Traditional Carne Adovada is a deeply flavored New Mexican dish featuring tender pork simmered in a vibrant red chile sauce. The mix of caramelized onion, garlic, tangy vinegar, and two kinds of red chile produces a silky, rich sauce that’s excellent over rice, tucked into tortillas, or served alongside beans or posole.
Carne Adovada stands out for both its color and its complexity. While many traditional recipes call for an overnight marinade, you can achieve a similar depth of flavor in about an hour by searing the pork and browning the aromatics before you build the sauce. That initial browning adds caramelized notes and a richer overall profile, allowing the dish to develop quickly without losing authenticity.
This version delivers a velvety sauce and fork-tender pork without an all-day commitment. The recipe uses a generous amount of New Mexican red chile powder for color and character, balanced with a touch of honey and red wine vinegar to round things out. After searing and blending the chile mixture with broth, the pork braises in the oven until it’s succulent. Serve with diced onion, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges for brightness.
Table of Contents
- Ingredients for Carne Adovada
- How to Make Carne Adovada
- 7 Recipe Tips
- Storage and Reheating
- Serve with
- Carne Adovada Recipe
Ingredients for Carne Adovada
For the Pork:
- Pork shoulder: Choose a piece with some marbling and a bit of fat for flavor. Trim excess fat if needed and cut into roughly 3/4-inch cubes.
- Neutral oil: Use an oil with a high smoke point for searing (avocado or neutral vegetable oil works well).
For the Red Chile Sauce:
- New Mexican red chile powder: This powder gives the sauce its distinctive color and flavor. Use a fresh batch if possible.
- Chile Caribe (flake): Adds another layer of chile flavor and a touch of texture; adjust to taste for heat.
- Garlic and white onion: Fresh garlic and a diced white onion form the aromatic base.
- Ground coriander and cumin: Warm, earthy spices that complement the chile.
- Dried Mexican oregano: Different from Mediterranean oregano; it brings a bright, earthy note.
- Chicken broth: Use homemade or good-quality store-bought broth to build the sauce.
- Red wine vinegar and honey: Vinegar adds brightness and honey balances the chile’s heat.
- Salt: Season to taste.
For Serving (Optional):
- Diced white onion, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges: Classic garnishes that add crunch and acidity.
How to Make Carne Adovada
Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Heat oil in a heavy, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Brown the pork cubes in batches so they develop a good crust; transfer the browned pieces to a plate and set aside.
Keep the browned bits and most of the drippings in the pot, then reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook another minute until fragrant. Pour in one cup of chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits, then remove from heat.
Transfer the onion-broth mixture to a food processor or blender. Add the ground coriander, cumin, oregano, chile caribe flakes, New Mexican red chile powder, honey, red wine vinegar, and two more cups of chicken broth. Blend until smooth and taste, adjusting salt and chile levels as needed.
Return the browned pork to the ovenproof pot and pour the blended chile sauce over the meat. Add the remaining cup of chicken broth, stir to combine, then cover the pot. Bake in the preheated oven for about one hour, or until the pork is very tender and easily pierced with a fork.
Serve hot, garnished with diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges. This dish pairs wonderfully with warm tortillas, rice, pinto beans, or posole. Leftovers develop even more depth overnight and are excellent reheated.
7 Recipe Tips
- Brown in batches: Avoid crowding the pot so each piece gets a proper sear.
- Control the heat: Keep an eye on the pan so the drippings brown but don’t burn.
- Deglaze well: Scrape up browned bits with broth for big flavor.
- Taste before braising: Check seasoning after you blend the sauce and adjust salt, honey, or vinegar as needed.
- Use a heavy pot: A Dutch oven gives even heat and excellent braising results.
- Let it rest: Allow a short rest before serving so the sauce settles and flavors meld.
- Make extras: This dish freezes well and often tastes better the next day.
Recipe Options:
- Overnight marinate: If you have time, marinate the pork 8–24 hours for an even deeper chile flavor.
- Adjust spice: Vary the chile caribe flakes to control heat.
- Alternate chiles: If New Mexican chile powder isn’t available, ancho or guajillo powders are reasonable substitutes; avoid generic “chili powder” blends.
- Cook method: You can simmer on the stovetop instead of baking, but watch liquid levels and cook time.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. The flavors often improve after a day. For longer storage, cool completely and freeze for up to three months. To reheat, thaw if frozen, then warm gently covered over medium-low heat, adding a splash of broth if the sauce is too thick.
Serve with
Mexican Brown Rice
Calabacitas
Mexican Street Corn Salad
Biscochitos
Carne Adovada
Equipment
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11-cup food processor or blender
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil such as avocado or neutral high-heat oil
- 3 1/2 pounds boneless pork shoulder cut into 3/4-inch cubes
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 medium white onion diced small, plus more for garnish
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
- 2 teaspoons chile caribe (flaked New Mexico red chile)
- 3/4 cup New Mexico red chile powder
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt plus more to taste
- chopped cilantro and lime wedges for garnish (optional)
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350°F.
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Heat oil in a large, ovenproof pot over medium-high heat. Brown pork in batches until golden on all sides; transfer to a plate and set aside.
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Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat (or add oil if the pork is very lean) and reduce heat to medium. Add onion and cook until softened and golden, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Pour 1 cup chicken broth into the pot and scrape up browned bits from the bottom. Remove from heat.
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Transfer the onion mixture and broth to a food processor. Add coriander, cumin, oregano, chile caribe, red chile powder, honey, vinegar, and 2 more cups of chicken broth. Process until smooth, then taste and add salt if needed.
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Return the browned pork to the pot and pour the chile marinade over it along with the remaining 1 cup of chicken broth. Stir to combine.
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Cover and bake for 1 hour, or until the pork is very tender. Serve hot topped with diced white onion, chopped cilantro, and lime wedges if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is an estimate and should be used as a guide only.
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