Chipotle Chicken Tacos are made by cooking the chicken over the stovetop, shredding it and then coating it in a creamy chipotle sauce. They're flavor-packed, easy to prep ahead and a quick weeknight dinner recipe!
I could legitimately eat tacos every single day of my life, including these chipotle chicken tacos.
The main ingredient is shredded chicken, which is SO easy to prepare both in the moment and in advance, and then it's coated in a creamy chipotle sauce that was made for tacos.
If you don't already know, I adore chipotle-flavored foods, like my BBQ chipotle wings and my favorite chipotle aioli (which pairs well with SO many things!).
If you love the flavor of chipotle peppers, you must try these chipotle tacos!
Why you'll love these chipotle chicken tacos:
- The chicken is boiled then shredded, which is one of the easiest ways to make chicken
- The chipotle sauce is made in a blender, making it quick + easy
- Toppings can be easily customized to your liking!
Ingredients:
Chicken: Preferably chicken breast, as it's easiest to shred
Chipotle peppers: You'll want to use canned chipotle peppers in adobo, and then save the leftovers for either my chipotle aioli or this chipotle salmon salad
Tomato sauce: Canned, and preferably something plain -- the tomato sauce is used as a base for the sauce, but you don't want anything with Italian spices in it. Look for a tomato sauce with minimal added ingredients and that should work perfectly!
Mayo: I originally created this sauce using yogurt, but to be honest, it tastes way better with mayo (as most things do). If you want to lighten it up, the plain Greek yogurt works, or if you're up for it, try my avocado oil mayonnaise (it's my FAVORITE).
How to boil chicken
Before we can make the tacos, we have to cook the chicken. I've found that boiling chicken is truly the easiest way to do so.
Step 1: Boil the chicken. Place the chicken in a large saucepan or stock pot, fill it with water so the water is covering the chicken by about 2 inches. Next, bring the water to a boil and boil the chicken for 20 minutes.
NOTE: Cook time varies depending on the size of your chicken breasts; a good estimate is between 15-25 minutes.
Step 2: Shred the chicken. Place cooked chicken on a cutting board, then use two forks to shred it. If you happen to see any pink on the chicken, place it back into the pot and boil it for 5 more minutes.
Making the chipotle sauce
You'll want to use either a small blender or your food processor to make the chipotle sauce. Essentially you'll add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender and blend until the sauce is smooth.
Last, add the shredded chicken to a large skillet. Pour the sauce into the skillet and stir until the chicken is coated and the sauce is warm, about 2-3 minutes.
Then add your taco toppings of choice and viola, dinner is served!
Tips and tricks
-If you're not into shredded chicken, you can dice it up, season with salt and pepper and cook it in a skillet instead.
-If you own a gas stove, I highly recommend carefully charring the taco shells directly over the flame for a more authentic flavoring.
-Other tasty taco toppings include: tomatoes, black beans, pico de gallo, and/or jalapeño
Can these be made ahead of time?
Yes and no. You can cook the chicken and make the sauce and store them in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. But, I would wait to make the actual tacos until you're ready to eat them.
What should I serve alongside these tacos?
Chipotle chicken tacos pair perfectly with my guacamole salsa, grilled corn kale salad and/or my fried tomatoes with corn salsa.
More taco-inspired recipes:
If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!
Shredded Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
for the tacos:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 1 cup corn
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped
- 2 tablespoon cojita cheese or more
- 2 avocado sliced
- 6 corn tortillas
for the sauce:
- ½ cup tomato sauce canned NOT jarred
- ¼ cup mayonnaise
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo
- 2 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 small garlic clove
- ¼ teaspoon cumin
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Coat chicken with salt and pepper then place them in the bottom of a large saucepan. Cover the chicken with water and bring to a boil, then boil the chicken for 20 minutes (cook times vary depending on the size of the chicken, but I'd say anywhere between 15-25 minutes should be perfect).
- Meanwhile, make the chipotle sauce by adding the sauce ingredients to a small blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Next, prepare the rest of the taco ingredients: cook/heat up the corn, chop the cilantro, and heat up the tortillas.
- Once the chicken is cooked, place it on a cutting board and use two forks to shred it then place it in a skillet and pour in the chipotle sauce. Turn the heat to medium and stir until the chicken is coated and the sauce is warm.
- Last, assemble the tacos by adding the chicken to the tortillas, then the taco toppings and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
UPDATE NOTE: This post was originally published in May 2018. It was updated with new text and photos in April 2021.
Chris Cahillane says
Really tasty chipotle sauce -- easy to make. Used flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. And added some pico de gallo and black beans to the tacos. Great stuff.
Erin says
Thanks Chris -- so glad you enjoyed the sauce!
Kimberly says
Awesome recipe! Made half a recipe for us and it was so tender and flavorful. Thank for sharing!
Megan M says
That first picture is so gorgeous and immediately made my mouth water