This Chipotle Chicken recipe is packed with flavor and perfect for tacos, burritos, and nachos. The easy marinade coats the chicken with delicious seasonings!
When we had my daughter’s graduation open house, we had a nacho bar for the food. I wanted to nachos to be a little more filling than just having queso and salsa on them. So, I made taco meat and chipotle chicken.
Everyone loved it and since I had written my chipotle chicken recipe down while I was making it, I told them I would share it on my blog.
How To Make The Chipotle Chicken Recipe
Split Chicken Breasts
Start by cutting the chicken breasts in half horizontally so instead of one thick chicken breast you have two thin ones. That way more of the surface of the chicken gets coated with the yummy chipotle marinade.
Lay the chicken breast on a cutting board. Place your hand on top of the chicken breast to hold in it place. Then, use a sharp knife to cut horizontally through the middle of the breast.
If it is easier for you, once you get about halfway through, you can open the chicken breast up and cut the rest of the way through.
Chipotle Chicken Marinade
Next, make the chipotle chicken marinade. Put olive oil, adobo sauce, ancho chili powder, lime juice, minced garlic, minced onion, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground coriander, black pepper, and sea salt into a bowl or glass measuring pitcher and stir to combine.
What is adobo sauce and where do I get it?
The adobo sauce I used in this chipotle chicken recipe is from a can of chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce. Simply move the chipotle peppers aside and scoop out the sauce.
If you prefer to use homemade adobo sauce, here is a recipe to try.
Once all of the marinade spices are mixed together, add about 1/2 cup of water so that you have one cup of chipotle marinade.
Place the split chicken breast in a gallon sized zip top bag and pour the chipotle marinade over the top.
Close the top of the bag and shake turn to coat all of the pieces with the marinade. Place the chicken in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.
Cooking and Chopping
One the chicken is done marinating, it’s time to grill it over medium-high heat.
When you remove the chicken from the marinade, you want to keep as many of the spices clinging to the chicken as possible. That is where the excellent flavor and caramelization come from on the outside of the chicken breasts.
Remove the chicken from the grill and it is ready to serve with cilantro rice or roasted vegetables.
But rather than serve breasts, I like to cube this chipotle chicken recipe so that it can be used for tacos, nachos, and burritos.
Put all of the cubed chicken in a bowl and gently stir or toss it. Some of the delicious seasonings that used to only be on the outside pieces will transfer to the inside cuts.
Chipotle Chicken Tacos
To make chipotle chicken tacos spray small flour or corn tortillas with cooking spray and toast them in a skillet or under the broiler for a few minutes. It makes the tacos even better!
Then, layer on shredded lettuce, shredded mexican cheese, corn salsa, and chipotle chicken. Top the chicken with my adobo peppers chipotle sauce or taco sauce.
Can I make it in a slow cooker?
This chicken gets its unique flavor from being grilled. So to make this chipotle chicken recipe for a party or potluck, rather than cooking it in a slow cooker, grill the chicken first and keep it warm in the crockpot.
Make my adobo peppers chipotle sauce and pour it over the chicken in the slow cooker and stir to coat. The sauce will help keep the chicken moist.
If you are serving a large number of guests, you’ll probably want to double the recipe.
Chipotle Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoon adobo sauce (from a can of chipotle peppers)
- 2 tablespoon ancho chili powder
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1/2 tablespoon minced onion
- 2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 2 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 cup water
Instructions
- Split the chicken breasts in half horizontally. Place in a gallon sized zip top bag.
- Mix together the olive oil, adobo sauce, ancho chili powder, lime juice, minced garlic, minced onion, ground cumin, dried oregano, ground coriander, black pepper, and sea salt. Stir in the water. Pour over the chicken breasts in the bag and turn to coat. Place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the fridge. Grease the grill gates and cook over medium-high heat for 10-12 minutes, turning halfway through cooking, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165˚F.
- Remove from grill and rest for 5 minutes before chopping into pieces.
Video
B.P. says
So juicy, tender and flavorful! It was so easy to make the marinade and came off the grill looking smelling and tasting amazing!!!
Raji says
This recipe is so good, I make it often, it’s become a family favorite.
Meg says
I would love to make this for my son’s grad party. How did you keep it warm and moist throughout the party?
Tonia says
Hi Meg,
I put it in a slow cooker on low to keep it warm. I made my adobo pepper chipotle sauce recipe https://www.thegunnysack.com/adobo-peppers-chipotle-sauce/ (which is similar to the marinade for this chicken) and added it to the chicken in the crockpot to keep it moist and stirred it every once in awhile.
Enjoy,
Tonia
Natalie says
We make this recipe at least once a month for burrito bowls. SO GOOD