These Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos are highly addicting - and for good reason! We take juicy chicken thighs, marinate them in a sauce made from chipotle peppers, and stuff them in flour tortillas before pan frying in a hint of oil. You get a crunchy, golden brown exterior with a spicy cheesy chicken interior. It's simply divine!
When you try these crispy pan-fried tacos, you won't want to make them any other way! Make a full Taco Tuesday dinner with sides and dips like homemade cilantro-lime rice and creamy guacamole.
The Coined Breakdown
- Total Cost per taco: $0.42
- Total Cost (about 16 tacos): $6.69
- Those Other Guys: $3.99 per taco
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs - Chicken thighs are going to have the best flavor, so be sure to grab a pack of skinless, boneless chicken thighs. However - I've used chicken breasts in this recipe with just as much success; just watch your cooking time to ensure they don't overcook.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce - These are the star of the show and the main ingredient in our marinade. I use La Costeña brand for the perfect amount of spice.
- Spice Blend - To pack a big punch of flavor in our tacos, we use a seasonings combination of salt, cayenne/red pepper, chili powder, ground cumin, and onion powder.
- Shredded Cheese - Use whatever shredded cheese you have on hand: Mexican blend, colby jack, mozzarella, etc.
- Flour Tortillas - Flour tortillas are slightly thicker than their corn cousins. These tacos also resemble mini quesadillas, so flour tortillas are the best vehicle. Corn tortillas will work if you have nothing else.
- Chopped Cilantro - Just to add a little green to this meal. I've also used freshly chopped parsley in a pinch!
Variations and Substitutions
Low Carb Crispy Chicken Tacos: Substitute the flour tortillas for keto tortillas or jicama wraps.
Sweet-Heat Chipotle Tacos: Try topping these with my 5-Minute Mango Salsa for a sweet-heat flavor!
Vegetarian Chipotle Tacos: Make the marinade (which doubles as a sauce) and use mashed or refried black beans as a protein instead of chicken. So good!
How to Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Step 1: To begin, blend all of your marinade ingredients together until smooth.
Marinate the chopped chicken thighs for at least an hour for the best flavor.
Step 2: Cook the diced chicken in a large skillet until they are done through, then set aside.
Step 3: Assemble your tacos. Start with a flour tortilla, then add a layer of cheese, chicken, cilantro, and more cheese.
Fold each tortilla over the filling to create a taco.
Step 4: Pan fry them in a little bit of vegetable oil until they are golden brown and crispy on both sides.
After they're done, you can spread apart the tortillas and add in cold ingredients like fresh lettuce, pico de Gallo, pickled jalapeños, or sour cream!
Recipe Pro Tips
- Store your marinade! This recipe makes a bunch of chipotle sauce. I recommend halving it, and storing the unused marinade in a freezer-safe bag. You can freeze this for up to 3 months - and it easily thaws in the fridge or on the counter.
- Don't overstuff. Adding too much filling can cause the taco filling to burst out of the tortillas while pan frying, which makes a big mess. I only add about 1.5 tablespoons of chicken, and a couple sprinkles of cheese to these.
- Cool on a wire rack. For optimal crispiness on both sides, cool the fried tacos on a wire rack.
Recipe FAQs
For the best flavor, do at least one hour - but I recommend to marinate overnight in the fridge if you have the time.
Rotisserie chicken is fine! If using pre-cooked, shredded chicken, just skip the marinade process and coat the meat in the sauce while cooking. Add a bit of water to the pan as well to prevent the chicken from drying out.
To a pan pre-heated on medium-high heat, add a tiny bit of oil. Add the filled tacos and grill for 3-5 minutes, flipping once. The result is a beautiful golden-brown crust with a cheesy inside!
For this recipe, you want to use street-size or fajita-sized soft tortillas. Anything bigger will work fine, but you may want to cut the bigger ones into thirds or quarters.
Other Mexican Food Recipes You'll Crave!
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Crispy Chipotle Chicken Tacos
Equipment
- Food Processor or blender
- Cutting Board
- Chef's Knife
- Large Bowl or plastic storage bag
- Skillet
- Tongs
Ingredients
Chipotle Marinade
- 7 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce usually comes in a can
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ⅓ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground red pepper or cayenne
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed and chopped small
- 16 count street taco flour tortillas
- 8 ounces shredded cheese of your choice Colby jack, mozzarella, pepper jack ,etc.
- fresh cilantro finely chopped
- vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
Chipotle Marinade
- Blend together the chipotle peppers and their sauce, garlic, chicken stock, olive oil, and dry seasonings until it forms a paste.This makes about 450ml of marinade, which is enough for double the amount of chicken in the recipe. You can easily add any unused marinade to a freezer bag and freeze until you're ready to use!
- Add the chopped chicken to a large bowl with a lid or a plastic storage bag. Pour in half of the marinade and coat the chicken well.
- Marinate your chicken for at least one hour, or up to overnight.
- In a large skillet on medium heat, dump the chicken and its marinade and cook until done, about 10-12 minutes. The internal temperature should be around 180℉.Remove and set aside.
- Assemble each taco using one tortilla layered with shredded cheese, cooked chicken, and chopped cilantro. Fold over into half-circles.
- In the same skillet, add about a teaspoon of vegetable oil.
- Shallow fry the tacos on medium heat until golden brown and crispy on both sides. Serve hot with my cilantro-lime rice. Enjoy!
Logan says
One of my favorite taco recipes. I make extra and dump them in the deep freezer for nights in the future that I'm feeling lazy. The chipotle marinade is perfectly seasoned.
Shani W. says
That's a great idea Logan! Thank you so much for commenting.