This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Carne Adovada is a New Mexico-style stewed pork dish that features a boldy spiced sauce made from dried chiles and perfectly tender pork. Pair it with a simple side of rice or warm homemade tortillas for a savory and satisfying dish!
If you love tender pieces of slowly simmered pork that are melt in your mouth good, then you’ve got to try this Carne Adovada recipe!
This New Mexican dish has become one of my favorites because the dried chile sauce that the pork is simmered in has an amazing and intense flavor that I can’t get enough of!
Is It Adovada or Adobada?
This specific New Mexican dish is spelled “adovada,” whereas “adobada” refers to the more general Mexican way of cooking meat in an adobo sauce.
What’s the Difference Between Carne Adovada and Chile Colorado?
I like to think of Carne Adovada as chile colorado’s more intense and complex cousin. While they may look similar, they’re actually quite different.
Carne Adovada features pork whereas Chile Colorado traditionally uses beef. Both are equally tender and delicious.
Both dishes also use a red chile sauce that highlights the taste and spice of dried chiles, however Carne Adovada is more complex in that it has a hint of sweetness from the sugar and tang from the soy sauce and vinegar to help deepen and intensify the spices and chiles.
Ingredients in Carne Adovada
- Dried chiles: For this recipe, I used 8 dried ancho chiles and 12 dried guajillo chiles. You can use any combination of ancho, guajillo, and New Mexico dried chiles you’d like. You can also use only New Mexico dried chiles. Totally up to you!
- Seasonings and spices: I used dried thyme, cumin, salt, Mexican oregano, kosher salt, and a special ingredient, sugar. It might sound odd, but sugar helps cut the spice and bold seasonings.
- White vinegar and soy sauce: These ingredients help give acidity and balance to the sauce and give a great and unexpected complex flavor.
- Olive oil: I used olive oil to sear the pork, but you can use whatever oil you have on hand.
- Onion and garlic: Perfect staple ingredients for most Mexican dishes.
- Pork shoulder: Pork shoulder (also known as pork butt) is very tender and great for this stew-style dish. I recommend cutting it into equal size chunks so they cook evenly.
- Optional ingredients: I topped my carne adovada with chopped cilantro and onions and serves with warm corn tortillas, or warm flour tortillas.
How to Make Carne Adovada
- Toast the chiles: Toast your combination of chiles in a skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly, for about 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Don’t toast them for more than 2 minutes or they will get a bitter taste.
- Soften the chiles: Transfer your toasted chiles to a medium pot, add bay leaf, and cover them completely with water. Bring the water to a boil and then remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for about 10 minutes to soften the toasted chiles.
- Make the chile sauce: With a slotted spoon, transfer the softened chiles and bay leaf to a blender. Add 3 cups of the chile-soaked water, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, oregano, thyme, sugar, cumin, and salt. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Sear the pork: Cook the pork in 2 batches to make sure each piece is browned and has a great sear. Set aside on a plate.
- Cook the onion: Add the onion and cook for 5 minutes, scraping any delicious crispy brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Simmer pork in chile sauce: Add the seared pork back into the pot and pour the blended chile sauce on top. Mix together to combine. Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 2 hours.
Serving Suggestions
- In a bowl on top of some white rice, cilantro lime rice, or Mexican rice
- Alongside some homemade flour tortillas or corn tortillas
- Topped with some chopped cilantro and diced white onion
Storing and Reheating
- To store in the fridge, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- To store in the freezer, let it cool completely and transfer to a freezer safe storage container or bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.
- To reheat, place in a medium pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally until warmed, or heat in the microwave for 1-4 minutes until hot.
More Hearty Recipes
If you tried this Carne Adovada Recipe or any other recipe on Isabel Eats, don’t forget to 🌟 rate the recipe and let me know how it went in the comments below! I love hearing about your experience making it!
Carne Adovada
Ingredients
- 8 ancho chiles, rinsed (about 3 ounces)
- 12 guajillo chiles, rinsed (about 2.5 ounces)
- 1 dried bay leaf
- water
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 3/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons oil, divided
- 3 pounds pork shoulder, cut into bite-sized chunks
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- for serving: chopped cilantro, lime wedges, warm tortillas
Instructions
- Remove and discard the stems and seeds from the ancho and guajillo chiles. Tear the chiles into medium-sized pieces.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chiles and toast until fragrant, stirring frequently for about 1-2 minutes.
- Transfer the chiles to a medium pot. Add the bay leaf and fill the pot with water until the chiles are completely covered.
- Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then remove from heat, cover, and let the chiles soak for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the soaked and softened chiles and the bay leaf to a large blender using a slotted spoon.
- Add 3 cups of the chile-soaked water, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, oregano, thyme, sugar, cumin, and salt. Blend until smooth and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add ½ of the pork shoulder and sear on all sides until browned, then transfer to a bowl or large plate.
- Add another tablespoon of oil to the pot as well as the remaining pork. Sear on all sides until browned, then transfer to the same bowl or plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pot and add the onion. Cook for 5 minutes, scraping any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the seared pork back into the pot and pour the blended chile sauce on top. Mix together to combine.
- Bring the pot to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 2 hours.
- Serve in a bowl garnished with chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and a side of warm flour tortillas and/or rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Delicious! My husband and I loved this recipe. Definitely going on rotation here!
Great recipe! I only put half of the sugar and added Chile de arbol. My husband and I like everything spicy.
I have a question about the chilies. Awhile back I bought powdered chilies of all the varieties you use in the recipe (from Native Seed Search in Tucson). Would it work to use the powders? I could gently toast it for a minute or would that be necessary? Love your recipes!
Hi Becky! You can definitely use the powders! I don’t think there would be a need to toast them.
I made this with a partially smoked wild pig shoulder. There was a nice bark of brown sugar and spices on it so I left the sugar out. I did add a 1/8 round of the Mexican chocolate. It was out of control good! A real winner!
Thank you Ernie!
Made this last night and it was delicious and easy to make! It does run on the spicy side, so may not be ideal for heat-sensitive eaters. I served it on top of rice with chopped cilantro, avocado, pickled red onions and sour cream.
Made this for dinner tonight and it was delicious, rich sauce and tender meat. Can’t wait to make it again – I just need to order more dried chillies!
Hi Rachel! We’re glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Carne adovada
Even though the chilis are dried, you still toast them?
I love your recipes, and look forward to your emails.
Hi Beverly! Yes, Just make sure you only toast them for about 1 minute so they don’t get bitter!
Thank you
Love you talent, its been a fresh treat. Thanks for sharing
I made this using my instapot.
It’s delicious. Thank you
Can this be cooked in an instant pot?
Hi Debbie! Yes you should be able to!