An easy, flavor-packed recipe using ground chicken and canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that’s surprisingly low in fat, calories and carbs for tacos, burrito bowls and anything else taco meat is used with PLUS my recipe for Easy Cilantro Lime Ranch!
This is a recipe I started making a few years ago when I was trying to cut calories. We all liked it so much, it became a regular on the weeknight supper lineup.
Funny thing… if I don’t tell them it’s healthy, my family won’t hesitate to scarf something down if it’s delicious! But, y’all, if I’d have told them it was, not only low calorie, but also low fat AND low carb, they wouldn’t have thrown themselves on the floor and feigned abuse.
When we have anything for supper that includes common taco accoutrements, I just set it out like a bar and let everyone make what they want. The boys like soft tacos, the girls like burritos and bowls, I like lettuce wraps or salads and Mama usually just puts it all on a plate and eats it however the spirit takes her.
We’ve also fashioned this into a fantastic way to meal-prep soft tacos with the leftovers. I’ll explain how and list all the ways we use this taco meat below.
WHAT CAN I MAKE WITH CHIPOTLE CHICKEN TACO MEAT?
Soft or Crunchy Tacos are great (obvi) but we use this meat to make all sorts of meals and snacks like:
Chipotle Chicken Quesadillas – sprinkle a soft tortilla with shredded cheese (we like white American because it melts like a dream) then place in a HOT skillet that’s drizzled with a little oil. Add taco meat to one side of tortilla then fold the tortilla in half. Flip a time or two to ensure the tortilla has a few nicely browned spots and cheese is melted.
Lettuce Wrap Chipotle Chicken Tacos – this one’s my go-to fix. Assemble your favorite taco toppings (for me that’s cilantro, lime juice and red onion) over taco meat in a 5-inch section of a romaine lettuce leaf.
Chipotle Chicken Burritos or Bowls – make your burrito or bowl how you enjoy it best. Consider using shredded lettuce, diced cucumber, rice, pinto or black beans, shredded cheese or queso and Easy Cilantro Lime Ranch (recipe below).
Nachos with Chipotle Chicken & Queso – this one’s perfect for leftovers. You don’t need to me to tell you how to assemble a plate of nachos but you might like how we make ours. For a single serving, use a toaster oven and for multiple servings, use a standard oven. Tear of squares of aluminum foil then fold the sides up just enough to keep anything from rolling off. Top with tortilla chips, taco meat and store-bought queso then heat at 350 degrees until chips become fragrant and cheese is ooey and gooey. Eat as-is or top with salsa, pico de galo and/or sour cream.
Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad – Line the bottom of a salad bowl or crunchy salad shell with beans (refried, black or pinto) then top with taco meat, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, onions, sliced avocado or guacamole then top with shredded cheese and Easy Cilantro Lime Ranch (recipe below).
Heat & Eat Chipotle Chicken Soft Tacos – I make these up with any leftovers we have for the kids to zap in the microwave for a quick snack or meal. Simply place taco meat and shredded cheese in a soft flour tortilla (I usually use the fajita size) then fold over into the shape of a taco. Layer the tacos in a zip-top bag then store in the fridge. Reheat one for 30 seconds in the microwave.
NOTES ABOUT COOKING THIS RECIPE
- Ground turkey can be substituted but I really prefer ground chicken in this. You wouldn’t think there would be a difference but there is.
- I almost always add about a cup of grated or minced carrot with the onion when I cook this to smuggle in extra nutrients. The color of the carrots blends into the taco meat perfectly so picky eaters will never suspect a thing!
- You can add chopped mushrooms, zucchini and spinach (most anything really) if you’d like. Just sauté with the onions before adding the chicken.
- This is a little spicy but nothing my kids bat an eye at. If you’d like to increase the heat, chop a couple peppers then add to the taco meat (with seeds).
FAQ ON CHIPOTLE PEPPERS IN ADOBO SAUCE
WHICH BRAND TASTES BEST? Every brand of has both tomato paste (or puree) and vinegar in its ingredients but the brands I prefer have tomato listed before vinegar. A couple brands have more vinegar than tomato which give them a slight pickled taste I don’t care for in this recipe. The brands I like best are Goya, Embasa and San Marcos.
HOW MUCH SAUCE IS IN THE CAN? Canned chipotle peppers have varying amounts of adobo sauce. When shopping brands, shake each can to find a brand with plenty of sauce. If you can hear and feel the contents being shaken, there is ample sauce. If the can makes no sound at all when shaken and you feel no movement, it is packed with more peppers and won’t have as much sauce.
WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH SAUCE? If your peppers don’t have enough sauce to easily spoon out 3 tablespoons, gently empty the contents of the can into a bowl, remove any broken peppers, then add 2 tablespoons HOT water. Gently agitate the whole peppers in the water to “rinse” the sauce off then add all of the liquid to the taco meat.
HOW SPICY IS IT? The adobo sauce has a tiny kick (nothing my kids seem to notice if that helps) but the seeds inside the peppers hold a lot of heat. If you’d like to kick up the heat, dice one or two of the peppers then add them with the seeds to the chicken.
THE BEST EASY CILANTRO LIME RANCH RECIPE
View the full recipe post, see photos and get the printable recipe here: Easy Homemade Cilantro Lime Ranch
I’ve tried several recipes found online that use a dozen ingredients, I’ve bought every brand the stores have to offer and NONE of them are as good as this easy recipe:
- 1 1-oz packet ranch dressing mix
- 1 lime
- 3/4 - 1 cup milk (see notes)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 cup minced cilantro (packed)
Instructions - Zest and juice the lime. Add zest, 1 tablespoon of lime juice and milk to a glass or plastic mixing bowl. Stir well then set aside for 10 minutes. Add ranch dressing mix, mayo, onion powder and cilantro then whisk until smooth. Add more lime juice or cilantro if desired. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before using so the dressing can thicken.
Recipe for Chipotle Chicken Taco Meat
Chipotle Chicken Taco Meat
Ingredients
- 2 lbs lean ground chicken
- 1 large onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cumin
- 2 teaspoons oregano
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1 7-oz can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
Instructions
- Sauté onions in olive oil in a large non-stick skillet for 5 minutes.
- Add ground chicken then cook and crumble over medium-high heat about 5 minutes or until meat is cooked through. If your chicken renders a lot of liquid when cooked, pour excess off so meat sears instead of boils.
- Stir in minced garlic, paprika and next six ingredients (through pepper), reduce heat to medium-low.
- Spoon out 3 tablespoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle peppers then stir into chicken. Continue cooking 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning then add more adobo sauce if desired. Turn off heat then cover until ready to serve.
- Serve taco meat with soft or crunchy taco shells or use to make other favorites like burritos, bowls, nachos or taco salad.
Notes
- Ground turkey can be substituted but I really prefer ground chicken in this.
- I almost always add about a cup of grated or minced carrot with the onion when I cook this to smuggle in extra nutrients.
- You can add chopped mushrooms, zucchini and spinach if you’d like. Just sauté with the onions before adding the chicken.
- Questions about chipotle peppers in adobo are likely answered in the post above.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
167.64Fat
5.96 gSat. Fat
1.04 gCarbs
3.51 gFiber
1.57 gNet carbs
1.77 gProtein
25.85 gSodium
534.36 mgSugar
0.23 gCholesterol
80 mg- Values based on 98% lean (2% fat) ground chicken breast
- One serving makes approximately 2 generous tacos (or 3 child-sized portions)
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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.
I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).
And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy