Best Easy Chipotle Chicken Tacos Recipes

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(THE BEST!) EASY CHIPOTLE CHICKEN TACOS RECIPE



(The Best!) Easy Chipotle Chicken Tacos Recipe image

This is an adaptation of the Chipotle-Garlic Grilled Chicken recipe in my book, The Food Processor Family Cookbook (Sonoma Press 2016). Canned chipotle peppers and garlic get pureed into a simple but deeply flavorful marinade for chicken (it's delicious on skirt steak!). The spicy chicken is awesome on its own, but we love to shred it and pile it into tortillas with Napa cabbage, avocado slices and a garlicky, mint-spiked lime crema. The recipe makes a big batch of crema, but we end up slathering it over everything on our plates. If you have the time, marinate the chicken in the morning or even the day before for maximum flavor.

Provided by Nicki Sizemore

Categories     Main Course

Time 35m

Number Of Ingredients 16

5 garlic cloves, peeled
1 7-ounce can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ - 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 cup sour cream
1 small garlic clove, grated
Zest of 1 lime
Juice of ½ lime
1 tablespoon thinly sliced scallions
1 tablespoon chopped mint or cilantro, or a mix of the two
Oil for grill
Warm tortillas
2 cups thinly sliced Napa cabbage, for serving
Avocado slices, for serving
Crumbled Cotija or feta cheese, for serving (optional)
Hot sauce, for serving (optional)

Steps:

  • Put the garlic cloves in a mini food processor, and process until finely chopped. Add the chipotle peppers with their sauce and season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth, stopping and scraping down the sides occasionally.
  • Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and transfer to a bowl. Add the chipotle marinade, and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 15-45 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
  • Mix together the sour cream, grated garlic, lime zest, lime juice, scallions, and mint or cilantro. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Preheat a grill or grill pan to medium-high. If the chicken was refrigerated, let it come to room temperature.
  • Remove the chicken from the marinade, leaving some of the marinade sticking to the meat. Oil the grill grates, then grill the chicken on both sides until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes. Using two forks, coarsely shred the chicken.
  • Pile the chicken into warmed corn or flour tortillas and top with napa cabbage, avocado slices and the lime crema. If you'd like, sprinkle with a bit of crumbled Cotija or feta cheese. Serve with hot sauce and the remaining crema at the table.

CHICKEN TACOS WITH CHIPOTLE



Chicken Tacos With Chipotle image

For good tacos, you need fresh, hot tortillas and a zesty filling. Canned chipotle chiles will do the trick with their smoky heat; it's an easy way to get flavor fast. Look for small cans with "chipotle chiles in adobo" on the label. And Mexican groceries generally have better-quality tortillas than the ones you find in supermarkets; it's worth seeking those out and heating them gently over steam, or by toasting them in a dry cast-iron pan. You can also use this recipe with precooked chicken, which makes this already quite simple recipe as easy as falling out of bed.

Provided by David Tanis

Categories     tacos, main course

Time 1h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 25

4 large bone-in chicken thighs, about 1 1/2 pounds
3 scallions, left whole
1 bay leaf
1 thyme branch
3 black peppercorns
1 allspice berry
2 cloves
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 or 3 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
3 tablespoons adobo sauce, from the can
1/2 cup broth (use broth from simmered chicken)
8 fresh corn tortillas
1 small white onion, finely chopped, soaked in ice water for 10 minutes and drained
Thinly sliced serrano chile
Thinly sliced radishes
Sliced avocado
Crumbled queso fresco or mild feta cheese
Crème fraîche or Mexican crema
Cilantro sprigs
Dried oregano
Lime wedges

Steps:

  • Put chicken thighs in a saucepan and cover with 3 cups water. Add scallions, bay leaf, thyme, peppercorns, allspice, cloves and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Simmer for 30 minutes, then remove chicken and cool. Shred chicken with your fingers, discarding chicken skin and bone. Strain broth and reserve. You should have about 2 cups shredded chicken.
  • Put olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add diced yellow onion, season with salt and cook until softened and a bit browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute more. Add chopped chipotle chile and adobo sauce and stir to combine. Add shredded chicken, salt lightly and stir to coat. Add chicken broth and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, until sauce has thickened somewhat. Keep warm.
  • Heat the tortillas over steam or by your favorite method, keeping them soft and pliable.
  • Build the tacos quickly: Put a spoonful of the saucy chicken in the center of each tortilla. Top with a teaspoon of chopped white onion, a few slivers of serrano chile, some radish and avocado slices, a teaspoon of queso fresco and a teaspoon of crème fraîche. Add a few cilantro springs and a small pinch of oregano. Serve immediately with lime wedges on the side.

SLOW COOKER CHIPOTLE-HONEY CHICKEN TACOS



Slow Cooker Chipotle-Honey Chicken Tacos image

These may be the easiest tacos you ever make, but you'd never know it. The recipe hinges on just two ingredients: canned chipotles and honey, which slowly caramelize together for a glossy and incredibly tasty sauce. You may hesitate because there's so little liquid in the slow cooker with the chicken, but don't worry. That's how it's supposed to be. It allows the sauce to get a little sticky, which is exactly what you want. (Get the pressure cooker version of this recipe here.)

Provided by Sarah DiGregorio

Categories     dinner, weekday, tacos, main course

Time 5h

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 to 4 chipotles from a can of chipotles in adobo, finely chopped, plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
Juice of 1 lime
Warmed tortillas, for serving
Pickled onion, for serving (see Tip)
Sliced or cubed avocado, for serving

Steps:

  • Combine the chicken, honey, onion and garlic powders, cumin, salt and chipotle chiles and adobo sauce in a 5- to 8-quart slow cooker. Stir well. Cook for at least 3 hours and up to 5 hours on low. If it's more convenient, you can let the slow cooker switch to warm after 5 hours. The dish will hold on warm for about another 3 hours before the chicken starts to become quite dry.
  • Using two forks, coarsely shred the chicken in the sauce. Stir in the black beans and lime juice. Cover and let the beans warm through, about 5 minutes. Taste and add more salt or lime juice if necessary. Serve in tortillas with pickled onion and avocado.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 376, UnsaturatedFat 4 grams, Carbohydrate 37 grams, Fat 7 grams, Fiber 9 grams, Protein 41 grams, SaturatedFat 2 grams, Sodium 1167 milligrams, Sugar 16 grams, TransFat 0 grams

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