Earthy, smokey, and spicy, Mexican Adobo Chicken is an authentically Mexican dish that uses dried chilis to make a uniquely flavored sauce. This version uses the sauce to braise the chicken, but adobo can also be a marinade or a seasoning and there’s several ways to use or cook with adobo.
Start by stemming and seeding the chilis. Cut off the stem and make a slit down the side of the chili so that you can open it up. Tons of seeds will pour out and you can trim off the pith. Place the peppers on a baking sheet and toast them in the oven for 7-8 minutes. Once toasted, place them in a large bowl or heatproof mixing bowl and cover with hot water. Let them soak at least 10-15 minutes.
While the chilis are toasting, add the oil to a Dutch oven or stock pot on medium to medium-high heat. Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides to taste. Once hot, brown the chicken on both sides, starting skin side down. Cook about 4 minutes on each side and set aside.
The chilis should be soaking by now, so add the onion to the hot Dutch oven after removing the chicken and cook until softened, about 4-5 minutes. Once softened, add the garlic, tomato paste, and seasonings (minus the bay leaves, salt, and pepper) and cook until fragrant, about a minute or so. Add about a ½ cup of chicken stock to keep things from burning and remove from the heat.
Add the softened chilis, the onion mix, the vinegar, salt and pepper, brown sugar, and the rest of the chicken stock to a blender and blend until smooth and looks like a thin paste.
Return the chicken to the Dutch oven and pour the chili mixture (adobo) over the chicken, add the bay leaves, and stir together. Bring the mixture to a boil and then place in the oven, uncovered, for 45 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until the chicken registers 160° for white meat or 175° for dark meat.
Remove the chicken and serve. Pour some extra sauce over the chicken or on the side and optionally garnish with some chopped, fresh cilantro.
1) You can use any pieces of chicken you prefer. I used leg quarters here and cut and trimmed them myself, but you could also use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs or all drumsticks, etc. Whichever cut you prefer the most.2) Whenever cutting or handling chili peppers, I recommend wearing gloves and washing your hands immediately afterwards.3) Optionally, you can also toast the chilis on the stovetop in a pan on medium-low heat. Because of the direct heat though, you’ll need to watch them more closely and flip them, so they don’t burn. If they burn, they can add a lot more bitterness to the sauce. You can also skip toasting them altogether if you wish, but it helps to bring out more flavor.4) This dish goes well served with veggies or roasted potatoes, or you can make this garlic fried rice (pictured) that I served it with. It only takes about 30 minutes and can cook while the chicken is cooking.