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Chipotle Chicken Tacos Recipe



For these flavor-packed tacos, chef Alex Stupak first roasts simply seasoned chicken thighs, then shreds the meat and adds it to the skillet with a tangy, smoky blend of onion, jalapeño, chipotles with adobo sauce, and plum tomatoes to finish the filling. It’s served in warm corn tortillas with sour cream to temper the heat, plus chopped cilantro, onion, and lime wedges.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What are chipotle peppers?

    Mexican chipotles are red jalapeños that have been smoked and dried. Chipotles in adobo have been reconstituted and canned in adobo sauce, which typically contains tomato puree, onion, garlic, sugar, vinegar, paprika, and herbs such as bay leaves and oregano, plus salt and sugar. Heat-wise, chipotles fall on the higher end of the Scoville scale‘s range for jalapeños, which is 2500 to 8000 Scoville Heat Units.

    You’ll need both the chiles and adobo sauce for this recipe; one can should be more than sufficient. We prefer La Morena brand.

  • What’s the best way to shred chicken?

    Though it’s possible to use a food processor or mixer to shred chicken, we like the simplicity of using our hands or the two-fork method here, both of which work particularly well for dark meat. Once the roasted chicken thighs are cool enough to handle (but still warm), remove the skin and place on a clean cutting board or plate. To shred by hand, use your fingers to pull off shreds fairly even in size. Alternatively, pierce the chicken with a fork to hold it in place, and use a second fork to pull the meat apart.


Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

For a less spicy dish, feel free to seed the chipotles before mincing and measuring out two tablespoons.

Suggested pairing

Pair these tacos with an ice-cold canned Mexican lager.



Alex Stupak

2025-10-22 14:02:00