This grilled chipotle chicken is smoky, juicy, and full of bold flavor thanks to a simple chipotle marinade. Perfect for grilling, meal prep, tacos, or bowls. Video.
Hello, again. Don’t you love mornings, when the sun is shining and the day is still brand new? Every morning is a fresh new start. This was our dinner last night, and I am already looking forward to the leftovers today. This Chipotle chicken recipe is so simple yet full of amazing flavor thanks to the smoky, spicy, and deep marinade. It is perfect for entertaining, weeknight dinners, or making big batches for meal prep.
What you’ll love about this recipe is that you can grill the chicken ahead, store it in the fridge during a busy workweek, then pull it out and reheat it as you need it. Or marinate them ahead and grill them as needed. 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 happppppppy.
If you would rather bake the chicken, go to the Chipotle Burrito Bowl recipe for instructions!
Grilled Chipotle Chicken Ingredients
- Chicken thighs or breasts - The hearty, protein-rich base of the dish. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs stay especially juicy and flavorful on the grill, while chicken breasts offer a leaner option that still works beautifully with the bold marinade.
- Olive oil - Helps carry the spices and keeps the chicken moist and tender while grilling. It also promotes nice browning and caramelization.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - The star ingredient, adding smoky heat and deep, savory flavor that gives the chicken its signature chipotle kick.
- Garlic - Brings bold, aromatic flavor that complements the smoky spices. You can substitute garlic powder.
- Shallot - Adds mild sweetness and depth, helping balance the heat from the chipotle peppers.
- Cumin - Provides warm, earthy flavor that gives the marinade a classic Southwestern feel.
- Coriander - Adds subtle citrusy, floral notes that brighten the spice blend.
- Chili powder - Contributes gentle heat and rich color while layering in additional savory flavor. Sub ancho chili powder or smoked paprika if you like.
- Dried oregano - Adds a slightly herbal, peppery note that rounds out the seasoning.
- Salt - Enhances the flavors and helps the chicken stay juicy and well-seasoned throughout.
- Garnishes: Lime wedges and fresh cilantro.
Variations
Bake. Instead of grilling, bake the chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet at 425F. I like to toss in fajita veggies when doing it this way- bell peppers, red onion, etc. Bake until chicken thighs reach 170-175F on an instant-read thermometer. Breasts are ready at 165F.
Grill pan. You can also use a grill pan on the stovetop, or even a skillet, cooking over medium heat.
How to make Chipotle Grilled Chicken
Step 1. Make the flavorful chipotle chicken marinade by blending the marinade ingredients into a paste in a food processor. The paste is a bit too thick for a blender. Using canned chipotles along with the adobo sauce gives this the best flavor!
Step 2. Marinate. 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 if you let this marinate for at least a few hours or overnight, but in a pinch, feel free to grill right away.
3. Grill. 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 the chicken is cooked all the way through ( 165F). A little charring goes a long way here. Of course, you can add other veggies to the grill at the same time.
4. Rest. Let the chicken rest 5-10 minutes before cutting into it to keep those juicy juices in! Squeeze with lime.
Storing Chipotle Chicken
Leftover cooked chicken will keep up to 4 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave, in a skillet, or on a sheet pan in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
Now the Grilled Chipotle chicken is ready to use on salads, Chipotle burrito bowls, tacos, wraps, or even tossed into pasta. You will come up with a hundred uses! This is our Chipotle Grilled Chicken Salad, which is totally amazing. You could also serve in tacos with a simple Mexican Slaw. Or add to this burrito bowl for added protein.
More Mexican Chicken Recipes
- One-Pan Mexican Chicken and Rice with Black Beans
- Delicious Mexican Recipes for Cinco de Mayo
- Chicken Carnitas (Dutch Oven, Instant Pot, Slow Cooker)
- Chicken Mole
- Chicken Tacos Recipe
- Chicken Tostadas with Pineapple Salsa
- Easy Chicken Enchiladas
Grilled Chipotle Chicken Video
Chipotle Chicken Recipe
- Prep Time: 30
- Cook Time: 20
- Total Time: 50 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Chicken, Dinner, gluten-free, grilling recipe, Main, meal prep, Mexican recipes, palo
- Method: grilled
- Cuisine: Mexican, southwest
- Diet: high protein, Low-Carb
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
- 2-2 1/2 lbs chicken thighs or breasts (boneless, skinless)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 chipotle peppers (canned) plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce ( juice from can)
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 shallot ( 1/4 cup)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon coriander
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons salt ( or 1 teaspoon per pound)
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 the heat and move the chicken to the cooler side of the grill, and continue to grill until the chicken thighs are cooked through and the internal temperature reaches 170-175F. ( Breasts – 165F)
- Let it rest 5-10 mins before cutting, and be sure to 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6 ounces ( chicken thighs)
- Calories: 279
- Sugar: 0.3 g
- Sodium: 946.6 mg
- Fat: 15.8 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 30.2 g
- Cholesterol: 142 mg
Full of flavor and super easy. My two favorite things! I used both breast (pounded thin) and thighs. Sadly my shallot was beyond it’s prime so I added a little onion powder instead. Also decided to add about a tablespoon (eyeballed it) of honey. Served the grilled chicken over cauliflower rice with sliced avocado, chipotle lime crema, and crumbled cotija cheese. Perfect for a quick weeknight meal. Will be making it again and again!
Sounds great!
Love this recipe and use it often. My wife does not like a lot of heat so I omit the chipotle peppers and the chili powder – comes out fine and I add heat to mine at the table. Thanks for the recipe.
Great to hear Jim!
Sylvia this marinade was excellent. The only modification we did was adding a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar to break down the proteins. It was excellent, not overpowering, the protein still tasted like what it was- great balance. So good that we bought some shrimp caught early morning the next day and marinated it too, again came out perfect – complementing shrimp and not taking away its flavor. Have some great photos of it too if you’d like. Thank you!
So happy you like this Aga!
Love this recipe! It’s my go to for big groups because it’s super easy and delicious. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Taylor!
This is my go-to recipe. I use it as written except sometimes I sub an onion if I do t have a shallot. We make bowls with brown rice, black beans, fresh Pico, avocado and a Greek yogurt, cilantro, lime dressing. It’s to die for.
Sounds so perfect Brooke! My mouth is watering…
The cumin is overpowering.
Hi Antonia- I really like the cumin here- it gives a nice earthiness- but I grew up with cumin, so I am partial to it. For others sensitive to its flavor, perhaps cut it back to 1 tablespoon 🙂
Excellent…I’ve now made it many times! Thanks
Happy to her this!
Delicious! I cooked the chicken in a pan and used in a bowl with rice, beans, guacamole, and salsa. My guests said it tasted even better than their favorite bowls at Chipotle. Both of my young kids also enjoyed it, which is definitely saying something.
Great to hear!
great
Glad you enjoyed!
great
Awesome Jim!
Hi Sylvia, could I grill this on a grill pan to get the marks and then transfer to the oven to cook through? Or would putting it in the oven on a wire rack at 200 degrees celcius also work? I dont have a grill!
Yes absolutely! That would work well Amina.
I have made both the instant pot chicken tortilla soup ( used thighs since I like the texture and moistness- and got even better the next days after ) and the grilled chipotle chicken also with thighs and grilled them on my gas grill. The aroma was awesome. Tasty and moist.
Have made many of your recipes. Girls night fav are the corn fritters. Yum.
Thank you
Thanks Ann!
What can I replace the chipotle peppers or adobe sauce with?
Hi Pina- you could try adding 2 teaspoons smoked paprika and 1-2 extra teaspoons chile powder? A couple drops of liquid smoke and a tablespoon tomato paste might be good too.
Tried this recipe as followed and it was DELICIOUS! Will definitely make again!
Thanks Angela- happy you gave this a go!
Wonderful recipes thanks for sharing!
I’m most defiantly will be trying these.
thanks so much Regina!
We love this recipe! We have been making for over a year and finally got around to post. The flavors are amazing and have shared your recipe with several. It’s a keeper for sure. So much flavor! Thank you.
Thanks so much Liz- glad you are enjoying it!
Awesome recipe. I share it often with others. A family favorite.
Thanks Brian!
I haven’t cook it yet but WOW it is REALLY salty! I hope that the chicken can take it. Other than that, I put lime in the marinade.
Thank you, can’t wait to see how it tastes on cooked chicken!
Let me know how it turned out!
This is absolutely amazing! I love the variety of flavors. I marinate it for days or hours and it’s still delish. You can adjust the heat by using less chipotle if needed. We love spice so I use all the chipotle but for those that are not so into heat use less. It’ll still taste delish just not as spicy. I cook these and shred them for tacos or burritos or enchiladas or serve them whole as grilled chicken. I prefer thighs but have used breasts and both are great!
Such a yummy marinade! Seriously my favorite recipe! Nicely done Sylvia! 🙂
Thanks so much Bethany- glad this works for you!
These are marinating in the fridge right now. Seeing with Mexican Cole slaw and Mexican beans
Perfect Casssie!
I made this yesterday and it had the perfect amount of spiciness. Cooked chicken parts in the oven, then used the leftover breasts for chipotle chicken salad. Will make again! By the way, for previous recipes, I opened a can of the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and it’s way too much to use in any recipe, so I froze in rubber ice cube trays and saved in a plastic bag for later! For this recipe, I just used 1.5 of the frozen cubes.
Love it! that is what I do too!
Hi Sylvia- looks amazing! Could I use tofu or mushrooms here instead of chicken? Thanks!
I think either would work great!
Hi there! I’m just wondering does the recipe call for coriander powder or fresh coriander? Thanks!
ground coriander powder 🙂
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!