If you like homemade meals with minimal work, you are going to go wild for this Grilled Chipotle Chicken! With a spicy, zippy marinade, be prepared for mouthfuls that will delight. Use your Ninja Foodi Grill or make this outdoors - either way, you have an easy weeknight meal.
If you like Southwestern and Mexican flavors as much as I do, you are going to love this Grilled Chipotle Chicken!
With just a handful of ingredients, you have got delicious chicken that is good enough on its own and makes a fabulous base for other dishes.
Ingredients for Making Grilled Chipotle Chicken
- Oil: You will want to use a high-heat oil. Avocado oil is my go-to for high heat cooking.
- Lime Juice: Freshly squeezed lime juice is best, but you can use bottled in a pinch.
- Chipotle Chili in Adobo Sauce: You will find this in the ethnic section of most grocery stores in a small can. Freeze leftovers for future use. You can put individual peppers in ice cube trays and then transfer them to a plastic bag if you like.
- Seasonings: Chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper make for great Mexican Grilled Chicken.
- Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts, but boneless skinless chicken thighs will work just fine too. You can use bone-in; just make sure you adjust the cooking time.
Tips & Tricks
- Because of the acid in the chipotle chicken marinade, make sure you don’t marinate for more than four hours, or it can make the chicken tough.
- Although the ideal internal temperature for chicken is 165 degrees, you want to remove it from the heat when it reaches 160 degrees. Allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, and it will reach 165° F during this time.
Serving Suggestions
For a filling meal, try serving this with Mexican Quinoa Salad or Slow Cooker Mexican Quinoa and Rice. Keep things low-carb by serving it with Spanish Cauliflower Rice.
This chipotle chicken breast recipe is fabulous in burrito bowls, or use it to make chipotle chicken salad or chicken tacos.
Frequently Asked Questions
Since they pack quite a lot of heat, never in the history of all my years of cooking have I used an entire can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in a single recipe.
I like to freeze them in a flat layer in a zip-top freezer bag. That way, I can break off a pepper with a bit of sauce when I need it.
You could also use an ice cube tray to freeze the peppers and a little sauce.
Absolutely! That will work just as well. Since chicken thighs tend to be smaller, use an instant-read thermometer to ensure perfect cooking.
I prefer to use avocado oil due to the high smoke point. I do not recommend using extra virgin olive oil in this Mexican chicken marinade, but light or refined olive oil is an option.
Tools Needed to Make Chipotle Grilled Chicken Recipe
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- Ninja Foodi Grill, Grill, or Grill Pan
Storage
Store this chicken in the refrigerator for up to four days. It may be frozen - cooked or uncooked - for up to three months.
If you wish to freeze it in the marinade uncooked, make sure you start with chicken that has not previously been frozen. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
How to Make Chipotle Grilled Chicken
First, start by making your marinade.
To do this, whisk together the avocado oil, lime juice, chipotle chili, adobo sauce, chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, bender, jar, or food processor.
Place the chicken in a shallow dish or in a large zip-top plastic bag.
Reserve 3 tablespoons of the marinade, and pour the rest over the chicken.
Marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to four hours.
Discard the marinade
Ninja Foodi Grill Chipotle Chicken
Preheat the Foodi Grill to medium heat. Set the timer for 16 minutes.
When the grill is preheated, add the chicken in a single layer.
Cook the chicken for 8 minutes, and then flip. Brush with the remaining marinade and cook for the remaining 8 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160° F.
Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Outdoor Grill or Grill Pan
Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.
Grill, covered, for 7 minutes. Flip and brush with the reserved marinade. Cook for another 7 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160° F.
Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
More Chicken Recipes to Try:
- Air Fryer Chicken Cutlets are easy to make and make a great weeknight meal. You can make them in your air fryer or in your Ninja Foodi Grill.
- Healthy Curry Chicken Salad is the perfect recipe for lunch! I like to make it on the weekend for meal prep, so I have a grab and go lunch during the week.
- Ninja Foodi Grill Chicken Breast has just a handful of ingredients but is loaded with flavor.
- Grilled Chicken Avocado Salad is healthy but satisfying. It is great for lunch or a summer dinner.
Grilled Chipotle Chicken
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup avocado oil
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce chopped
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 16 ounces boneless chicken breast
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the avocado oil, lime juice, chipotle chili, adobo sauce, chili powder, ground cumin, sea salt, and fresh ground black pepper. (You can also use a blender or mason jar to mix the marinade.)
- Place the chicken in a shallow dish or zip-top bag.
- Pour all but 3 tablespoons of the marinade over the chicken. Reserve the remaining marinade.
- Allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to four hours.
- Drain the marinade and discard.
Ninja Foodi Grill
- Set your Ninja Foodi to the grill setting at medium heat and the timer to 16 minutes.
- When the grill is preheated, you will get the “Add Food” notification.
- Add the chicken in a single layer.
- Cook for 8 minutes, and then flip.
- Brush with the reserved marinade.
- Cook for an additional 8 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 160° F.
- Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Traditional Grill
- Preheat a grill (or grill pan) to medium-high heat.
- Grill, covered, for 7 minutes. Flip and brush with the reserved marinade.
- Cook for 7 minutes more, or until the internal temperature reaches 160° F.
- Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Lisa C.
I made this chicken tonight and it was really, really delicious. I had to use lemon juice because I didn’t have lime. This recipe will be on my rotation. I used my Ninja Foodi XL grill. Hubby loved it and he hates boneless breasts because they’re dry and tasteless. Thank you for this recipe!
Wendy Polisi
I am so glad that you enjoyed it!
faul knernolan
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