This is the very best Chipotle Chicken Recipe!
This juicy Chipotle Chicken can be prepped and cooked almost immediately or marinated for longer for a super convenient and sensationally delicious dinner. The Wet Rub is quick and easy and tastes better than any restaurant!
Favorite ways to serve this Chicken Chipotle Recipe
Living in San Diego (Carlsbad is north San Diego), I have a plethora of Mexican restaurants at my fingertips. Thank goodness, because Patrick and I crave Mexican 90% of the time. But even after all our Mexican tasting, my favorite meat is still my Carne Asada and my favorite Mexican chicken is still my very own Chipotle Chicken recipe! It’s a fraction of the cost of dining out, 10X the flavor, and you can whip it up on a craving or prep beforehand to be instantly at your fingertips. Serve it with Cilantro Lime Rice and Beans Beans for an easy instant meal or tacos, burritos, empanadas, etc.
I’ve used this same Chipotle Chicken Recipe as the crowning adornment of my Southwest Salad with Creamy Avocado Salsa Dressing, Chipotle Chicken Salad with Mango Dressing, Chipotle BBQ Chicken Salad with Tomatillo Avocado Ranch, Chipotle Ranch Chicken Flatbread, BBQ Chipotle Chicken Sandwiches, and Chipotle TexMex Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta – can you tell I’m obsessed with this Chipotle Chicken recipe?!
Chipotle Chicken ingredients
The Chipotle Chicken marinade is more of a Wet Rub than a marinade. I find this concentrates the flavor for even more robust, fiestalicious chicken.
Chipotle Chicken Seasoning
The Chipotle Chicken is bathed in aromatic Mexican spices of:
The spices are mixed with olive oil and lime juice to tenderize the meat so its oh so juicy and then slathered all over your chicken. Just look at those spices ready to create a fiesta in your mouth!
Depending on your time, you can cook the chicken right away, or wait 30 minutes or better yet, let marinate 8 hours. The longer the chicken marinates, the more tender and flavorful it will become.
How to make Chipotle Chicken
You can grill your Chipotle Chicken or cook it on your stove. Both produce fabulous results, but your grilled Chipotle chicken will naturally be smokier and require less cleanup. Grilling chicken is not always practical, so I’ve included directions for both grilling your Chipotle Chicken and cooking it on your stove.
- Pound chicken to an even thickness with the side of a can or meat mallet. This quick step: 1) tenderizes the chicken as it breaks up the tissues, and 2) the uniform thickness allows the chicken to cook evenly all over.
- In a small bowl, whisk the chicken rub ingredients together.
- Rub the wet rub marinade evenly all over the chicken breasts.
- Allow the chicken to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 8 hours, then bring to room temperature before cooking.
Do you wipe marinade off chicken before cooking?
No, you should not wipe the marinade off before cooking. Marinades are designed to enhance flavor by imparting a mixture of spices, herbs, acids, and oils into the meat. Leaving the marinade on the chicken as it cooks creates a savory crust. It also helps the chicken retain moisture during cooking by acting as a barrier against the heat, preventing excessive moisture loss.
Chipotle Chicken Marinade: stove top directions
1. If your marinated chicken has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting).
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once very hot, add the chicken and cook undisturbed for 3-5 minutes, or until nicely browned (or blackened, if you prefer) on one side.
3. Turn chicken over, cover, and reduce heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken), or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Grilling directions for Chipotle Chicken
1. If your marinated chicken has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting).
2. Meanwhile, grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375-450°F.
3. Grill chicken undisturbed for 5-7 minutes per side, or until chicken is cooked through. (An inserted thermometer should read 165 degrees F.) The cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of your chicken.
4. Remove chicken from grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
No matter how you cook this Chipotle Chicken, it will be epically flavorful, epically delicious, and ready to transform your meal into the best Mexican (fill in the blanks: tacos, burritos, etc.), with crazy little prep and crazy huge flavor. Epic flavor. It’s waiting…
How to store Chipotle Chicken
•To store: Store Chipotle chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.
•To freeze chicken in marinade: Add the chicken to the marinade in a freezer-safe bag, squeeze out excess air, and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use, the chicken will marinate as you thaw the chicken in the refrigerator; cook immediately so it doesn’t marinate for too long and become mushy.
•To freeze leftover chicken: Let the cooked chicken cool completely, then transfer it to an airtight container or plastic freezer bag and squeeze out any excess air. If you want access to individual pieces of chicken, wrap each chicken breast in plastic wrap before adding it to the freezer bag. Freeze for 2 to 3 months.
Chipotle Chicken Recipe FAQs
Yes, chipotle chicken packs some heat, but this recipe is not overly spicy. I would say this recipe is medium-spicy and should be perfect for most people. To make it less spicy, reduce the chipotle pepper to ½ teaspoon. To make it spicier, increase to closer to 1 ½ teaspoons chipotle pepper.
Chipotle chicken is smoky, spicy, and a bit tangy from the lime juice. The chipotle pepper is complemented by the warm, earthy, slightly bitter citrus notes of cumin, the smoky sweetness of smoked paprika, and the aromatic garlic and onion powders. The zesty lime juice cuts through the robust richness.
The cut of chicken and the marinade’s acidity will determine how long to marinate it. Marinating chicken for too long can make it mushy because the marinade’s acidic components break down the proteins excessively. In most cases, chicken should not be marinated for longer than 24 hours. In cases with a highly acidic marinade, the meat should not be marinated for more than 4-8 hours. For thin cuts of chicken, marinate no longer than 2-4 hours.
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If you love Mexican food, you will also love my Slow Cooker Mexican Chicken, Slow Cooker Carnitas, Skillet Chicken Fajitas, and Slow Cooker Barbacoa Beef!
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Ingredients
- 2-3 chicken breasts, pounded thin (1 pound)
Chipotle Chicken Rub
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- 1/2 tsp EACH chili powder, ground cumin, smoked paprika, onion powder, garlic powder, salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the chicken rub ingredients together, then rub evenly all over the chicken breasts. Time permitting, allow the chicken to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 8 hours, then bring to room temperature before cooking.*
STOVETOP DIRECTIONS
- If chicken has been refrigerated, let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting).
- 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 on one side.
- Flip the chicken over, cover, and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for approximately 5-7 more minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken), or until the chicken reaches 160°F.
GRILLING DIRECTIONS
- If chicken has been refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes (time permitting). Meanwhile, grease and preheat the grill to medium heat, 375-450°F.
- Remove chicken from grill and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.
Notes
**Total time does not include marinating chicken as this time will vary per individual.
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Sara says
I have been coming back to this recipe for years. It is my go to and absolutely delicious and flavorful! My husband and I love it! Thanks for sharing!
Jen says
That is so wonderful to hear Sara! Thank you for your sweet review of this dish!