Spicy Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Oven-braised chicken thighs turn luscious in a super flavorful combination of chipotle chiles, garlic and orange juice.
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It’s time to take the chicken taco to new heights. These Spicy Chipotle Chicken Tacos are nothing like your average chicken taco, and their satisfyingly seasoned braise will make your meal pop.
Use a Dutch oven for the most tender taco meat
When you think of Dutch oven cooking, Mexican cuisine probably isn’t what comes to mind. And an oven braise likely isn’t your first move when you’re turning chicken into savory tacos.
But your Dutch oven is the perfect companion for this recipe. It can take boneless, skinless chicken breasts and turn them into totally tender and luscious taco filling, complete with long-simmered spices that add great depth of flavor. And these Spicy Chipotle Chicken Tacos benefit greatly from the efficient heat conduction of your Dutch oven. After a short stint on your stove and about 75 to 90 minutes inside your oven, this cooking method will create meat that pulls apart almost effortlessly – and you’ll have a ready-made taco filling that’s easy to take from pot to tortilla.
For more chicken taco recipes, try putting your Dutch oven to use to make the following:
- Sweet & Spiced Pulled Chicken Tacos
- Spiced Chicken Tacos with Cilantro Salsa
- Grilled Chicken Tacos with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
- Garlic Lemon Chicken Tacos with Pinto Beans and Salsa Verde
Spicy Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Ingredients
- 2 canned chipotle chiles in adobo (seeds removed) + 2 tbsp sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth
- ⅓ cup fresh orange juice
- 2 tsp tomato paste
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat, cut into 2-inch chunks
- 1 tsp salt, divided
- 1 small onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 325°F. Place the chipotles, adobo sauce, broth, orange juice, tomato paste and honey into a blender; blend until smooth.
- Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with ½ teaspoon salt and cook, turning once, until golden in spots, 2 to 3 minutes (chicken will not be cooked through); transfer to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium, add onion, season with remaining ½ teaspoon salt and stir occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; sauté 1 to 2 minutes. Add chicken back in, along with any collected juices. Add chipotle mixture, stir, scraping the bottom of the pot. Simmer 1 to 2 minutes.
- Cover, transfer to oven and cook until chicken is cooked through and very tender, 75 to 90 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken and shred. Place the uncovered pot over medium-high heat and boil, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced and thickened, 1 to 3 minutes. Stir chicken into sauce. Season to taste and serve.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size ⅙ of recipe
- Calories 187
- Carbohydrate Content 5 g
- Cholesterol Content 107 mg
- Fat Content 8 g
- Fiber Content 1 g
- Protein Content 23 g
- Saturated Fat Content 2 g
- Sodium Content 516 mg
- Sugar Content 4 g