SweetFire Chipotle Chicken (Redirect)

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

SweetFire Chipotle Chicken is the Latina version of the Chinese favorite!

This chipotle chicken recipe is made with lightly breaded chicken baked until crispy then bathed in a sweet and spicy chipotle sauce exploding with flavor. You will be obsessed!

Chipotle.

Possibly my most favorite word in the culinary language.

It simply makes everything better.

Showing how to make Chipotle Chicken using a can of chipotle peppers in marinade.

Being a native of San Diego, I grew up walking across the border to Tijuana to buy their “Birkenstock” like shoes with tire tracks as the soles and to practice my elementary Spanish, but most importantly, to eat real Mexican food. Long before the popular Chipotle chain, I was in love with chipotle, the real chipotle – the rich, smoky spicy chipotle peppers (smoked dried jalapenos) that elevate every Latin food. Now that we don’t travel to Tijuana any more, we annually jump on the 90 minute flight to Cabo where I am again indulged in authentic Mexican cuisine.

Final plate of Chipotle Chicken with rice, beans and vegetables garnished with lime.

Unfortunately I can’t fly to Mexico every week or even every quarter, but that doesn’t mean I can’t indulge in authentic spicy chipotle at home! In fact, I don’t know if I am capable of making a Mexican or Latin inspired dish that doesn’t either include chipotle powder or chipotle peppers like my Chipotle Sweet Pulled Pork, Honey Lime Chicken Fajita Bowls with Chipotle Lime Crema, Chipotle Chicken Mango Black Bean Enchiladas, TexMex Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Chipotle Chicken and now SweetFire Chipotle Chicken.

My most recent chipotle culinary adventure brings two culinary worlds together. I wanted to create a chicken smothered in sweet, spicy, smoky chipotle sauce, reminiscent of Chinese SweetFire Chicken and breaded and baked until crispy like my General Tso’s Chicken, but with Latin spices, thus Latin style SweetFire Chicken was born. Latin + Chinese = out of this world delicious!

If you never have used chipotle peppers, you will be amazed at the rich, smoky, spicy flavor in just 1 tablespoon! To the remaining chipotle peppers not used in this recipe, I suggest chopping up the peppers, then freezing them on wax pepper or in an ice tray by the tablespoon so you can easy use them for future recipes (like my Mango Black Bean Chipotle Chili – you need this in your life!)

To make the Latin SweetFire Chipotle Chicken, the breading is first spiced with chipotle chili powder, smoked paprika and cumin so the chicken alone is bursting with flavor in every crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside chicken bite.

Showing how to make Chipotle Chicken by putting flower on the raw chicken.

Showing how to make Chipotle Chicken by baking the chicken that the flower went on.

While the chicken is baking, Latin inspired sauce spiced with chipotle peppers, adobo sauce (from the can of chipotle peppers), cilanto, green peppers, red onion, honey, etc. is easily whipped up by adding all the ingredients to your food processor or blender and processing until smooth.

Showing how to make Chipotle Chicken by blending herbs and spices into a marinade..

The sauce is then simmered for a couple minutes until thickened, then poured all over the chipotle cumin chicken.

Showing how to make Chipotle Chicken by adding the sauce to the backed chicken pieces..

Mixing the sauce over the Chipotle Chicken with a spoon in a white bowl.

Hello Latin SweetFire Chipotle Chicken! Sweet, spicy (you can control the heat), smoky, tangy, smothered crispy chicken!

Close up view of Chipotle Chicken on a plate with a lime.

It makes everything better.

Save This Recipe To Your Recipe Box

You can now create an account on our site and save your favorite recipes all in one place!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts pounded thin and cut into bite size pieces
2 eggs
2 tablespoons water

Chicken Breading

1 cup flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 tsp EACH onion pwdr, garlic pwdr
1/2 tsp EACH salt, pepper, smoked paprika, ground cumin, chipotle chili pwdr

SweetFire Chipotle Sauce

1-4 teaspoons Chipotle Peppers, chopped, with seeds
2 teaspoons adobo sauce from can of Chipotle Peppers
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup honey
3 tablespoons sugar *
1/4 small red onion, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 green bell pepper, cored and seeds removed
1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and stems
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Instructions

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and top with a cooking rack. Lightly spray rack with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
Whisk eggs and water in a large bowl. Combine the flour breading ingredients in a large freezer bag. Dip the chicken pieces in the egg wash, remove and allow any excess egg to drip off (can dab excess with paper towel) then add to flour mixture. Shake until evenly coated.
Place chicken on prepared baking sheet and lightly spray tops of chicken with cooking spray. Bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes then move the baking tray to the top middle oven rack and broil until crispy, watching closely so the chicken doesn’t burn (about 2-5 minutes). For extra crispy chicken, flip chicken pieces over and broil another 2-3 minutes, or until golden in some places and crispy.
While chicken is baking, prepare the SweetFire Chipotle Sauce by placing all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor beginning with just 1 teaspoon chipotle pepper then adding more to taste (if using blender, rough chop bell peppers first) and process until smooth. Taste and add additional chipotle peppers and/or sugar to taste. Add sauce to a small saucepan and bring to a boil, while stirring constantly. Boil until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Add cooked chicken to a large bowl then pour sauce over top and gently toss to combine.

Notes

*You might want to increase sugar if using 4 teaspoons+ chipotle peppers to balance the heat

Did You Make This Recipe?

Tag @CarlsbadCravings and Use #CarlsbadCravngs

Leave a Review, I Always Love Hearing From You!