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 4th 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
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
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?
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©Carlsbad Cravings by CarlsbadCravings.com
Honey Chipotle Chicken
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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
- 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
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Darlene Medford says
Everything on your web site is amazing. Love everything I have made.
Jen says
What a kind, thoughtful comment, thank you so much Darlene, I absolutely love hearing that! I hope you love these just as much!
Becky Pallmann says
oh my goodness those chipotle chicken tacos sound divine… it is now printed out!
Jen says
Awesome Becky! I am excited for you to make them! They truly are incredible!
sarah says
I made these on Sunday and they are sooo good! My husband thinks they rival a pork belly taco we’ve had at a local Asian fusion restaurant. (Believe me, it was high praise.) We ate leftovers cold for lunch the next day of the coleslaw with the diced chicken and a little of the crema on top, and it was different and still delicious. Thank you for another great recipe. Also, I can’t wait to experiment with that grill seasoning in some of the ways you suggested.
Jen says
I am so sorry for the delay Sarah, as I am super behind after recovering from pneumonia but thanks for taking the time to comment! I am flattered your husband gave these tacos the highest praise and that you even enjoyed cold leftovers! I hope you continue to find more recipes to love here!
Emily says
Thank you for this great recipe! I made them tonight and we LOVED them! I am seriously bummed that I have lunch plans tomorrow and I can’t take leftovers to eat! Maybe I will just have to have them for breakfast! LOL
I used the pan method – after cooking for 6 minutes on each side, I still had to throw the chicken in the oven for a couple more minutes to finish them off – but I think I didn’t pound them thin enough.
I also burned my bacon – and didn’t add that to the slaw – and it was still amazing! My only change next time would be to not add tomatoes to the slaw – I didn’t think it needed it!
Jen says
Hi Emily, sorry for the delay as I am way behind after recovering from pneumonia, but I so appreciate your comment! I am so happy you loved these tacos so much that they left you craving more! You are right, the chicken was probably not thin enough but I’m glad you were able to throw them in the oven and it all worked out 🙂 Hope you have fun exploring my site and trying new recipes!
Robin H says
Got my chicken marinating and the crema sauce chillin in the fridge. CANNOT WAIT to try these.
Jen says
I hope you loved them Robin!!!
Ali says
We just made these tonight and they were fantastic! We’re already kicking ourselves for not doubling the recipe. Thanks for a great dinner idea!
Jen says
You are so welcome Ali, I am so happy they were such a hit! Thank you!
Raven says
I made these tacos tonight and they were AMAZINH!! My husband loved them. I added a little bit of Siracha sauce to the cream and it added the perfect amount of spice. Seriously soooo good! We will definitely make this again!
Jen says
I am thrilled you loved them so much Raven! And I LOVE your idea of sriracha in the crema – sriracha is always a good idea in my book 🙂
Lisa says
a step isn’t explained in the video or written recipe. do you just lay the tortillas on the grill and top with cheese until it melts??
Jen says
Hi Lisa, I use the microwave 🙂
Lisa says
thanks! they looked grilled though, I may place them on the grill after the chicken
Jen says
I toasted the tortilla on the burners of my gas stove and then microwaved them to melt the cheese. If you do end up grilling them, just be careful not to grill to long or they can get crispy.
Jackie H says
This recipe is absolutely delicious. Made it for my family tonight and everyone loved it. Thank you so much for sharing it!
Jen says
You are so welcome Jackie! I’m so happy it was hit with the entire family – yay! Thank yo so much!
Christine says
Made this in the crocpot. Delicious.
Jen says
Awesome, thanks Christine!! I’m going to have to make a crockpot version!
Layne says
You’re a taco WIZARD! So delicious!
Jen says
LOL! Thank you Layne! Everything is more delicious in a taco!
Skye says
Hello! I love all your recipes and I really want to try this one. However I live in an area where I can’t buy that’s live mix. I was wondering if chipotle in adobo with honey would come close to the same flavours? Having never eating anything with that spice mix I’m not sure what to substitute with! Any help is appreciated 🙂
Jen says
Hi Sky, I’m so happy you are enjoying my recipes, thank you! The spice mix tastes like chipotle and bacon so I would just substitute chipotle chili powder. I am guessing you would need less because its concentrated chipotle without the bacon – so I would try 1/2 tablespoons chipotle chili powder. I hope that helps!
Chantry says
I know this is maybe a ridiculous question… but do you cook the slaw?
Jen says
No ridiculous questions! Nope, super easy, just eat it fresh, enjoy!
Haley says
Thanks for the recipe! The chicken came out juicy and tender. I paired it with cilantro, lime black beans and rice!!
Jen says
You are so welcome Haley, I’m thrilled it was a hit! Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Angela says
I made the honey Chipotle chicken tacos, omg they were incredible! The only suggestion I could make would be to double the sauce. Thank you for the recipe. They are my new favorite taco. You have a great talent for food. Keep it up.
Jen says
I’m thrilled these are your favorite taco, recipe, thanks Angela!!!
Marysue says
These Taco’s look amazing ! If was wondering how you have such a terrific char on the tortilla’s do you have any tricks on how to cook them ?
Jen says
Sorry for the delay Marysue as I’ve been in Italy for two weeks, but thank you so much for taking the time to comment! I use my open flame gas stovetop and place the tortillas directly on the tortillas on low and flip with tongs.
CC says
OHHH MYYYY GOOOOOSSSSSSHHH!!!!!! These are literally the best tacos I have ever eaten. I have made these about 10 times and it comes out perfectly every time!!! If you like tacos (who doesn’t) then you need these!!
Jen says
Yessss! Thank you for your awesome review! I LOVE hearing these Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos are such a repeat favorite!
Robert says
I am looking forward to making these but where it is impossible to find the Bacon Chipotle seasoning in grocery stores. What is the best alternative to use in its place?
Jen says
Hi Robert, the spice mix tastes like chipotle and bacon so there really isn’t a good substitute for the bacon you can try 1/2 tablespoon chipotle chili powder. I hope that helps!
Robert says
Thank you for the advice. My specialty grocery store sells a Bacon Seasoning in their bulk section. Would that be a good experiment to add some in with the Chipotle seasoning?
Jen says
Yes, that is perfect!
Jen says
Can I marinate these for longer (like 24 hrs) if something comes up and I can’t cook them the day I started marinated them?
Jen says
Hi Jen, you don’t want to marinate for 24 hour or you run the risk of mushy chicken.
Megan C says
We have made these over 10x. This is one of my favorite recipes! The marinade on the chicken is super delicious! Sometimes I made just the chicken and serve with other sides. Thank you!!
Jen says
I love hearing that, thank you so much Megan!
Tammy says
Omg! Mouth-watering deliciousness. So fresh with perfectly balanced lime notes. The coleslaw – yum! Screw regular beef tacos. These are our new go too for taco Tuesday! Thank you!
Jen says
Thanks so much for the awesome review Tammy, I’m so pleased these chipotle tacos are a new repeat favorite!
Jennifer Fulk says
Hi Jen ! The Chipotle Bacon seasoning is discontinued and impossible to find. My grocery store has Grill Mates Chipotle and Roasted Garlic seasoning. Do you think I could use that? The bacon flavor will be in the slaw from the fresh bacon so I was thinking it might work?
Jen says
Yes, I think that would work. You could also try swapping the Chipotle Bacon seasoning for 1 tsp each chipotle chili pepper and regular chili pepper. Please keep me posted!
Patrick says
I used the brown sugar and bourbon seasoning and some Chipotle powder!
Jen says
Great idea, yum!
Vesta says
Hands down, best tacos I’ve ever had!
Jen says
I love hearing that, thank you!
Teice says
I have made these multiple times for my family and my daycare children and they LOVE the chicken.
I’m still working on getting anyone, but me to mix all the flavors together but I double the chicken and marinade and rarely have much left over.
These are as good as they look.
Jen says
Thank you so much for the glowing review Teice, I’m so pleased these tacos are a repeat favorite!
Jessica says
SO good!!! Made the seasoning with a smoky bacon marinate packet with chipotle and a dash of chili powder. Also added a little cilantro and diced jalapeño to the slaw. Will definitely make again!!
Jen says
Hi Jessica! So sorry that I missed your review and am just now responding! I am so glad that you loved this recipe and that it will be on repeat in your kitchen! Hope you are well!
Amanda says
Can I make the slaw in the morning and refrigerate it all day (less the bacon)??
Jen says
Yes!
Christine says
I’m trying the smokey bacon bbq rub from McCormick, along with some chipotle chili pepper. We’ll see how that does instead. I’m bummed they discontinued the original.
Jen says
Hi Christine! I hope it doesn’t disappoint!
Amy Gonzalez says
I use 1 TBSP of McCormick Smokehouse maple seasoning with alittle chipotle in it. I couldn’t find the
bacon chipotle seasoing and this one does really well. One time I goofed and put it in the crockpot. In the crockpot it makes it tender and easy to shred.
Jen says
I’m so glad that it worked out great using the crockpot!
Ariel says
My husband and I love this recipe! Have made it many times over the years. Only commenting now due to I can’t find the chipolte and garlic grill mates anymore. But I went into target and found their good and gather southerwest chipolte seasoning and it came out the same! We were traveling to pensacola for the weekend so I didn’t want to bring all the ingredients to make it there. I prepped everything before leaving (minus marinading the chicken and making the slaw). Another thing I do differently is I use a premixed broccoli slaw and do everything else to the T. But I also use a store bought lime creme sauce. It has been a hit with many friends and family.
Jen says
So glad this is a hit for everyone! I also love hearing it’s so easy to prep-ahead! Your trip sounds so fun!