Grilled Adobo-Rubbed Chicken

  • Level: Easy
  • Yield: 6 to 8 servings
  • Total: 1 hr 10 min
  • Active: 30 min
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Ingredients

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 small white onion, chopped 

2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 

10 guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, deveined and cut into 2-inch pieces 

1 cup chicken broth 

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 

One 3 1/2- to 4-pound whole chicken, backbone removed, flattened slightly 

12 corn tortillas

Lime wedges, avocado slices and fresh cilantro, for serving 

Directions

  1. Heat the oil in medium heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 3 minutes longer. Add the chiles and cook until darkened on both sides, about 1 minute. Add the broth, bring to a boil and boil until the chiles are soft, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the vinegar and 1 tablespoon water, let cool slightly and puree. Season with salt and pepper.
  2. Preheat a grill or large grill pan over medium-high heat.
  3. Meanwhile, rub about half of the adobo mixture all over the chicken. Sear the chicken breast-side down until grill marks appear, about 6 minutes. Brush some adobo sauce on the other side of the chicken. Turn the grill down to medium and set one side of the grill to indirect heat (see Cook's Note for instructions for the grill pan). Turn the chicken breast-side up, place over the indirect heat side of the grill and cover. Cook the chicken, basting with the extra adobo sauce every 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers an inner temperature of 165 degrees F, 30 to 40 minutes.
  4. Serve with corn tortillas, lime wedges, avocado and cilantro.

Cook’s Note

If using a grill pan, after the initial grilling, turn the chicken breast-side up and transfer to a baking pan. Put in the oven at 375 degrees F and cook the chicken, basting with the extra adobo sauce every 20 minutes, until a meat thermometer registers an inner temperature of 165 degrees F, 30 to 40 minutes.

Let's Get Cooking!

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AustinTexGal

This came out perfect the right amount of spice by adding a serrano grilled along the guajilloes which is the only reason for 4 stars. Guajilloes are not meant to be spicy they are smoky. There are also adobo sauce recipes using 3 types of chiles so it is spicy. Next time I will add 1 T adobo from the chipotle can and that will also provide the heat you want.

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