Mexican Adobo Sauce

Mexican adobo sauce is all about dried chilies! To get that deep, smoky flavor, you'll need guajillo, pasilla, and ancho peppers. When you toast them with garlic, you'll start to smell the intense aroma. A splash of vinegar adds a tangy kick, while cumin and oregano balance everything out with a nice earthy note.

To start, toast the dried chilies and garlic until fragrant and soft. This step is where the magic begins. Next, combine everything in a blender—chilies, garlic, vinegar, spices, and water (or broth)—and blend until smooth.

The result? A velvety, versatile sauce perfect for countless dishes. My favorite way to use it is in Slow Cooker Mexican Beef Adobo! It's also great as a marinade, in stews, or drizzled over tacos or enchiladas. You can even use it to make homemade canned chipotle peppers in adobo.

Looking for more authentic Mexican sauces? Don't miss this Birria Sauce, Ranchero Sauce, and Habanero Salsa.

What is Mexican adobo sauce?

Mexican adobo sauce is a rich, smoky, and slightly sweet sauce made from dried chiles, vinegar, garlic, and spices. It is a cornerstone of Mexican cuisine and is used in famous dishes like Adobo de Res (Beef Adobo) and Puerco Adobado (Pork Adobo).

Adobo is used to marinate meats and braise proteins, as a base for soups and stews, and as a sauce or salsa. Depending on the region, adobo sauce in Mexico has many variations, varying in spiciness, sweetness, and the use of additional herbs and dried chiles. 

Many people are familiar with adobo sauce from buying canned chipotles in adobo. These are essentially dried, smoked jalapeno peppers (chipotles) that are rehydrated and packed in adobo sauce. The sauce helps preserve the chile peppers.

Is this the same as Filipino adobo sauce? Though they share a name, Mexican adobo sauce is entirely distinct from its Filipino counterpart. Filipino adobo is a savory, tangy dish with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and bay leaves. The two sauces are unrelated but equally delicious in their own right. 

What do I need to make Mexican adobo sauce?

Here's a quick list of ingredients and substitutions for making this Mexican adobo sauce:

• Dried guajillo chili peppers: Mild, sweet, and smoky. Substitute with New Mexico or extra pasilla chiles.
• Dried pasilla chile peppers: Earthy and sweet with an almost raisin-like flavor. Ancho chiles are a great substitute.
• Dried ancho chile pepper: Fruity, smoky, and mildly spicy. Swap with dried poblano or chipotle chilies for added smokiness and heat.
• Cumin seeds: If you don't have cumin seeds, you can use ground cumin. Just make sure to use less since it's more concentrated! 
• Mexican Oregano: Mexican oregano is preferred over regular/European oregano for its citrusy, herbal flavor. Regular oregano or thyme can be substituted if that's what you have.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic is essential in this recipe to get the best flavor. In a pinch, you could use frozen garlic cubes or garlic powder.
• Vinegar: To balance out the smoky, spicy flavor of the dried chiles, vinegar is key! White vinegar is most commonly used, but you could swap in apple cider vinegar.

Note: You can purchase the chiles from an online retailer such as Amazon or an ethnic food store (online or in-person)!

Pro tip: For a less spicy Mexican adobo sauce, swap the hotter chilies like guajillo or pasilla with milder options such as California or ancho chilies. You can also use sweet pepper flakes or dried bell peppers for a smoky, sweet flavor without the heat. Just adjust the vinegar and spices to keep the sauce balanced!

Tools for Making Adobo Sauce

To make this adobo sauce:

• Cast Iron Skillet/Comal: For toasting chilies and garlic, enhancing their flavor.
• Blender: Essential for creating a smooth, velvety texture. A food processor works too.
• Fine Mesh Sieve: Optional, but great for straining the sauce for an extra-smooth finish.

All in all, these tools just make the process easier and the results even better!

Can I use fresh chiles instead of dried ones?

While fresh chiles can work to make a Mexican-style sauce, they'll change the flavor profile completely, and it won't be a true adobo sauce. Dried chiles give this sauce the authentic smoky flavor that makes adobo so special.

Make It Ahead

Yes! This sauce actually gets better after a day or two. Make a batch and store it in the fridge for up to a week. You'll love how the flavors intensify, and it's perfect for having on hand whenever you need it.

You can also freeze adobo sauce for up to 6 months. Since the sauce is labor-intensive, I recommend making a large batch and freezing the extra for future meals.  

How to Make This Homemade Adobo Sauce Recipe

Here's a quick rundown of how to make this recipe:

Start by prepping your dried chilies—remove the stems, seeds, and veins. This step helps keep the sauce smooth and not overly spicy. Toast the chilies and garlic in a dry skillet until they're fragrant and slightly browned, which really deepens their flavor. 

Note: When toasting the dried chilies, be sure to keep an eye on them! They can burn quickly, giving your sauce an unwanted bitter taste. The goal is to make them fragrant and pliable, not crispy. They are ready to flip as soon as they begin to bubble slightly and become very shiny. 

Once toasted, soak the chilies and garlic in some hot water or broth until they're softened. This rehydrates the chilies and makes them easier to blend.

After soaking, toss the chilies, garlic, soaking liquid, vinegar, and spices into a blender. Blend everything until smooth, adding a little more liquid if needed to get the right consistency.

Pro tip: If you want a super silky texture, strain the sauce through a fine mesh sieve after blending.

My sauce is too thick. What should I do?

When blending, if the sauce is too thick for your liking, just add a little extra water or broth, a tablespoon at a time. This will help you get the perfect consistency without diluting the flavor too much.

Ways to Use Adobo Sauce

There are a ton of ways to use this recipe:

• As a marinade: Use this adobo sauce as a marinade for meats like Pollo Asado, beef, or Pork Fajitas. Let it sit for a few hours to really soak in that flavor.
• As cooking liquid: Swap the cooking liquid in Crockpot Carne Asada or Mexican Shredded Chicken with this Mexican adobo sauce!
• In soup: Stir a few spoonfuls into Mexican Chicken Soup or Abondigas Soup for a deep, smoky richness.
• Tacos: Drizzle over Shredded Chicken Tacos, Fajita Veggies, or Carne Asada – it's a perfect finishing sauce.
• As a sauce: If you're making Chicken Enchiladas or burritos, swap out the traditional sauce for this adobo to take it to the next level!
• Substitute for chipotles in adobo: If you love the flavor of chipotles in adobo sauce but don't love the spiciness of the chipotles, this is a great substitute. 

Can I add different flavors?

Absolutely! Here are some fun ways to customize this Mexican sauce:

• Spicy twist: If you like it hot, toss in a couple of dried arbol chiles. They'll give your sauce a real kick!
• Add herbs: Add a little extra oregano or even a few sprigs of thyme for a more herbal depth.
• Smokier flavor: For an even smokier adobo, you can add a small amount of smoked paprika.