Mexican Adobo Chicken (Adobo de Pollo) is chicken cooked in smoky, vinegar-based red chili sauce. This one-pot dish is pure comfort food that's super easy to make.

Using boneless, skinless chicken thighs and 25-minute adobo sauce means this dish will be on the table in about an hour.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

As a card-carrying red chili lover, saucy Mexican Adobo Chicken is the encapsulation of everything I love the most:

• The super-easy Mexican Adobo sauce is lush, spicy, savory, and saturated with the incredible smokey flavor of red chilies.
• The recipe is quick and easy and requires just 1 pot.
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are juicy and tender and fully cooked after just 20 minutes of simmering in their delicious Mexican Adobo bath.
• The chicken can be eaten over rice, with beans or crispy fried potatoes and some pickled onions, or shredded and layered into tortillas for adobo chicken tacos.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

Recipe: Mexican Adobo Chicken

This recipe was originally published on alittleandalot.com. For step-by-step photos that demonstrate how to prepare Mexican Adobo Chicken, please see the original recipe: Mexican Adobo Chicken

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter (I used salted)
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
• Salt and pepper
• 2 cups Mexican Adobo: Prepare a double batch of this Mexican Adobo (See note below)

For serving:

• 2 cups cooked rice (any kind)
• 2 ripe, avocados, sliced and sprinkled with a bit of salt
• Easy Pickled red onions
• Crispy fried potatoes
• Corn or flour tortillas (In the photos: homemade all-butter flour tortillas)

Instructions

1. Prepare a double batch of adobo (see note below). You should have approximately 2 cups of adobo.
2. Lay the chicken out on paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Using more paper towels or another clean kitchen towel, blot excess moisture from the chicken.
3. Add butter and oil to a 12-inch non-stick skillet and set it over medium heat. When the butter has completely melted, add the chicken, arranging it into one layer without any overlapping pieces. If there is no way to arrange all the chicken without overlapping the pieces, do this in two batches.
4. Sprinkle the chicken with a bit of salt and pepper and let it cook on one side for 3-4 minutes, until you can easily lift it from the pan without sticking and the bottom of the pieces are starting to brown. Turn the pieces over and allow them to cook on the other side just until you see a few brown spots beginning to form.
5. Pour the adobo sauce into the pan, over the chicken. Turn the heat up slightly and bring the adobo to a boil.
6. Cover the pan, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. To know when the chicken is cooked through: Remove the thickest piece from the pan and cut it into the thickest part. If there is no pink on the inside of the piece of chicken, it is done cooking. Alternatively, stick an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part of the thickest piece of chicken. The chicken is done when it registers 165° F (73.8° C).
7. Serve the chicken over rice, topped with sliced avocado and pickled onions, with crispy fried potatoes and tortillas on the side.

Notes

What is Mexican Adobo?

Mexican Adobo is a delicious red-chili based sauce that's thick, rich, spicy, and savory. This recipe for Mexican adobo only takes about 25 minutes to prepare but is a powerhouse of flavor that can be used to make as a marinade, sauce, or salsa for meat, poultry, seafood and vegetables.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

How to Store Leftover Mexican Adobo Chicken

Store leftover Mexican adobo chicken in a non-reactive air-tight container or ziptop bag in the fefrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow frozen adobo chicken to thaw in the refrigerator overnight then reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop over low heat. Reheating this dish over low heat is important to prevent the sauce on the bottom of the pan to scorch.

Mexican Adobo Chicken Makes a Great Camping Recipe

Calling all campers! Mexican Adobo Chicken is a perfect camping recipe. The adobo sauce can be made in advance and the chicken can be cooked on an RV stovetop, a camping stove, Blackstone Griddle, or even over an open flame.

It's important to match the cooking pan to the heat source you will be using to cook the chicken.

If cooking on a Blackstone Griddle or over an open flame, use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or cast iron dutch oven. The acid in the adobo can react with cast iron and cause a metallic flavor IF the pan isn't well seasoned. Use a well-seasoned pan, and you're golden.

One more thing to note about cast iron - even if your pan is well seasoned, don't store leftover adobo chicken in the cast iron pan. Scoop it into another non-reactive container for storage.

And, don't forget dessert! Try this Dutch oven chocolate cake on your next camping trip. It has a soft, light and springy texture that's creamy, buttery and deeply chocolate, no oven required! + More camping recipes.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

For all you red chili lovers

If you're a fellow member of the red-chili lover club, you might want to take a moment to add these recipes to your to-make list. Then come back here and get ready to fall in love with your new favorite comfort food.

1. Adobo Fish Tacos - These vibrant, flavorful fish tacos include flaky white fish cooked in a delicious red-chili-based Mexican adobo sauce and topped with citrus fruit, salsa verde, and crispy fried onions. Every bite is a riot of flavors in the best possible way.

2. Cheese Enchilada Casserole - This easy cheese enchilada casserole requires just three ingredients: corn tortillas, a ridiculous amount of cheese, and a batch of the BEST, super easy red chili enchilada sauce. Layer it all up for super delicious and super easy cheese enchiladas with very little fuss.

3. Stuffed Poblano Peppers - These flavor packed Stuffed Poblano Peppers are a staple meatless meal around our house because they are simple, healthy, and SO delicious we crave them on the regular.

4. Vegan Taco Meat - This vegan taco meat is made with tempeh, cauliflower, mushrooms, and walnuts cooked in Mexican adobo and seasoned with garlic, onions, chili powder and lime.This easy recipe makes hearty, meaty-tasting veggie taco meat that's 100% plant-based, high in protein, and so delicious you might not ever be tempted to use ground beef again.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

For more of my recipes, visit alittleandalot.com and ofbatteranddough.com.

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