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Homemade Adobo Sauce from Toasted Spices and Dried Chiles Recipe

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4.3 from 59 reviews

This rich and flavorful Adobo Sauce recipe combines toasted spices, dried chilies, smoky paprika, and fresh tomatoes to create a versatile Mexican sauce perfect for marinating meats, adding depth to stews, or serving as a dipping sauce. The process involves dry toasting whole spices and chilies, sautéing aromatics, simmering the sauce to meld the flavors, and finally blending to a smooth consistency for a robust, smoky, and tangy sauce.

Ingredients

Spices

  • 1 tablespoon black peppercorns (may substitute 1 teaspoon ground black pepper)
  • 1 tablespoon cumin seeds (may substitute 1 teaspoon ground cumin)
  • 1 tablespoon coriander seeds (may substitute 1 teaspoon ground coriander)
  • 6 whole cloves (may substitute 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves)
  • 1/2 cinnamon stick, smashed/broken (may substitute 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon)

Aromatics and Chilies

  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • 8 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 4 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
  • 1 chili de arbol, stems and seeds removed

Other Ingredients

  • 4 vine ripened tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 bay leaves
  • 3 cups water (or low sodium chicken broth or beef broth as alternative)
  • 1 tablespoon oil (for sautéing)

Instructions

  1. Toast the Spices: In a large skillet over medium heat, dry toast the black peppercorns, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, cloves, and cinnamon stick, shaking the skillet occasionally. Toast until the spices are very fragrant, then transfer to a bowl or plate to prevent further cooking; set aside.
  2. Roast the Chilies: Using the same skillet, dry roast the guajillo, ancho, and chili de arbol chiles for a couple of minutes per side until fragrant and slightly softened. Remove from skillet and set aside.
  3. Sauté Onion and Garlic: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and sauté until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic and sauté for an additional 1 minute until aromatic.
  4. Simmer the Sauce: Add the toasted spices back into the saucepan along with the roasted dried chilies, chopped tomatoes, apple cider vinegar, dried oregano, smoked paprika, dried thyme, salt, bay leaves, and 3 cups of water (or broth). Bring the mixture to a simmer and cook for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers are very soft and the flavors have melded.
  5. Blend the Sauce: Remove and discard the bay leaves. Transfer the hot mixture to a high-powered blender in batches if necessary. Blend until smooth, leaving a corner of the lid open and covered with a paper towel to allow steam to escape safely. If a high-powered blender is unavailable, strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer using a rubber spatula, reserving the solids which can be wrapped in cheesecloth or mashed and added back to the sauce for extra flavor.

Notes

  • You can substitute ground versions of the whole spices in equal teaspoon amounts if you don’t have whole spices.
  • For richer flavor, use low sodium chicken or beef broth instead of water.
  • To prevent the blender from exploding steam, ensure the lid is vented by leaving a corner open with a paper towel covering it.
  • The leftover spices after straining can be reused wrapped in cheesecloth or mashed back into the sauce for more intense flavor.

Find it online: https://justsosavory.com/homemade-adobo-sauce-from-toasted-spices-and-dried-chiles-recipe/