Chipotle Chicken Taco Recipe

These Chipotle Tacos are a flavor explosion you will crave for days! 

Chipotle Tacos stuffed with juicy, flavor packed Bacon Honey Chipotle Chicken (yes BACON chicken!), piled with crispy BLT Slaw and creamified with Cilantro Lime Crema!  

This Chipotle Taco recipe is sponsored by McCormick for sponsoring this Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos post.  All opinions are my own.

 How to Make Chipotle Chicken Tacos

 

Chipotle Tacos

I am still craving these Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos.  And I will every single day until I devour them again.  Patrick was almost speechless as he gobbled chipolte taco after taco after chipotle taco.  Or in other words, we are both pretty much obsessed.

And there is a lot to obsess about starting with the Bacon Honey Chipotle Chicken.  Heavens yes.

The best chicken for Chipotle Tacos

Are you looking for the perfect dish to serve at your 4^th of July BBQ?  Do you love smoky bacon?  Do you love spicy chipotle?   Then you are going to think this chicken is the next best thing after bacon itself because McCormick has found a way to bottle up all that bacon chipotle flavor into McCormick Grill Mates Bacon Chipotle Seasoning!  

This is epic.  It means we can now infuse practically anything and everything with bacon chipotle goodness!  Bacon chipotle chicken tacos, you got it.  Bacon Chipotle steak, you got it.  Bacon Chipotle dressing, you got it.  Bacon Chipotle potatoes, you got it.  Bacon Chipotle broccoli, you got it.  Bacon chipotle pasta sauce, you got it.  epic.

This McCormick Grill Mates Bacon Chipotle Seasoning is a spicy blend of REAL cured bacon, chipotle chili peppers, onions, garlic and paprika.  Its bold and spicy so you don’t need much to conveniently elevate your grilled chicken/steak/pork or veggies to the next level and it would be dynamite in your next hamburgers – I can’t wait.

Honey Chipotle Chicken Ingredients

• Chicken: Pound boneless skinless chicken breasts to 1/2” thickness using a meat mallet or side of a can. This tenderizes the chicken and helps it cook more evenly.
• Cheese: Use shredded Mexican cheese blend or a combination of cheddar and Monterrey or cheddar and Pepper Jack if like more heat.
• Tortillas: Use 6-8 taco flour tortillas (I like Guerrero brand) or 10-12 corn tortillas (I like La Tortilla brand). You can even have both flour and corn available and let everyone pick their fav.
• Marinade: Honey, Dijon, ketchup, cider vinegar, lime juice and McCormick® Grill Mates® Bacon Chipotle Seasoning combine to create a tangy sweet heat marinade that’s dizzyingly delicious.
• Cilantro Lime Crema: Sour cream or Greek yogurt, mayo, cilantro, lime juice, cumin, garlic powder and salt are whisked together to create a tangy, creamy reprieve from the chicken that marries all the flavors together.
• BLT Slaw: Cook bacon in the oven or on the stove (or even use shortcut bacon bits), then combine with thinly sliced cabbage, chopped tomatoes, diced red onion, and cilantro. The secret ingredients of a splash of the reserved marinade and Cilantro Lime Crema really make it pop!

How to Make Honey Chipotle Chicken

1. This Honey Chipotle Chicken is super simple to make.  Simply whisk up your bold marinade of olive oil and honey with splashes of Dijon, ketchup, cider vinegar, lime juice, coriander, oregano and of course Bacon Chipotle seasoning.  
2. After bathing in this marinade for 2-6 hours, the chipotle chicken emerges incredibly juicy bursting with glorious sweet heat that’s not too hot for the kiddos in my opinion, just mega mega flavorful and destined to become a new favorite chicken.

How to make Chipotle Tacos Ahead

Yes!  You can make the BLT Slaw and Cilantro Lime Crema entirely in advance and refrigerate in airtight containers until ready to serve.  You can marinate your chicken so all that’s left to do is cook your chicken and it’s dinner time!  You can even cook the Chipotle Chicken in advance but it won’t be quite as moist if refrigerated and reheated.  

Chipotle Chicken Tacos Recipe Substitutions

Can I Use Chicken Thighs?

Yes!  These Chipotle Tacos are fabulous with either chicken breasts or chicken thighs.  I chose chicken breasts because they are leaner AND extremely juicy due to the marinade, but either will work great. 

Can I Grill My Chicken?

Yes!  You can either cook your chicken tacos on the grill or the stove top.  I love to grill my chicken because it infuses the Chipotle Tacos with a smokey layer of flavor. 

GRILLING DIRECTIONS

1. Grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375-450°F.
2. Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 165 degrees F.), basting with Reserved Marinade halfway through cooking.
3. Remove chicken from grill and let rest 5 minutes before chopping. Toss with any remaining Reserved Marinade.

Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos Toppings

The honey chipotle chicken is stand-alone delicious, but what really elevates these Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos is the BLT SLAW.  

This BLT slaw adds a refreshing crunch to the chipotle tacos and could be a stand alone side dish  – it’s that good.  It boasts crispy cabbage, juicy tomatoes, punchy red onion and of course BACON!  It’s infused with some of our heavenly Cilantro Lime Crema and some reserved marinade for added flavor without any added work.  You can also add guacamole, pico de gallo, hot sauce, extra cilantro, etc.

What is the Best Taco Sauce for Chipotle Chicken Tacos?

Finally, the crowning glory of these Chipotle Tacos – Cilantro Lime Crema.  It is lusciously creamy, seasoned to perfection and adds the complementary fresh and tangy zip to the savory honey chipotle zang.

It is made by whisking sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro, lime juice ground cumin, garlic and salt together.  Can you taste it now?!

Pile all those layers  – the melt in your mouth bacon honey chipotle chicken, the fresh crunchy BLT slaw and silky Chipotle Lime crema on a cheesy tortilla and serve with a big pile of chips with homemade salsa, and we have an epic Honey Chipotle Chicken Taco meal that’s almost as epic as Bacon Chipotle Seasoning itself.  Almost.

What to Serve with this Chipotle Chicken Tacos Recipe

We love Chipotle Chicken Tacos with the following:

• Cilantro Lime Rice or Restaurant Style Mexican Rice
• Corn Salad with Cilantro Lime Dressing
• Southwest Salad with Creamy Avocado Salsa Dressing
• Fruit Salad with Honey Citrus Dressing or Pina Colada Fruit Salad
• Grilled Pineapple with Brown Sugar Orange Glaze
• and top it all of with Churros!

How to Store Honey Chipotle Chicken

All the components of Chipotle Tacos should be stored separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator.  When stored properly, they can be stored for for 2-3 days.   

More like this Chipotle Chicken Taco Recipe

• Taco Spaghetti
•  Chili Lime Chicken Tacos
• Turkey Tacos
• Baja Fish Tacos
• Blackened Fish Tacos
•  Salsa Verde Chicken Tacos
• Baked Fiesta Ranch Chicken Tacos
•  Buffalo Chicken Tacos Korean Tacos,
• Tacos Al Pastor 

Want to try these Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos with BLT Slaw?

Pin them to your Mexican, Chicken, GRILL, or Dinner Board to SAVE for later!

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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com

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Honey Chipotle Chicken

Chipotle Tacos stuffed with juicy, flavor packed Bacon Honey Chipotle Chicken (yes BACON chicken!), piled with crispy BLT Slaw and creamified with Cilantro Lime Crema!

Servings: 6 -8 tacos

Total Time: 57 minutes mins

Prep Time: 45 minutes mins

Cook Time: 12 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2” thickness
• 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese more or less to taste
• 6-8 taco flour tortillas or 10-12 corn tortillas

Honey Chipotle Marinade

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon ketchup
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon McCormick® Grill Mates® Bacon Chipotle Seasoning * (See Notes for Substitution)
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp EACH dried oregano, salt

Cilantro Lime Crema

• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, minced
• 1 tablespoon lime juice or more to taste
• 1/4 tsp EACH ground cumin, garlic powder, salt

BLT Slaw

• 6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
• 2 cups thinly sliced cabbage
• 1 large roma tomato, chopped
• 2 tablespoons diced red onion
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon Cilantro Lime Crema in directions
• 1 teaspoon Reserved marinade in directions

Instructions

Honey Chipotle Marinade

• Whisk together all of the Honey Chipotle Marinade ingredients in a shallow dish or large freezer bag (whatever you are going to marinate your chicken in) and remove 3 tablespoons (for basting and Slaw). Add chicken to marinade and marinate in the refrigerator 2-6 hours.

Cilantro Lime Crema

• Meanwhile, whisk together all of the Cilantro Lime Crema ingredients. Add one tablespoon Cilantro Lime Crema to a large bowl for BLT Slaw. Refrigerate remaining Crema.

BLT Slaw

• Add all remaining BLT ingredients to 1 tablespoon Crema EXCEPT bacon. Add 1 teaspoon Reserved Marinade (from Reserved 3 tablespoons). Toss until evenly coated. Refrigerate. Toss with bacon just before serving so it stays crispy.
• When ready to cook, let chicken sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting).

GRILLING DIRECTIONS

• Meanwhile, grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375-450°F.
• Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 165 degrees F.), basting with Reserved Marinade halfway through cooking.
• Remove chicken from grill and let rest 5 minutes before chopping. Toss with any remaining Reserved Marinade.

STOVETOP DIRECTIONS

• Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Once very hot, add chicken and cook, undisturbed for 3-5 minutes, or until nicely browned (or blackened if you prefer) on one side. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 4-6 more minutes (depending on thickness of chicken), or until chicken is cooked through (165 degrees F).
• Remove chicken from and let rest 5 minutes before chopping. Toss with any remaining Reserved Marinade.

Assemble

• Melt desired amount of cheese on tortillas (I cover the entire tortilla in cheese) then top with Honey Chipotle Chicken, BLT Slaw and Cilantro Lime Crema. Serve with hot sauce for more heat if desired.

Video

Notes

*Unfortunately it seems this seasoning has been discontinued.  Try swapping it for 1 teaspoon chipotle chili pepper and 1 teaspoon regular chili powder.  

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