Kick up your Taco Tuesday recipe game with these fiery and deeply flavorful Chipotle Chicken Tacos! This easy recipe is fast, filling, and perfect for meal prep. I promise it’s a breeze to scale up, and you can even make it a little heartier by serving it with your favorite sides. Plus, it’s less than a dollar per taco. I’m telling you, this one is clutch!
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“So delicious. I used the whole 7oz can of chipotle peppers for extra spicy tacos. I’ll definitely be making this again.”
Chloe
Easy Recipe for Chipotle Chicken Tacos
The base of this easy taco recipe is pulled chicken that’s been cooked in a fiery chipotle adobo sauce. A chipotle is a jalapeño pepper that’s smoked and dried. It has deep, earthy flavors and a bit of kick. When you buy chipotles in adobo, the adobo refers to the vinegary sauce the chiles are rehydrated in. While you can absolutely enjoy these chipotle chicken tacos just as they are, I love pairing them with a bright pineapple salsa, which cuts beautifully through the fattiness of the chicken.
I also like to repurpose the chipotle chicken throughout the week: mix it into soups, tuck it into rice bowls or salads, stuff it into wraps, or pile it onto nachos or even pizza. There’s so much you can do with it, and every version is a winner.
Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Servings 12 tacosIngredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs* ($4.44)
- 4 cloves garlic, divided** ($0.16)
- 1 yellow onion, divided** ($0.70)
- 1 bay leaf** ($0.10)
- 4 peppercorns** ($0.05)
- 1 tsp salt ($0.02)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.44)
- 2 oz. chipotle peppers in adobo*** ($0.46)
- 12 5-inch corn tortillas (or flour tortillas) ($1.00)
Pineapple Salsa (optional)
- 2 cups chopped pineapple (fresh or frozen) ($1.65)
- 1/4 red onion, chopped ($0.11)
- 1 jalapeño ($0.33)
- 1 lime ($0.25)
- 1/4 bunch cilantro (about ¼ cup) ($0.21)
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste) ($0.05)
Instructions
- Add the chicken thighs, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 of the onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt to a pan, then add water to cover (about 4 cups). Place the pan over medium heat. Cover it, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is at an internal temperature of 160°F and fork tender.
- Remove the chicken thighs from the broth. Reserve the broth. Shred the chicken with two forks.
- Add oil to a saucepan on medium heat. Dice the remaining ½ onion and add it to the pan. Mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the onions steam and the garlic is fragrant.
- Once the onions and garlic are fragrant, chop the chipotles in their sauce and add them to the pan. Stir well to incorporate. Then add the pulled chicken and 1/4 cup of the reserved broth. Combine thoroughly and taste. For more heat, mix in more adobo sauce. For saucy pulled chicken, add a touch more of the broth and stir. Once the sauce has thickened to a velvety consistency, take the chicken off the heat.
- To make the pineapple salsa, finely chop the pineapple, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Combine the chopped pineapple, onion, juice of one lime, cilantro, and salt to taste.
- Assemble the tacos. Add 1/4 cup of pulled chicken to a corn tortilla and top with pineapple salsa. Serve these babies up and enjoy a weeknight win!
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Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Chipotle Chicken Tacos Step-by-Step Photos
Cook the chicken: Place 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs, 2 cloves garlic, 1/2 of a yellow onion, 1 bay leaf, 4 peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon salt into a pan and add water to cover (about 4 cups). Place the pan over medium heat. Cover it, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is at an internal temperature of 160°F and fork tender.
Shred the chicken: Remove the chicken thighs from the broth, but be sure to reserve the broth for later. Shred the chicken with two forks and set aside for now.
Make the sauce: Add oil to a saucepan on medium heat. Dice the remaining half onion and add it to the pan. Mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the onions steam and the garlic is fragrant.
When the onions and garlic are fragrant (after about 2 minutes), chop 2 ounces of chipotles in their sauce and add them to the pan and combine.
Add the chicken: Return the pulled chicken and 1/4 cup of the reserved broth to the skillet. Combine thoroughly and taste. If you want more heat, mix in more adobo sauce. For a saucier pulled chicken, add a little extra broth and combine.
Serve: Once the sauce has thickened to a velvety consistency, take the chicken off the heat. Serve with the optional pineapple salsa (finely chop the 2 cups chopped pineapple, 1/4 red onion, 1 jalapeño, and 1/4 bunch cilantro. Combine the chopped pineapple, onion, juice of one lime, cilantro, and salt to taste) and the corn tortillas. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips & Suggestions
- For more flavor and heat, feel free to add extra chipotle peppers (including the juice from the can!) I usually stick to 2 oz, but one reader used the whole 7 oz can for super spicy tacos and loved it.
- Warm your corn tortillas in a hot skillet for a few seconds on each side before adding your fillings. They should get a few toasty brown spots—that’s when they’re just right.
How To Serve Chipotle Chicken Tacos
This recipe is one of my favorites for a family-style taco night. I load the table with a platter of warm tortillas, a big bowl of pulled chipotle chicken, and smaller plates filled with toppings like fresh cilantro, crisp radish slices, sour cream or crema, or creamy guacamole. A bowl of zesty pico de gallo adds a fresh, tangy bite, and I like to make a batch of crispy air fryer tortilla chips, too.
To round it all out, serve with fluffy Spanish rice and our quick seasoned black beans. They’re simmered with spices and perfect for rounding out the plate. For something fun to sip, try these avocado margaritas. They’re creamy, citrusy, and just the right kind of unexpected.
Storage Instructions
Store pulled chicken in an airtight container for up to three days. You can freeze the chicken in an airtight container with a sheet of parchment or plastic directly on the surface of the chicken for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating in a microwave or a pan set over medium heat until steaming.
This was just okay. I might try it again tho. I had to add a bunch of salt and still seemed to be missing something.
This was amazing! So simple! My kiddo inhaled this! Will do again but next time will blend the chipotles and dice the pineapple finer to get more saucey as the author suggested. Maybe add some crema!
I don’t know what’s up the the reviews… I really liked it. I wish I would have added more juice from the Chipotle can though, didn’t think about that. The pineapple salsa was such a good balance for the heat. I served it with cilantro lime rice.
Also FYI, it looks like a few steps are missing from the photo steps.
Made this tonight. 2oz of peppers for 4 thighs was minimal flavor. Came out pretty bland for me. I needed hot sauce, so maybe I’ll double or triple the chipotle quantity for next time.
Just made this yesterday, so good! I made the tomato rice and quick seasoned black beans to go with it, though I subbed out pinto beans for black beans…something about the black bean juice just freaks me out. I like spicy, so I used the whole 7oz can of chipotles in adobo and it turned out great. Another banger from BudgetBytes!
Really didn’t care for this. I thought the pineapple overpowered everything else.
The salsa AND the taco meat were awesome! Together, the flavors were dynamite! My kids thought they were too spicy, so I’ll modify a portion of the meat for them for next time, but there will DEFINITELY be a next time! Thanks for this one; fruit salsa… who knew?!?
So delicious. I used the whole 7oz can of chipotle peppers for extra spicy tacos. I’ll definitely be making this again.
yummm this looks delicious! How do you heat up your corn tortillas?
I like to do it in a really hot skillet, just a few seconds on each side, until they get a few brown spots.
Looks yummy! At what point would you add a tablespoon of butter? (If using chicken breasts)
I would add it into the sauce when you add the pulled chicken back to the pan.