StewsMediumFree

Beef Adobo with Pasilla Chilli

Name: Beef Adobo with Pasilla Chilli
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 130 min
Total time: 155 min
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 6 Dried pasilla chilli; 2 Tomato; 4 cloves Garlic; 0.5 White onion; 1 cdita Ground cumin; 2 Cloves; 2 cdas Apple cider vinegar; 3 cdas Vegetable oil; 2 cditas Salt; 1000 g Beef knuckle or shoulder; 0.5 Cinnamon stick

155 min (25 prep + 130 cook) Medium 6 servings Centro de México

Edmond Bojalil

Recetas Mexas

Published: 29 Mar 2026 · Updated: 30 Mar 2026

Beef in a dark pasilla chilli adobo with spices, deeply flavoured and complex.

About this recipe

Beef adobo with pasilla chilli is a deeply dark stew, almost mole-like, characteristic of the market cooking of central Mexico. The beef - in flavoursome cuts such as knuckle or shoulder - is bathed in a pasilla chilli adobo that provides complex flavours of dried fruit, bitter cacao and a gentle heat. A dish for those who enjoy the intense, concentrated flavours of Mexican dried chillies.

History & Origin

The pasilla chilli (the dried form of the chilaca chilli) is one of the 'noble chillies' of Mexican cooking, alongside ancho, mulato and negro - all part of the trinity of moles and adobos of central and southern Mexico. Its name relates to its wrinkled appearance similar to raisins. Nineteenth-century cookbooks such as the Nuevo Cocinero Mexicano of 1836 feature pasilla as a fundamental component of beef and pork adobos, used both as a preservation method and to provide aromatic complexity. The combination of pasilla with spices such as cumin, cinnamon and clove - an Arab legacy via Spain - defines the flavour profile that distinguishes Mexican adobo from a simple chilli stew.

Estimated cost

£8.50

Total cost

£1.42

Per serving

* Approximate prices based on UK supermarkets

Nutritional information per serving

360

Calories

32g

Protein

11g

Carbohydrates

19g

Fat

2.5g

Fibre

460mg

Sodium

* Approximate values. May vary depending on ingredients used.

Method

1
Toast the pasilla chillies on a dry griddle for 30 seconds per side. Devein, remove seeds and soak in hot water for 20 minutes until soft.
2
Roast the tomato and garlic on the griddle. Lightly toast the cinnamon and cloves on the same griddle. Blend everything with the drained chillies, onion, cumin and vinegar until you have a thick adobo.
💡 The cinnamon and cloves give the classic adobo character; do not omit them.
3
Cut the beef into 5 cm pieces. Marinate in the adobo for 2–4 hours or overnight in the fridge.
4
In a casserole with hot oil, sear the marinated beef over high heat until browned. Remove and set aside.
5
Pour the remaining adobo into the casserole over medium heat, fry for 5 minutes until thickened. Return the meat, add 400 ml of water or stock.
6
Bring to the boil, cover and cook over low heat for 110–130 minutes until the beef is very tender. Check the salt. Serve with rice and tortillas.