Easy Adobo Sauce
Ancho and Guajillo chili peppers turn this authentic adobo sauce into a flavorbomb! Use it to season meats or liquefy it for all sorts of stews -- so good!
- Prep time
- 40 min
- Cook time
- No separate cook time
- Yield
- 12 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 10 Ancho dried chilis
- 5 New Mexican or Guajillo dried chilis
- 2-3 chipotles in adobo (optional)
- 8 peeled garlic cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon Mexican oregano
- pinch of clove (optional)
- freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup vinegar (I used white vinegar)
- 1/4 cup stock (or water, or soaking liquid)
- splash of water
- pinch of sugar (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Wipe off any dusty crevasses on the chilis using a damp towel. De-stem and de-seed the chilis, but don't worry about getting rid of every last seed.
- 2
I put the chilis in a 400F oven for 1-2 minutes to awaken some dormant flavors; you could also flash them on a hot, dry skillet for 15-30 seconds in place of the oven.
- 3
Add the chilis to a bowl and cover them with hot tap water. Let them reconstitute for 20-30 minutes. If they float to the surface you can use a small plate or bowl to keep them submerged.
- 4
Drain the chilis and add them to a blender, along with the remaining ingredients listed above. Update: I've been adding 2-3 chipotles in adobo lately for some heat, but you can consider this optional.
- 5
Combine well; ideally you want a thick, paste-like substance so we are adding just enough liquid to get there. If it won't combine you can add another splash of water.
- 6
Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. It should also freeze quite well.