Chipotle Honey Chicken Copycat

Chopped Chipotle Honey Chicken over a bed of rice, romaine, and black beans with cheese, corn salsa, and Pico de Gallo with bowls of salsa, sour cream, guacamole and more cheese on the side.

Inspired by Chipotle's brand new menu item, this Chipotle Honey Chicken copycat recipe is perfect for tacos, burrito bowls, and quesadillas. Smoky, spicy, and sweet, this Honey Chicken is our new favorite protein to add to our Mexican-inspired meals. It's really easy to make with a simple marinade. And the final trick is to toss the cooked chicken with a chipotle honey mixture.

Prep Time20

Cook Time10

Marinating1

Total Time1 30

Author : Kari Peters

Cuisine: American, Mexican

Servings:

Calories: 208kcal

Ingredients

1.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 clove garlic minced
2 tbsp chipotle in adobo 4 tbsp for spicy, see notes
2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp avocado oil
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey see notes

Instructions

In a medium bowl, mash the garlic, Chipotle in adobo, smoked paprika, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper with the back of a spoon to form a paste.
Whisk in the avocado oil, red wine vinegar, and honey until smooth and emulsified. Reserve 2 tbsp of the marinade in a small container, and refrigerate it.
Place the chicken into a container, and pour the remaining marinade over the top. Make sure the chicken is coated, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
Preheat the grill to maintain a temperature around 400ºF. Remove the chicken and the reserved marinade from the fridge. When the grill is preheated, lightly coat it with oil and lay the chicken thighs onto the grill.
Grill for 5-6 minutes or until the chicken easily loosens from the grill. Flip the chicken thighs and grill for another 4-6 minutes, or until the chicken is done.
Remove the chicken from the grill, carefully chop it into bite-sized pieces, and toss it with the reserved chipotle honey marinade. Serve immediately.
Important! Never reuse any marinade that has been used on raw meat. It isn't safe to use even if it's boiled, only use the reserved marinade that has never been in contact with the raw chicken!

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Notes

Instead of chipotle in adobo you can also use ground chipotle chili powder, 2 tsp for a bit of spice, or add more if desired.

If your honey is solid, melt it over low heat first before whisking it into the marinade.

Chipotle usually uses fresh lime juice in their marinade or their sauce for the cooked chicken. If you have fresh limes, try that instead of the red wine vinegar.

Nutrition