used in many Mexican dishes, from marinades and stews to tacos and grilled meats.
Adobo recipes vary by region. While some versions include tomatoes or onions, vinegar is almost always included for its distinctive tangy flavor.
In Mexico, adobo sauce is used as both a marinade and a flavorful sauce for many traditional dishes, including birria and homemade chorizo.
Once you make this recipe from scratch, you’ll find plenty of ways to use it in your favorite Mexican dishes.
Ingredients
- Dried chiles: A combination of guajillo, ancho, and pasilla chiles creates the traditional red color and rich flavor of this sauce. Other dried chiles can be added to adjust the flavor and spice level.
- Spices and aromatics: Garlic, Mexican oregano, cumin, black pepper, and bay leaves.
- Vinegar: You can use white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or another mild vinegar.
- Salt: Add just a small amount since the sauce can be seasoned again when used in your recipes.
How To Make Mexican Adobo Sauce
Remove the stems from the dried chiles. Using kitchen scissors, cut them lengthwise and remove the seeds and veins.
Heat a Mexican comal or a cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. Slightly toast the chilies for a few seconds on both sides.
Top Tip: Toasting the chiles helps release their aroma and enhances their flavor. Be careful not to burn them, as they can become bitter.
Place the toasted chiles in a bowl and cover them with hot water by at least 1 inch. Let them soak for about 15 minutes, or until softened.
Add the softened chiles to a blender with peppercorns, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, garlic, salt, vinegar, and water.
Blend until smooth and velvety. Depending on your blender, this may take 3–4 minutes.
Transfer the adobo to a jar or bowl and use it right away, or store it following the instructions below.
Tips & Notes
- I use very little salt in this recipe because I prefer seasoning the final dish where I use it. This gives me more control depending on the other ingredients in the recipe.
- For a smoother, restaurant-style sauce, strain the blended adobo through a fine mesh sieve to remove any remaining chile skins or spice particles.
- For a slightly thicker and richer sauce, blend a small piece of onion with the chiles.
- You can use powdered spices instead of whole spices if that’s what you have available. Keep in mind that ground spices are more concentrated, so you may need a smaller amount.
How To Use Mexican Adobo
Mexican adobo sauce is a versatile ingredient that adds deep, smoky, and slightly tangy flavor to many dishes. Use it as a marinade for meats, add it to soups and stews, or mix it into masa for flavorful tamales.
Here are some traditional Mexican recipes where you can use this sauce:
- Pork tamales (use it in the pork filling and also mix it into the masa for extra flavor).
- Chicken adobo
- Pork Ribs With Adobo
- Mexican turkey (a delicious way to season and marinate a Thanksgiving turkey).
- Adobada tacos.
How To Store
Store the adobo in a glass container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Glass helps keep the sauce fresh and prevents it from absorbing smells from other foods in the fridge.
For longer storage, freeze the sauce in ice cube trays. Once frozen, transfer the cubes to a resealable bag and keep them for up to 6 months. This makes it easy to thaw only the amount you need for your recipes.
FAQ
Is adobo sauce the same as chipotle sauce?
No. Chipotle sauce is usually made with smoked jalapeños (chipotle chiles) and other ingredients, while Mexican adobo sauce is made with a blend of dried chiles and always includes vinegar. However, chipotles en adobo are canned chipotle peppers packed in an adobo sauce.
Is this sauce spicy?
Mexican adobo has a mild to medium spicy flavor depending on the types of chiles used. For a spicier version, add a few chile de arbol peppers.
More Mexican Sauces Recipes
I hope you enjoy making this recipe and find many delicious ways to use it in your kitchen. Homemade preparations like this are a wonderful way to bring the flavors of Mexican cooking to your table.
Video
Mexican Adobo Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 guajillo chiles
- 3 ancho chiles
- 4 pasilla chiles
- ½ cup white vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic (peeled)
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 teaspoon dry oregano
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon table salt
Instructions
- Remove the stems, seeds, and veins from the dried chiles.
- Heat a comal or cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Lightly toast the chiles for a few seconds per side until fragrant, being careful not to burn them.
- Transfer the toasted chiles to a large bowl and cover with hot water by at least 1 inch. Soak for about 15 minutes, or until softened.
- Place the softened chiles in a blender with the garlic, peppercorns, cumin, oregano, bay leaves, salt, vinegar, and 1 cup of water.
- Blend for 3 to 4 minutes, or until smooth and velvety. For a thinner sauce, add a little more water. If desired, strain the sauce for an extra-smooth texture.
- Use immediately or transfer to a jar or airtight container and refrigerate until ready to use.
Notes
- If whole spices aren’t available, you can substitute ground cumin, black pepper, oregano, and crushed bay leaves.
- Use just a small amount of salt, as it’s easier to adjust the seasoning in the final dish.
- Store in an airtight glass jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.
- Freeze in ice cube trays or small freezer-safe bags for up to 6 months. Thaw only the amount needed for your recipe.
- Use this adobo as a marinade for chicken, pork, beef, or turkey, or stir it into soups, stews, tamales dough, and other Mexican recipes for extra flavor.
Nutrition Information
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Hi Mari,
Love this although I had to substitute Chili Cascabel for Chili Ancho and added a Chili Chipotle Meco for more smokiness.
I marinated 1kg diced Beef braising steak in the adobo overnight then slow cooked it with diced potatoes, baby carrots, baby courgette, Aubergine, sliced roast red (bell) pepper and a tin of Mutti Polpa Tomatoes.
Utterly divine!
I saw your recipe on Pinterest and wanted to come immediately to check it out, I am so glad I did because I just made it and it smells like heaven! THIS is the adobo sauce I was looking for, with all authentic ingredients and easy preparation. Thanks!
I love Mexican food. This is amongst my fav! Thanks for sharing! .
By the color st first though “must be similar to a BBQ sauce” but oh well! Never tried something like this, very strong sauce, I think it goes great with many many things, I definetly have a new sauce to add in my family meals and daily life!
Was absolutely delicious!
Always wondered how mexicans achieve that wonderful color in grilled chicken. Now makes sense :D thanks for sharing, not sure if i can find the dry chilies here in Florida but I’ll give a try next time I’ll go out for shopping.
By the way, can I use this sauce to make enchilada too? it looks pretty similar to the mole enchilada recipes I’ve seen before.