Adobada is a traditional Mexican dish that is commonly used as a filling for tacos. It is a preparation for many dishes that are common in Mexican cuisine, and it is generally pork marinated in a "red" chili sauce with vinegar and oregano. Technically, adobada can be made with almost any meat, but the most common preparation uses pork shoulder or a similar cut because the high-fat content of pork shoulder helps to make the most of the spices and chilies in the marinade, and helps to create the ultimate flavorful meat. Adobada can also be made with beef, game meats, or other alternatives, but if you want to make a version of adobada with poultry, duck or goose is recommended over chicken or turkey because the dish really needs the extra fat in dark meat, and duck and goose, or game meats, tend to offer more of that fat and improve the flavor.

Adobada is marinated with similar ingredients as al pastor, but commonly cooked on a grill or braised on the stove, while al pastor is marinated and then cooked on a vertical spit called a trompo. Both are equally delicious, though. Adobada is usually fried or grilled, while pastor is grilled using a meat-made vertical "trompo" (spinning top) . The flavors of adobada and al pastor would change among regions and even among restaurants on the same street.

In summary, adobada is a traditional Mexican dish that is commonly used as a filling for tacos. It is generally pork marinated in a "red" chili sauce with vinegar and oregano, but it can also be made with beef, game meats, or other alternatives. Adobada is marinated with similar ingredients as al pastor, but commonly cooked on a grill or braised on the stove, while al pastor is marinated and then cooked on a vertical spit called a trompo.