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Close up overhead view of chipotle chicken tacos with limes on the side.
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4.13 from 8 votes

Chipotle Chicken Tacos

Change up your Taco Tuesday with these spicy and smoky Chipotle Chicken Tacos. They're a great weeknight meal or weekly meal prep!
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Total Time50 minutes
Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American, Mexican
Total Cost: $9.97 recipe / $1.66 serving
Servings: 6
Calories: 186kcal
Author: Monti Carlo

Ingredients

  • 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs* $4.44
  • 4 cloves garlic, divided** $0.16
  • 1 yellow onion, divided** $0.70
  • 1 bay leaf** $0.10
  • 4 peppercorns** $0.05
  • 1 tsp salt $0.02
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil $0.44
  • 2 oz. chipotle peppers in adobo*** $0.46
  • 12 5-inch corn tortillas (or flour tortillas) $1.00

Pineapple Salsa (optional)

  • 2 cups chopped pineapple (fresh or frozen) $1.65
  • 1/4 red onion, chopped $0.11
  • 1 jalapeño $0.33
  • 1 lime $0.25
  • 1/4 bunch cilantro (about ¼ cup) $0.21
  • 1 tsp salt (or to taste) $0.05

Instructions

  • Add the chicken thighs, 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 of the onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, and salt to a pan, then add water to cover (about 4 cups). Place the pan over medium heat. Cover it, and cook for 20 minutes, or until the chicken is at an internal temperature of 160°F and fork tender.
  • Remove the chicken thighs from the broth. Reserve the broth. Shred the chicken with two forks.
  • Add oil to a saucepan on medium heat. Dice the remaining ½ onion and add it to the pan. Mince the remaining 2 cloves of garlic and add to the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the onions steam and the garlic is fragrant.
  • Once the onions and garlic are fragrant, chop the chipotles in their sauce and add them to the pan. Stir well to incorporate. Then add the pulled chicken and 1/4 cup of the reserved broth. Combine thoroughly and taste. For more heat, mix in more adobo sauce. For saucy pulled chicken, add a touch more of the broth and stir. Once the sauce has thickened to a velvety consistency, take the chicken off the heat.
  • To make the pineapple salsa, finely chop the pineapple, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro. Combine the chopped pineapple, onion, juice of one lime, cilantro, and salt to taste.
  • Assemble the tacos. Add 1/4 cup of pulled chicken to a corn tortilla and top with pineapple salsa. Serve these babies up and enjoy a weeknight win!

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*I use chicken thighs because they’re flavorful, fatty, and forgiving. Chicken breasts are more expensive, but they will still work here. I like to add a tablespoon of butter if I’m working with white meat to help keep it from drying out. Add the butter to the sauce before adding the shredded chicken.
**If you have a pepper grinder, open it to retrieve individual peppercorns, or substitute with ⅛ tsp cracked pepper. You can also substitute the garlic with ½ teaspoon of garlic powder and the onion with 1 tablespoon of onion powder or 3 tablespoons of onion flakes. The bay leaf adds depth, but you can leave it out if you don't have one to hand.
***This is about ⅓ of a 7oz. can. If you want something with less kick, sub with our enchilada sauce recipe.

Nutrition

Serving: 2tacos | Calories: 186kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 11g | Sodium: 433mg | Fiber: 2g