I distinctly remember my first dish of adobada.
It was eons ago, maybe 15 years? Armando and I had gone to Dallas to visit his family and we met his father at a Mexican restaurant in Oak Cliff; a neighborhood that is now trying its hardest to be the next Williamsburg but then was just the warn-around-the-edges part of Dallas where Armando grew up.
His father ordered Carne Adobada and what came was a tangle of braised beef, onions, and peppers that made me regret whatever it was that I ordered. I must’ve been looking at it longingly because before I knew it my father-in-law had made me a taco with the red-tinged meat and laid it on my plate.
Adobada and its New Mexican cousin adovada are kinda-sorta the same thing. The New Mexican version is more along the lines of a chili made with hunks of pork, not beef, braised in a puree of dried New Mexican chiles.
Mexican adobada (confusingly enough also sometimes spelled adovada) is pretty much anything cooked in adobo sauce. Adobo sauce is also made with red chiles (usually anchos) but has a distinct tang from vinegar.
You can most certainly make your own adobo sauce, you go-getter you! But there are plenty of really tasty prepared adobo pastes out there so you don’t necessarily have to. I like to use the Doña Maria brand (I was not compensated for saying that) because it is reliably good and pretty easy to find.
While not traditional, I added a few tomatillos to the braise. They add a nice touch of sour so characteristic of a good adobada and also act as a tenderizer, making the meat ultra succulent even after a long simmer in the slow cooker.
Carne adobada makes exquisite tacos and this recipe makes a ton so you could do a little taco bar action here by just setting out the slow cooker and surrounding it with warm tortillas, sliced radish, some guacamole, and a nice crunchy slaw for your next party.
But we also like to eat it in rice bowl form, with black beans, avocado slices, some fresh cilantro, and even a few pieces of sweet pineapple, and if you can find some chili-lime cashews those are pretty great sprinkled over the top too!
Have a great weekend!!!
More SLOW COOKER recipes
More BEEF recipes
PrintSlow Cooker Carne Adobada Recipe
Luscious beef cooked low and slow with adobo paste, onions, and jalapeños until meltingly tender. Perfect for tacos, quesadillas, or rice bowls. Dairy free! This makes enough for a crowd which makes it a great option for entertaining or eat some now and freeze some for later. Cover beef with the cooking liquid and keep for up to a month in the freezer.
- Prep Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 mins
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup packed adobo paste
- 3 large tomatillos, husks removed and quartered
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/3 cup fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 2 1/4 cups chicken broth, divided
- 4 1/2 pounds beef chuck roast
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 large onions, sliced
- 2 jalapeños, sliced
Instructions
- Combine adobo paste, tomatillos, garlic, lime juice, salt, and 1/4 cup chicken broth in a blender. Blend on high until smooth.
- Generously season beef on all sides with salt and pepper.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once shimmering add beef and brown about 4 minutes a side (you might need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan).
- Meanwhile, place onions and jalapeños on the bottom of the slow cooker.
- Once beef is browned transfer to the slow cooker. Pour off any fat from the frying pan into a heatproof bowl. Return pan to heat and add 1 cup of the broth to the frying pan. Scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon then pour broth into the slow cooker.
- Add adobo mixture and remaining 1 cup of broth to the slow cooker, cover, and cook on low for 8 hours or high for 4.
- Beef should be fall-apart tender when done. Shred meat and serve as tacos, enchilada filling, on top of a rice bowl, or straight from the pot with a fork. Add more salt as needed.
PIN IT FOR LATER!
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13 Comments
This looks delicious. Always looking for new ways to do taco meat in the slow cooker. We live in east Dallas. I love Oak Cliff and have gone there for years to little mom n pop places. I cringe as the strip mall developers dig their greedy hands in. Oak Cliff doesn’t want to be Williamsburg, the city of Dallas wants it to be… / end rant 🙂
LOL Lynn! My husband feels the same way. When we were back last year for a visit he about flipped a lid at the hipster coffee shops and wine bars taking over his beloved neighborhood. Of course this was after we had to go to one of the coffee shops because he needed an espresso. Hehe!
Just made this. Waiting for the hubby to get home to make dinner, but I just sampled it and OMG I cannot wait to have it!!! Thanks for the recipe! It’s simple and I’m sure it will be a hit!
Yay Suzi! You made my day, thank you!
This carne adobada looks delicious! I like the way you served it with white rice, a complete meal!
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Ohh amé esta receta de carne adobada. Se ve deliciosa, además las fotos son hermosamente provocativas.
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Muchísimas Gracias Amiga!
OMG! I would have a bowl of this carne adobada right now! With rice and slices of avocado, please! I has to be delicious!
★★★★★
It is so good, and makes the BEST leftovers!
Not sure what I like the most: your amazing pics or your delicious carne adobada recipe! I love everything in this blogpost!
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You are too, too kind Enri!
Great recipe for carne adobada. Look delicious. And perfect timing for slow cooker recipes, now that we have more time than usual in our hands
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Exactly Estefania! And so good in so many dishes.