Smoky and spicy this Mexican Grilled Chipotle Chicken is bathed in the most flavorful marinade. Grill the chipotle chicken ahead and reheat on busy weeknights, or store it in the flavorful chipotle marinade, then fire up the grill after work. Serve it up with Mexican Slaw or use in this healthy bowl, or salads, tacos, or pasta. So EASY and oh so tasty!
Hello beautiful world! Don’t you love mornings, when the sun is shining and the day is still brand new? Every morning, a fresh start. This is an oldie around here but since it’s grilling season I thought I’d bring it back into rotation for you. This Mexican Grilled Chipotle Chicken Recipe – so simple, but full of amazing flavor – smoky, spicy and deep, we had forgotten how delicious they are!
But what is nice about this is you can grill them ahead for the busy workweek, then pull them out and reheat them as you need them. Or marinate them ahead, and grill them as you need them. Either way, they are delicious in tacos, burrito bowls, salads and wraps, or simply on their own with a side of grilled corn or veggies. A super tasty all-around flavor bomb that will make your taste buds happpppppppy.
Oh ya, and did I mention, low-carb and paleo? 😉
If you are wondering how to make the best Mexican Grilled Chipotle Chicken ever … here’s how. Today I’ve used chicken thighs ( which stay really moist) but feel free to use chicken breast.
Make the flavorful chipotle marinade by blending the marinade ingredients into a paste in the food processor. Using canned chipotles along with the adobo sauce gives this the best flavor!
Place the chicken and marinade in a ziplock bag and massage the marinade into the chicken. Marinate for 20 minutes, or up to 3 days. Ideally, you will have the best flavor letting this marinate at least a few hours or overnight, but in a pinch, just feel free to grill right away. I’ve done it and it will still be good.
Give the Mexican grilled Chipotle Chicken a good sear on both sides over medium-high heat, then turn the grill down, or move the chicken to a cooler part of the grill and cook on low heat until cooked through ( 165F). A little charring is goes a long way here. Of course you can add other veggies to the grill at the same time.
Let the chicken rest 5-10 minutes before cutting and squeeze with lime. Don’t forget the lime! So delicious!
Now the Grilled Chipotle chicken is ready to use on salads, in healthy burrito bowls, in tacos or wraps…or even tossed in pasta. You will come up with a hundred uses!
Serve it like we have here in this Chipotle Chicken Salad with corn peppers and quinoa or with a simple Mexican Slaw!
For more summer grilling inspiration, take a look at these Healthy Delicious Grilling Recipes
Don’t feel like grilling? Here’s an easy stove-top version (or Instant Pot) Chicken Carnitas Recipe
Hope your week is going well. xo
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Mexican Grilled Chipotle Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6
- Category: Chicken, main, palo, gluten-free
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: mexican, southwest
Description
Smoky, spicy and delicious, this Grilled Chipotle Chicken is bathed in the most flavorful marinade. Grill the chipotle chicken ahead and reheat on busy weeknights, or store it in the flavorful chipotle marinade, then fire up the grill after work. Use in burrito bowls, salads, tacos, or pasta. So EASY and oh so tasty!
Ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs or breasts ( boneless, skinless)
Chipotle Marinade:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 chipotle peppers (canned) plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce ( juice from can)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 shallot
- 1 ½ tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt ( 1 teaspoon per pound)
Garnish: lime juice and cilantro
Instructions
- Preheat grill to medium-high.
- Place marinade ingredients in a food processor and process into a paste. Place the chicken and marinade in a ziplock bag and massage well to mix and coat all sides well. (Or brush all sides well with marinade and place in a container.) Marinate 20 mins or up to 3 days.
- Grill each side of chicken 6-7 minutes, or until good grill marks appear. Lower heat and move chicken to cooler side of the grill and continue to grill until chicken is cooked through and internal temperature reaches 165F.
- Let it rest 5-10 mins before serving and squeeze with lime. Sprinkle with optional cilantro.
Notes
These can be grilled ahead and will keep 3-4 days in the fridge. Or marinated ahead for up to 3 days.
Keywords: chipotle chicken recipe, chipotle mexican grilled chicken, grilled chipotle chicken, mexican grill chipotle chicken, chipotle chicken, how to make chipotle chicken, chipotle chicken marinade
I don’t usually write reviews, but this recipe is for the books. I love the flavor of the chipotle chilis in the adobo sauce so I pursued the ingredient to add to other dishes. I marinated thighs for around 6 hrs, however I would recommend marinating over night to infuse the flavor deeper. I added a couple teaspoons of smoked paprika in the marinade as well.
★★★★★
Delish ! marinated them for 24 hours . I used boneless thighs .Put them on the grill for about 15 minutes . when they were done Isliced them and squeezed some lime and sliced them . ssooooo tasty, made our own chipotle bowls . rice (some had Quinoa ) corn , guacamole , lettuce, tomatoes, corn, sour cream ,salsa, cilantro and lime . making this again this weekend .. but this time we are making burritos
cant wait to make this for friends !
Happy you enjoyed this!
Fantastic chicken marinade- or for anything, really. I only marinated the chicken for 30 minutes and it still turned out delicious. I have tried many recipes from this blog and they’ve all been terrific – thank you!
★★★★★
thanks so much!
Could you do this in the oven? Also, would this work with bone in chicken thighs or drums?
Yes you could do in the oven and bone-in would be fine!
I LOOOOOVE this recipe! I made it exactly as printed except I added some lime juice to the chicken a few hours before cooking. Don’t add it days before as the lime will cook the chicken. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and bone in and both were delicious. Highly recommend!
★★★★★
Made this last night and it was so yummy. My teenage son asked if we could always have this chicken available in the fridge.
★★★★★
This meat has phenomenal flavor. It is easy and fast and a real crowd pleaser. It is also a beautiful looking dish and works well in the rice bowl recipe as well. I am making this again tonight because my family absolutely loves it. I love this website as it has so many healthy, fast and tasty meals and the site is so incredibly beautiful! Such talent. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Awesome, great to hear Del- thanks! 🙌
Very tasty recipe!
★★★★★
This chicken was absolutely delicious. I made it exactly as written and used boneless thighs. The whole family raved about it. Only thing I’ll do differently next time is double the recipe!!
★★★★★
Thanks Annie! Glad you liked it!
I’ve made this 3 times in the space of 3 weeks and it always amazes! Thank you for this recipe!!
★★★★★
very easy to make and very flavorful!
★★★★★
I had searched forever for a good spicy marinade after tasting this amazing tri tip we found at Costco… We’ve never seen it again but then I came across your recipe. I fudge it a little and add an entire can of chipotle chiles and measure garlic/spices by hand, but this is amazing. Try it on filet mignon if you want mouth watering amazement. Thank you thank you thank you.
★★★★★
Welcome, glad you liked it!
Very good flavor, the only thing I did different was adding chipotle peppers. We’d like it spicy.
★★★★
So incredibly yummy. I don’t normally take the time to write reviews, but I had to give credit where it was due!
★★★★★
I can’t wait to try this! I’m going to marinate my chicken tonight! How would you cook ahead and reheat? Thanks
Thighs are forgiving. Just grill, chill, and reheat in a 350-400 F oven (uncovered) till warmed through ( 20-25 minutes) or microwave.
So easy and flavorful. I served it with avocado, cilantro and lime. Loved how it came together so quickly and the family loved it.
★★★★★
This was so delicious!! i added a littel fesh lime juice to the marinade. i love the rcipies on this site! Thank you!!
★★★★★
This is the best! We served this to friends we had over and they loved it too. We both thought it was as good as any restaurant.
★★★★★
I’m soo glad I stumbled upon this recipe. I’ve made this chicken at least a dozen times now! It always turns out fantastic every time. And It keeps my Husband away from Taco Bell! Lol! Thanks for sharing with us.
Third time I’ve made this in two weeks. AMAZING! My family can’t get enough of it! Also, it’s great to buy excess and use for meal prep. Can’t go wrong! Thank you so much for sharing this great recipe!
Im so glad you like it!!!
This recipe is fantastic! I will recommend it to all my family and friends, thank you for sharing with us!
Excellent recipe! Made it for a potluck yesterday and it was a huge hit. Everyone asked me to share the recipe! Very very flavorful! Great for a summer BBQ!
★★★★★
Awesome Kim! Glad everyone enjoyed and thanks so much for sharing. Always appreciated. xoxo
This recipe was absolutely delicious! I want to congratulate you on the accolades for your blog. The photography is sublime and really makes me want to try your recipes.
Yay! thanks Alyssa, Im so glad you liked it!
This is a fantastic recipe. I made it last week and will again tonight for a casual dinner party. Thank you!
Awesome Andrea, thanks for sharing!
PS. Thanks, again, Sylvia. My very-foodie friends (one owns a very popular restaurant in Vancouver, BC) said this was the best chicken they have ever had!
★★★★★
Wow, thanks! So great to hear!
This is my favorite new recipe this year. Absolutely fantastic. Don’t be afraid to marinate it the entire three days!
★★★★★
Yay, Kelly! thanks for the feedback and rating! Appreciated!
Oh, man! I threw together the marinade, added it to the chicken thighs, froze them overnight, and took them on our camping trip. So easy, and SUPER tasty! We loved the smoky heat, and they grilled up beautifully over the campfire! So good!
Awesome, so glad you liked it!!!
★★★★★
Oldie but goodie. Love this grill chicken. I’ve made it as a split chicken, thighs, drum sticks, wings and Breast are juicy not dried out.
★★★★★
Is that green onion you have grilled with it in the photo?
yes, grilled green onions. 🙂