Chipotle Chicken Tacos are a quick weeknight dinner ready in about 30 minutes. Spicy with a touch of sweetness, boneless chicken thighs cook in a sauce of chipotle peppers, onion and lime, finished with a creamy chipotle-lime sauce.
Note: originally published in 2019 and updated in 2021 with clearer instructions and new photos.
Tacos are a family favorite because they’re fast, customizable and perfect for busy nights. These chipotle chicken tacos take roughly 30 minutes from start to finish and include a quick creamy chipotle-lime sauce that elevates the whole dish. They’re not meant to be authentic; rather, they’re my own flavorful, weeknight-friendly take—slightly spicy, slightly sweet, saucy and very satisfying.
Recipe ingredients
Ingredient notes
- Chipotle peppers: use canned chipotle peppers in adobo (found in the Mexican or international aisle). They are quite spicy—reduce the amount if you prefer milder heat.
- Onion: a sweet onion (Vidalia or similar) helps balance the heat, but any onion will work.
- Limes: the recipe leaves lime juice a bit flexible because tartness is personal. Buy a few extra limes in case some are dry; I typically use about 4 limes total—3 for the recipe and 1 for serving wedges.
If you like 30-minute chicken recipes, try stovetop chicken enchiladas for another fast dinner idea.
Step-by-step photos
1. Sauté the onion in a little oil until softened and starting to brown.
2. Blend the cooked onion with salt, optional sugar, chipotle peppers, lime juice and water until mostly smooth, then set the sauce aside.
3. In the same pan, heat more oil and brown the chicken pieces until they develop color on the outside.
4. Add the chipotle sauce, scrape up browned bits, and simmer until most liquid has absorbed and the chicken is cooked through.
5. While the chicken simmers, whisk together the creamy chipotle-lime sauce.
6. Serve the chipotle chicken in warmed tortillas with your favorite toppings and a drizzle of the creamy sauce.
Tips and tricks
- Warm tortillas before serving. The oven (wrapped in foil at 350°F) or the microwave (stack wrapped in a damp paper towel; 30–45 seconds) both work well.
- Blending the sauce: an immersion (stick) blender is convenient and easy to clean, but a countertop blender or food processor will also do the job.
- Adjust flavor to taste—start with less chipotle or lime, then add more after tasting so you can control heat and acidity.
Recipe FAQs
Spice tolerance varies, but with ¼ cup canned chipotles the tacos are pleasantly spicy without being overwhelming for many people. If you prefer milder food, reduce the chipotles and taste as you go. For more heat, add an extra minced chipotle to the creamy sauce.
Thighs are recommended because they stay moist during simmering. If using breasts, brown them first, remove them from the pan while you reduce the sauce, then add the breasts back in briefly to finish cooking so they don’t overcook.
Tacos are flexible—serve with shredded cabbage for crunch, black beans, chopped cilantro and lime wedges. Drizzle with the creamy chipotle-lime sauce to tie everything together.
Related recipes
If you make this recipe, please leave a rating or review below—I’d love to hear how it turned out. You can also follow on social media or sign up for a newsletter to get more recipes.
📖 Recipe
Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Spicy, slightly sweet and saucy chipotle chicken served with a creamy chipotle-lime sauce—ready in about 30 minutes.
- Author: Kate
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 3–4 servings
- Category: Main course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American, Mexican-inspired
Ingredients
For chipotle chicken:
- 4 teaspoons neutral oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 medium onion (preferably sweet)
- ¼ cup canned chipotle peppers in adobo
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- ¼ cup water
- Juice of 1–2 limes
- Warm corn or flour tortillas
For creamy chipotle-lime sauce:
- ⅓ cup mayo
- ⅓ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Juice of ½–1 lime
- 2½ teaspoons liquid from the can of chipotles
- 1 tablespoon water
Optional toppings:
- Lime wedges
- Shredded cabbage
- Black beans
- Shredded cheese
- Cilantro
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Chop the onion into roughly ½-inch pieces. Add the onion to the hot oil, season with salt, and cook about 3 minutes until softened and slightly browned. Turn off the heat but keep the pan on the stove.
- Transfer the onion to a heatproof container (for an immersion blender) or to a food processor/blender.
- Add the chipotle peppers, 1 teaspoon salt, optional sugar, ¼ cup water and juice from 1–2 limes. Blend until mostly smooth—some texture is fine. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the same pan over medium-high. Trim excess fat from the thighs if needed and cut the chicken into small pieces.
- Add the chicken in an even layer and sprinkle with salt. Cook undisturbed 2–3 minutes to brown, stir, then cook another 1–2 minutes to brown the other side.
- Reduce heat to medium and pour in the chipotle sauce. Scrape up any brown bits, then simmer 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until most liquid has absorbed and the chicken is cooked through.
- While the chicken cooks, whisk together the mayo, sour cream, salt, lime juice, chipotle liquid and 1 tablespoon water for the creamy sauce.
- Serve the chicken in warm tortillas with desired toppings and a drizzle of creamy chipotle-lime sauce.
Notes
- ¼ cup chipotles gives a spicy but not overpowering heat—reduce if you’re sensitive to spice.
- To warm tortillas in the oven, wrap them in foil and heat at 350°F while you finish the recipe.
- To microwave tortillas, wrap a stack (up to 6) in a damp paper towel and microwave 30 seconds, adding 15 seconds if needed. Heat just before serving.
- For extra heat, mince ½–1 chipotle pepper and add it to the creamy sauce along with the chipotle liquid.