Juicy pork shoulder marinated in a smoky guajillo-chipotle orange adobo, then seared in a cast-iron pan until the edges char and caramelize. This adobada tacos recipe is irresistible piled onto soft corn tortillas with white onion, fresh cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
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Generally, in the US, adobada tacos are not quite as popular as the other street taco staples like carne asada or tacos al pastor, but they are every bit as tasty.
The smell alone will remind you of standing outside a late-night taqueria waiting for your tacos to come off the flat top—smoky red chiles hitting the heat, sizzling pork, warm tortillas stacked in towels nearby. It’s the kind of taco that drips down your wrist a little bit when you take the first bite, and honestly, that’s exactly how it should be.
What Is Carne Adobada?
Carne adobada, sometimes called pork adovada or tacos adobada depending on the region, is pork marinated in a adobo sauce made from dried red chiles, vinegar, garlic, and spices . Different cultures and regions across Mexico and New Mexico make their own versions.
This recipe lands somewhere between tacos al pastor and New Mexico-style carne adovada. Instead of roasting on a trompo, the pork cooks quickly in a frying pan or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until deeply browned around the edges.
If you’re looking for an easier Crock Pot version made with beef, this slow cooker Carne Adobada has been a hit on ¡Hola! Jalapeño for years.
Why You’ll Love These Adobada Tacos
- Incredibly juicy: Pork butt stays moist with crispy charred edges
- Bold flavor: Complex flavors without complicated techniques
- Versatile: Makes excellent tacos but also great over rice or tucked in a burrito
- Make-ahead friendly: Marinate the meat up to 3 days in advance
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Pork shoulder — The best cut for juicy, flavorful adobada meat. Swap: Chicken thighs work too and cook faster.
- Guajillo chiles + ancho chiles — build the red chili sauce and give the tacos their deep color and earthy flavor. Look in the Mexican food aisle or international section.
- Orange juice + apple cider vinegar — add brightness, a touch of sweetness, and help tenderize the pork. Swap: Mandarin or tangerine juice also work.
- Chipotles in adobo sauce — Adds smoky heat. Leave out if you’d like these less spicy. Love chipotles? Try these 35+ Recipes.
- Garlic cloves — Bring savory depth and help round out the rest of the ingredients in the marinade.
- Mexican oregano + ground cumin — creates the classic Mexican food flavors. Swap: Regular oregano works if needed.
- Brown sugar — Balances the red chiles and vinegar with just enough sweetness.
- Kosher salt + freshly cracked black pepper — The flavor foundation. I always use Morton kosher salt.
- Neutral oil — Helps the pork sear and caramelize in the frying pan
For Serving
- Soft corn tortillas — Try these Homemade Corn Tortillas if you want the full taqueria experience.
- White onion + fresh cilantro — The classic taco truck topping combo
- Lime wedges — A squeeze of lime right before serving brightens the smoky pork.
- Avocado — Or guacamole
- Mango-habanero salsa — Optional, but the sweet heat pairs perfectly with the smoky adobada tacos recipe.
How To Make This Adobada Tacos Recipe
Toast the chiles. Heat a dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast the guajillo and ancho chiles for about 30 seconds per side until fragrant—don’t let them scorch. Add enough water to the frying pan to cover the chiles, bring to a boil then remove from the heat and let soak for 30 minutes.
Blend the adobada sauce. Drain the chiles and add to a blender with the orange juice, apple cider vinegar, garlic cloves, chipotles, Mexican oregano, cumin, brown sugar, and salt. Blend until completely smooth, 1–2 minutes.
Marinate the pork. Toss the pork shoulder strips with the adobo sauce in a large bowl or zip-top bag until fully coated. Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate at least 4 hours but ideally overnight.
Cook the adobada meat. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches, cook the pork in a single layer. Sear without moving for 2–3 minutes until charred on one side. Turn and continue cooking until lightly charred all over and cooked through, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat if the outside is charring too quickly before the insides are cooked. Remove this meat to a cutting board and repeat with remaining oil and meat.
Build the tacos. Warm the soft corn tortillas in a dry pan, 20 seconds per side over medium heat right before serving. Chop the meat into bite-sized pieces then fill the tortillas with the meat. Top with white onion, fresh cilantro, avocado, salsa and lime wedges. Serve immediately.
How To Serve Adobada Tacos
These are straight up street tacos and I usually just serve them with the toppings (minced onion, cilantro, avocado, salsa, and limes) and a tall stack of tortillas.
If you’d like to make these the focus of a more substantial meal, consider serving all the above with a nice crunchy slaw, homemade refried beans, and maybe roasted asparagus with sweet jalapeño dressing or cumin radish pickles.
This recipe makes 4 generous servings of pork so if you want to make this for a party, it might be fun to do a taco bar with other fillings to accompany the pork like slow cooker barbacoa beef and birria.
Storing + Leftovers
Store leftover adobada meat in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, reheat with a little broth in a hot skillet so it doesn’t dry out.
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Both use a chile-based marinade, but tacos al pastor has achiote paste and pineapple in the marinade and are traditionally cooked on a vertical spit while adobada has orange juice instead of achiote and pineapple and is pan-fried in a skillet.
Yes. The marinated pork keeps up to 4 days refrigerated in an airtight container before cooking. To get the most delicious meat, I recommend cooking and enjoying it right away.
Absolutely. Carne adobada is better frozen before cooking, after it has been cooked it tends to dry out. Freeze the uncooked adobada in the marinade in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator before cooking.
Pork Tacos Worth Repeating
These tacos hit everything I want from a really good taco—juicy pork, crispy edges, warm corn tortillas, fresh cilantro, sharp white onion, and enough lime to brighten every bite.
If you make these adobada tacos, tag @holajalapeno so I can see. And if smoky, chile-heavy Mexican food is your thing, sign up for the weekly newsletter because I’ve got plenty more coming.
Mexican-Style Pork Adobada Tacos
Juicy pork shoulder marinated in a smoky guajillo-chipotle orange adobo, then seared in a cast-iron pan until the edges char and caramelize. This adobada tacos recipe is irresistible piled onto soft corn tortillas with white onion, fresh cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime.
Ingredients
For The Adobada
- 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into thin strips (¼-inch slabs; pork shoulder steaks or ribs work great)
- 6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded and rinsed
- 2 dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and rinsed
- 1 cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, like avocado or sunflower oil
For Serving:
- 12 warm corn tortillas
- 1/2 white onion, minced
- 1 small bunch cilantro, minced
- 2 limes, cut into wedges
- 1 ripe avocado, diced
- Mango Habanero salsa (optiona)
Instructions
- Thinly slice the pork: Slice 2 pounds pork butt into 1/4-inch thick strips. If they are really wide, cut them into smaller bite-sized pieces. Place the pork in a glass dish or resealable plastic bag.
- Toast the chiles. Heat a large dry frying pan over medium heat. Toast the 6 guajillo chiles and 2 ancho chiles for about 30 seconds per side, until fragrant — don't let them scorch. Fill the pan with water to cover the chiles. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat and let soak until soft and pliable, about 30 minutes.
- Blend the adobada sauce. Remove the chiles with tongs and add to a blender with the 1 cup orange juice, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 4 garlic cloves, 2 chipotle chiles, 1 teaspoon Mexican oregano, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 2 teaspoon salt. Blend until completely smooth, 1–2 minutes.
- Marinate the pork. Toss the pork strips with the marinade in a large bowl or zip-top bag, coating every piece. Cover with plastic wrap or transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
- Sear the pork. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches so you don't crowd the pan, add the pork in a single layer. Sear without moving for 2–3 minutes until lightly charred. Stir and continue cooking until lightly charred all over but still juicy, stirring occasionally. If the meat is getting too dark before the insides are cooked, lower the heat.
- Chop the meat. Remove the meat to a cutting board as it is done cooking, then chop into bite-sized pieces. Repeat with remaining oil and meat, cooking in batches until all the meat is cooked.
- Build the tacos. Warm the corn tortillas in a dry pan, 20 seconds per side. Pile on the adobada. Top with white onion, cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of lime. Serve immediately.
Notes
- The Freezer Trick: To get those perfect 1/4-inch slices, put the pork shoulder in the freezer for 20–30 minutes before cutting. It firms up the fat, making it much easier to slice thinly and safely.
- Don't Crowd the Pan: This is the most important rule! If you put too much meat in at once, the pork will steam in its own juices rather than sear. You want that Maillard reaction (the crispy, charred bits) for authentic flavor.
- Make it "Con Queso": Melt a slice of Monterey Jack or Chihuahua cheese directly onto the tortilla before adding the meat for a Mulita-style taco.
- Tortilla Prep: For the best texture, lightly brush your corn tortillas with a tiny bit of oil or dip the edge in the pork drippings before warming them in the pan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 572Total Fat: 30gSaturated Fat: 7gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 390mgCarbohydrates: 60gFiber: 10gSugar: 14gProtein: 24g
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