Shredded Chipotle Chicken: Tender pulled chicken bathed in red spicy chipotle sauce served with a bowl of white rice and a scoop of sour cream for extra creaminess. Perfect for relaxed Friday night gatherings with friends and family.
I cannot get enough of this shredded chipotle chicken! Made with succulent chicken thighs, spices, and chipotle paste and utterly delicious on its own, served on a white or brown rice bowl, piled on top of nachos, or stuffed inside tacos on a taco night. Versatile, easy, and tasty? It's a yes from me. I always love making foods that can be served in several different ways as it means that using leftovers is easy and doesn't require you to keep eating the same dish for 3 straight dinners. Not that you're likely to have any leftovers of this, mind you...it's pretty addictive.
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This shredded chipotle chicken brings all the warmth; it's hot and spicy tender chicken. I made it pretty off the cuff, I just had a craving for some delicious shredded chicken and actually managed to pull it off pretty well, I think (please, forgive the pun)!
This is a pretty hot and spicy juicy chicken, so you can remove some of the heat if you like by adding less chili or just smothering it in sour cream or tomato sauce to cool it down when you eat it, which is always my choice. It tastes great with classic guacamole, and I also served a sweetcorn salsa when I made my leftovers into these Tender shredded chicken tacos the next day!
This was inspired by my research into Mexico and Mexican food, which is somewhere I am dying to go, and hearing all about Pollo Tinga from friends who have been there.
Ingredients
There are a few stages to making this shredded chipotle chicken, but it really isn't very complex. First, gather all your ingredients together and then crack on.
- Boneless chicken: I like to use chicken thighs for this recipe as they stay nice and juicy, but you are welcome to use boneless skinless chicken breasts if that's all you have on hand.
- Chipotle paste: This is the star ingredient of the recipe; you can use Chipotle in adobo sauce or Chipotle powder.
- Onion: I roasted white onions, but you can use red onions or shallots instead to make a spicy red sauce.
- Bell pepper: You need red and yellow peppers, but you can opt for just one if you don't have the other. Preferably red pepper for this red spicy sauce.
- Tinned tomatoes: If you don't have a can of this in your pantry, tomato paste thinned with a little water or chicken broth is your next best option.
- Oil: My go-to oil is olive oil. You can use your pantry staple
- Blended spices and seasoning: I put together a strong team of spices, ground cumin, ground coriander, dried oregano, chili flakes, garlic powder, Salt and pepper
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full quantities and directions.
How to make shredded chipotle chicken
- Marinade the chicken: Place the chicken breasts/thighs in a medium or small bowl with the chipotle paste and leave it to marinate in the fridge.
- Roast the vegetables: Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Peel the onion, then on a cutting board, cut the bell peppers in half, removing the seeds. Place them on a baking tray in the oven and cook for 30 minutes; we want them charred to give a smoky heat flavor.
Love smoky flavors? Try this Traegar smoked turkey.
3. Peel the skins off the peppers.
4. Sautee the seasoning: In a dry non-stick pan, fry the spices for a minute until fragrant.
5. Make the sauce: Place the onion, peppers, and spices in a blender or food processor and add the tinned tomatoes. Blend until a smooth, spicy red sauce forms, and season with salt to taste.
6. Brown and shred the chicken: Now fry the chipotle chicken thighs in some olive oil, and once browned on either side, pour over the sauce. Leave it to cook for 20 minutes, and then shred the meat with two forks (or you can use an electric hand whisk!). Leave to cook for a further 10 minutes, and then you're ready!
Hint: The best part about using chicken thighs in this shredded chipotle chicken recipe is that they have higher fat content and therefore won't dry out.
Serving suggestion
Here is an easy way to serve this shredded chipotle chicken:
- Make pulled chipotle chicken tostadas using corn or flour tortillas and other toppings of your choice, such as salsa, pineapple habanero hot sauce and avocado.
- Next time add this spicy shredded chipotle chicken to your burrito bowls for a quick, easy dinner.
- Impress your guests at your next dinner party with a tantalizing plate of loaded chipotle chicken nachos.
Variations
Here are a few ways you can change up this Chipotle pulled chicken recipe to suit you!
- Mild - Remove the chili flakes from the spice mix to turn down the heat on this recipe.
- Bun - Make it into a sandwich!
- Vegetarian - Try this with jack fruit to make it suitable for vegetarians or vegans.
Wine pairing for Chipotle Chicken
I would serve a Spanish Tempranillo with chipotle chicken or a fruity, smoky Syrah from the Northern Rhone.
Equipment
This shredded chipotle chicken recipe doesn't need much in the way of fancy equipment, but a good Le Creuset casserole pan and a kitchenaid will serve you well for many a food adventure, so I'll always recommend it!
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight sealed container in the fridge. Consume them within 2-3 days. You can also freeze chipotle shredded chicken and use it within one month.
Top tip
Make more of this than you think you will need, as you will want leftovers. Trust me!
FAQ
Chipotle chicken has a spicy and smoky flavor profile. A blend of dried chipotle peppers and smoked jalapeño peppers, with other seasonings and spices, sets forth a unique and slightly spicy taste to the chicken.
Shredded chicken and pulled chicken are both methods of preparing cooked chicken; they both get the same end results which is chicken that's been pulled off the bones and shredded either by hand or using a fork.
To avoid dry shredded chicken, you have to go for chicken cuts that have higher fat content, such as thighs and drumsticks. Another option is by adding a sauce to your shredded chicken like how I did in this Mexican chicken chipotle recipe.
Drinks to serve with this shredded chipotle chicken
📖 Recipe
Shredded Chipotle Chicken
Equipment
- Blender
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon chilli flakes
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoon chipotle paste
- 500 grams (1.1 lb) boneless chicken thighs
- 1 white onion
- 2 bell pepper
- 400 grams (1 lb) tomatoes (one can)
- 1 lime
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 200C / 400F
- Marinate the chicken in a large mixing bowl with chipotle paste and leave it in the fridge.
- Peel the onion and slice the peppers in half lengthways, removing the seeds.
- Place the onions and peppers on a baking tray and cook in the hot oven for 30 minutes until charred on the outside.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and dry fry the spices for 1 minute until fragrant.
- Peel the papery skin off the peppers carefully. Place them with the onion, fried spices, and tin of tomatoes in the blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt to taste.
- Heat some oil in a casserole pot and fry the chicken until browned on both sides.
- Add the sauce, and allow to cook down for 20 minutes.
- Using 2 forks, shred the chicken. Allow to cook for a further 10 minutes. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a dollop of sour cream.
Beth says
So tasty, thank you for the recipe!