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Four adobo marinated pork chops and several lime halves, some squeezed, on a wooden chopping block.
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4.50 / 2 votes

Adobo Marinated Pork Chops

These adobo marinated pork chops rely on a quick and easy adobo sauce, made with two types of dried chiles, spices, sugar, and vinegar. A secret weapon in your weeknight dinner arsenal.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time1 hour 30 minutes
Course: Mains
Cuisine: Tex Mex
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 416

Ingredients

For the adobo

  • 5 dried chipotle chiles
  • 4 dried ancho chiles
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
  • One (1/4-inch) piece cinnamon stick
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, or to taste
  • 2 teaspoons soft dark brown sugar, or to taste (optional)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 5 tablespoons sherry vinegar

For the adobo-marinated pork

  • 4 to 6 bone-in, thin pork chops, (or bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces, whether thighs, wings, breasts, and/or drumsticks)
  • 1 lime, cut into wedges
US - Metric

Instructions

Make the adobo

  • Toast the chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat. You don’t want to char them, you just want to make them more pliable as the heat softens them.
  • Discard the stems and the seeds from all the chipotles and cut the anchos in half. Toss the chiles in a small saucepan and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, remove from the heat, and let soak for 30 minutes.
  • Strain the chiles, reserving the soaking liquid.
  • Meanwhile, toss the whole spices in a dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 40 seconds.
  • In a food processor, combine all the ingredients for the adobo, including the drained chiles but not the chile soaking liquid, and whiz to a purée. Add just enough of the chile soaking liquid to get it to the consistency of a paste. Taste for seasoning and adjust if you think it needs it.
  • Scrape the adobo into a clean jar, screw on a lid, and refrigerate. (You should have enough to fill an 8-ounce jar. It will be fine there for up to 4 months, but trust us, you’ll have used it way before then.)

Make your dinner

  • Place the pork chops (or chicken) in a large bowl, add half the adobo paste, and use your hands to coat the meat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 8 hours.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) if you're making pork chops or 350°F (176°C) if you're making chicken. Line a rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan with parchment paper.
  • Place the pork or chicken on the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast the pork chops for 20 minutes or the chicken for 40 minutes. Cover with foil after 15 minutes, as the paste can burn.
  • Transfer the pork or chicken to a platter or plates and spoon the thick pan juices over the top. Serve with the wedges of lime for squeezing over the top.

Notes

*What You Need To Know About Adobo

There’s adobo and then there’s adobo. One of them is what Diana Henry mentions above—the Mexican spice paste of paprika, spices, chiles, and vinegar. The other refers to a Filipino dish that simmers meat or seafood in a garlicky, vinegary, liquidy concoction that oft includes chiles, sugar, onions, and herbs. Confusing, we know. Both are enticing as heck. This recipe is quicker and easier and vastly more versatile.
There are lots of different versions of adobo paste—some people add cloves, others use bitter orange juice instead of vinegar, and the type of chile used varies, too. This is our version, and we quite like it, but feel free to tweak it as you want. Sherry vinegar isn’t traditional but lends the paste a lovely, deep, woody flavor. Brown sugar isn’t usual, either, but again, it gives the adobo depth of flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1portion | Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 47g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 122mg | Sodium: 1008mg | Fiber: 14g | Sugar: 21g