This honey chipotle chicken is packed with a sweet heat that can be adjusted to your taste buds! Delicious on its own or for taco night!
Y’all, this chicken is FIRE! I don’t know why it never occurred to me to use my honey-chipotle sauce for an easy chicken dinner before! I’ve used it on salmon and on grilled wings, but never just on plain chicken. But, OH MY GAWD, it’s freaking delicious!
So so so much sweet heat in this recipe. It’s freaking delicious. And after I went on Instagram throwing Mr. Hungry under the bus for not being able to eat spicy foods, he ate a whole bunch for dinner. Haha, Probably just to prove me wrong. But, whatever. This chicken does have the perfect amount of heat and a little sweetness to really wake up the taste buds. So even people who don’t love spicy foods may want to give it a go!
But if you do love spicy foods, you HAVE to make this. You just have to.
My honey-chipotle sauce is one of my most popular recipes of all time because it uses just six simple ingredients, but more importantly, it uses a WHOLE can of chipotle peppers. If that sounds spicy, it is. But, it also brings the heat in the best way. So many honey-chipotle recipes are way too “watered” down for my taste. They don’t use enough chipotle or enough honey, so the taste isn’t very vibrant when you use it on your final product. My recipe has all the flavor, and that flavor doesn’t get lost when you actually go to use it. If you prefer a video tutorial on how to use it, check out this YouTube video.
How to Make Honey Chipotle Chicken
I LOVE making chicken in a cast-iron pan. I first fell in love with this method when making my chimichurri chicken. You start by searing your chicken in oil to get a nice caramelized layer. Then you flip your chicken, add the sauce, and place it in the oven. The oven does the rest of the work for you by searing the side facing down while caramelizing the top. You can finish it off in the broiler for the ultimate perfectly seared outside and juicy inside.
Swaps & Substitutions
You can find a complete list of swaps and substitution ideas (including how to dial down the heat) for the honey-chipotle sauce here.
Chicken – Feel free to use bone-in or bone-out chicken thighs. The weight will change, so while 2lbs of boneless skinless chicken thighs may be what fits in the cast iron skillet, it would be more like 3lbs of bone-in. And yes, you can use chicken breasts. However, the cooking time will likely significantly increase depending on the thickness of your cuts.
Avocado oil – Avocado oil is my preferred high heat cooking oil. However, you could also use canola oil or your preferred high heat cooking oil.
How to Store & Freeze Honey Chipotle Chicken
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Freeze chicken in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. Defrost in the microwave or under refrigeration and reheat to 165F.
You may consider trying my easy chipotle chicken marinade if you want to freeze something prepared but not cooked.
How to Serve Honey Chipotle Chicken
We ate this honey chipotle chicken on its own with a salad pack and brown rice. It’s so flavorful, it can go on whatever you want. BUT, it would also be DELICIOUS in tacos as well!
Tag me if you make this! I love to see what you guys make! You can tag me on Insta @hungryhobbyRD.
Honey Chipotle Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
1/2 Batch Honey Chipotle Sauce
- 1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos or soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar optional - if too hot or not sweet enough
Chicken
- 1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1-2 tbsp avocado oil
Instructions
- Make the honey-chipotle sauce first. The recipe ingredients are for a half batch. Double it for a whole batch and save some for later. Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth.1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, 1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar, 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- Preheat the oven to 400F. Add oil to a cast iron or an oven-safe skillet on medium high-heat.1.5-2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 1-2 tbsp avocado oil
- Add the chicken to the skillet and sear on one side until golden brown.
- Flip each piece of chicken over and pour the sauce over the top using a brush or spoon to cover each piece of chicken fully.
- Place the skillet in the oven for 20 minutes or until it reaches 165F. Flip the chicken over again and broil for 3-5 minutes.
Video
Nutrition
Kelli Shallal,
Those delicious pictures make this recipe tutorial more attractive. And you explain this recipe step by step. Thanks for that.