Guajillo Adobo

I went to make this sauce for the Adobo Marinated Chicken and as I searched for Guajillo Chiles I just could not find them anywhere.

I went into town to a Mexican market thinking that they would for sure have it, but the only Guajillo chiles they had were dried.

So, I bought the dried ones and then researched how to re-hydrate the chiles to make this sauce.

So…if you’re in the same boat as me, then follow along to find out how to re-hydrate them, but if you found them fresh, then just skip steps 4 and 5.

To Make:

Get all your 12 chiles out and ready to re-hydrate.

Cut the top off to remove the stem and cut a slit down the side of the chile to split it open.

The majority of the seeds will shake right out. Use your fingers or a spoon to scrape any additional seeds off and pull off any dried veins.

After discarding the seeds, place the chiles on a medium to hot griddle and roast them for 3-4 minutes.

Turn them often to prevent burning.

If they do burn, they will need to toss them because they will give off that burnt flavor into everything.

After roasting the chiles, place them in a bowl and cover them with hot water.

The chiles will need to soak 20-30 minutes depending on how thick they are.

Use a spoon to occasionally push them under the water if they float too much.

After you soak the chiles the water will be a brownish color like very diluted coffee.

Go ahead and discard the liquid.

Next, put ¾ cup fresh water in the blender jar with the chiles and remaining ingredients.

Blend until smooth, at least 3 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary to puree.

If you’d like a silky texture, strain the adobo through a medium mesh sieve.

The puree is now ready to use for cooking adobo chicken!

Basic Guajillo Adobo

2014-12-09 11:16:59

Ingredients

3 oz guajillo chiles (12), wiped clean, stemmed, slit open, seeded, and deveined
¾ cup water for blending, or more if needed
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 ½ tsp apple cider vinegar
¾ tsp fine salt or 1 ½ tsp kosher salt
¾ tsp sugar
Rounded ¼ tsp ground cumin

Instructions

Cut the tops off to remove the stems.
Then, cut a slit down the side of the chile to split it open. The majority of the seeds will shake right out. Use your fingers or a spoon to scrape any additional seeds off and pull off any dried veins.
After discarding the seeds, place the chiles on a medium to hot griddle and roast them for 3-4 minutes. Turn them often to prevent burning. If they do burn, they will need to be discarded as they will impart the burnt flavor to anything you make with them.
After roasting the chiles, place them in a bowl and cover them with hot water. The chiles will need to soak 20-30 minutes depending on how thick they are. Use a spoon to occasionally push them under the water if they float too much.
After you soak the chiles the water will be a brownish color like very diluted coffee. Go ahead and discard the liquid.
Next, put ¾ cup fresh water in the blender jar with the chiles and remaining ingredients.
Blend until smooth, at least 3 minutes, adding a little more water if necessary to puree. If you’d like a silky texture, strain the adobo through a mesh sieve.
The puree is now ready to use for cooking adobo chicken!

Notes