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    Home » Budget Meals

    Grilled Adobo Chicken (Pollo Adobado)

    Jul 20, 2009 · Modified: Jan 1, 2022 by Andrea · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads · 14 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Grilled Adobo Chicken (Pollo Adobado) - Andrea Meyers

    I recently acquired a copy of Rosa’s New Mexican Table (review) and having heard of the restaurant and the book’s James Beard Award nomination in 2008 I was eager to try out some of the dishes from Chef Roberto Santibañez. One of the first dishes that caught my eye was the adobo marinated chicken with spicy guajillo chiles and chiles de arbol. An adobo sauce is bright red from the chiles and the meat is either simmered in the sauce or marinated and grilled. Common chiles for adobo include ancho, guajillo, and chipotle, though in this recipe chiles de arbol are added for extra heat. In the DC area you can find dried chiles at Hispanic grocery stores, some of the larger international grocery stores such as Grand Mart, Shoppers Food Warehouse, and some other grocery chains.

    Spices for chicken adobo - Andrea Meyers

    The chiles de arbol pack a punch, and since this dish was served to my boys, I went easy on the heat and removed the seeds before mixing the marinade. We thought the chicken had a lot of flavor, but Michael missed the heat so next time I’ll prepare two batches of the marinade, one with the seeds just for him.

    The bright color of the marinade transfers to the chicken, lending a spectacular redness to the chicken. The meat has a lot of flavor and works well in tacos, fajitas, quesadillas, or on top of salads. This makes a great weeknight dish because you can get the chicken marinating the night before then grill it quickly for dinner the next day, and it has enough panache for a weekend party. Squirt a little lime over the grilled chicken and it’s ready to go.

    Grilled Adobo Chicken (Pollo Adobado) - Andrea Meyers

    Grilled Adobo Chicken (Pollo Adobado) - Andrea Meyers
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    Grilled Adobo Chicken (Pollo Adobado)

    Adapted from Rosa’s New Mexican Table, by Roberto Santibañez.
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time15 mins
    Marinating Time4 hrs
    Total Time4 hrs 35 mins
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Diet: Gluten Free
    Keyword: chicken, chiles, gluten free, grill, marinade, summer
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 150kcal

    Equipment

    • cast-iron skillet
    • blender
    • meat mallet
    • plastic zipper bag (or shallow pan covered with plastic)
    • grill or grill pan

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast

    Marinade

    • 2 guajillo chiles (wiped clean, stemmed, seeded)
    • 2 chiles de arbol (wiped clean (leave seeds intact), or less to taste)
    • 3 large garlic cloves
    • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
    • ½ teaspoon dried oregano (crumbled)
    • ¼ cup water
    • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
    • salt

    Serve With

    • lime wedges
    • soft tortillas (for tacos or fajitas)
    • refried beans
    • guacamole
    • cilantro
    • shredded white queso
    • tomatillo salsa (salsa verde)
    • red salsa
    US Customary - Metric

    Preparation

    • In the dry skillet, toast the chiles on each side. Lightly toast the guajillo chiles and toast well the chiles de arbol (with the seeds).
    • Put all the chiles, garlic, cumin seeds, cloves, oregano, water, and cider vinegar into the blender. Blend at low speed until smooth.
    • With the meat mallet, pound each chicken breast until about ¾-inch (2 cm) thick. Rub the breasts with salt and put into the bag. Pour the adobo marinade over the chicken, seal, and turn the bag a few times to make sure the chicken is evenly coated. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour or refrigerate for up to 1 day.
    • Heat a gas grill to medium-high or prepare a hot charcoal fire.
    • Grill the chicken for about 10-12 minutes, until it is cooked through and charred in places. Remove to a platter, cover with foil, and allow to stand about 5 minutes before serving.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 150kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 136mg | Potassium: 534mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 712IU | Vitamin C: 35mg | Calcium: 17mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe?Share in the comments!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jeff says

      July 20, 2009 at 12:15 pm

      Awesome! I love using chili peppers and am always looking for new uses. Definitely going to have to give this a shot.

      Reply
    2. Kalyn says

      July 20, 2009 at 12:23 pm

      Great looking recipe! I love the photo with the chilis on the plate too!

      Reply
    3. Rosa says

      July 20, 2009 at 1:32 pm

      A deliciously spicy dish!

      Cheers,

      Rosa

      Reply
    4. Chris says

      July 20, 2009 at 3:22 pm

      Sounds like our kind of dish; yum!

      Reply
    5. Rasa Malaysia says

      July 21, 2009 at 11:55 am

      Andreas, this looks seriously good, the color and the grilled marks. Love it.

      Reply
    6. breadchick says

      July 22, 2009 at 8:37 am

      OH this sounds yummy, yummy, yummy!!

      Reply
    7. Daniel says

      July 22, 2009 at 11:23 am

      Amazing sounding. And thanks for including some ideas for reducing the heat... we have friends and family who can't really tolerate it, so it really helps to know ways to turn the "heat dial" up or down as needed.

      Dan
      Casual Kitchen

      Reply
    8. Kate says

      July 23, 2009 at 10:45 am

      This looks delicious. I can only imagine the wonder flavors! I am going to have to try this one!

      Reply
    9. Chris says

      July 24, 2009 at 6:41 pm

      The chicken looks "to die for". The chiles de arbol sound good, hopefully I can find some around here.

      I too like to remove the seeds from my habaneros when making jerk chicken. Of course I wear gloves with those puppies while seeding them!

      Reply
    10. Donna says

      July 19, 2013 at 5:04 pm

      HOLY COW does this look DEEEE-licious!

      Reply
      • Andrea says

        July 19, 2013 at 5:26 pm

        Thanks Donna! 🙂

        Reply
    11. Maggie Unzueta says

      August 13, 2018 at 8:54 pm

      It looks delicious.

      Reply

    Trackbacks

    1. Featured Use: Your Recipe Box for the Web « Springpad Blog says:
      December 13, 2009 at 11:51 am

      [...] – if you’re looking for a tasty grilled chicken recipe, the perfect apple pumpkin pie or an elegant autmun  brunch entree – get started with [...]

      Reply
    2. Grilled Chicken: On a Plate, In a Sandwich, On a Salad | Aggie's Kitchen says:
      June 8, 2012 at 4:28 am

      [...] Grilled Adobo Chicken from Andrea Meyers [...]

      Reply

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