Copycat Chipotle Chicken

Recipe Link

I hate to sound like a broken record, but after noticing this recipe and then throwing my Food section of the Dallas Morning News away...Carla mentioned it...so we gave it a try.

And then another asterisk...we are big, big, big time Taco Salad lovers. Lentil Taco Salad is pretty much served every other week at Casa Stout.

Alright...with all that fanfare... THIS RECIPE IS A NEW FAVORITE! We love it. As faithful readers already know, I LOVE the flavor of chicken thighs, and these spices are perfect. And the prep is so easy...it's a winner! In short, it's a copycat recipe of Chipotle's chicken meat - and we ate it as a taco salad topping.

4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 11/4 to 11/2 pounds), defrosted if frozen (see notes)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 Knorr chipotle cubes

or 2 teaspoons chile powder (see notes)

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon cumin powder

½ teaspoon dried oregano

½ teaspoon black pepper

Put chicken in a 1-gallon zipper-top plastic bag. Add oil to bag, seal it, and toss and turn chicken pieces inside bag until well coated.

Mix spices in a small bowl, crushing chipotle cubes with the back of a spoon. Add spice mixture to bag, seal it, and toss and rub chicken through bag to coat well with spices. Refrigerate chicken in bag for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours.

Heat a grill to about 400 F. Grill 5 to 6 minutes per side, until chicken is cooked through but still tender. Remove from grill and serve.

Makes 4 servings.

Notes: Chipotle uses thigh meat, which is higher in fat but more flavorful than a chicken breast.

If you can't find skinless thighs without bones, substitute boneless, skinless chicken breasts or tenderloins, and test for doneness when cooking.

Knorr's chipotle cubes look like bouillon cubes and are sold in a small box.

PER SERVING: Calories 248 (54% fat) Fat 14.5 g (3.5 g sat) Cholesterol 93 g Sodium 117 mg Fiber 1 g Carbohydrates 2 g Protein 26 g
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Holly's notes...

I couldn't find Knorr Chipotle cubes at Wal Mart, SuperTarget, or Tom Thumb. But...when I got home...I had McCormick Chipotle Chili Powder. Who knew? It was a perfect substitute.


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Mixed up the spices...

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It was one of those afternoons around here today, so I didn't realize until 5:30 that this was supposed to marinate for at least 4 hours. Oh well. I cleaned the chicken, put some oil in a bag, dropped the spices in, and shook it all around. It did take a bit of shaking to get the spices evenly distributed.


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I preheated a cast-iron skillet on the stove top and browned the chicken on both sides. Then I popped it in a 375* oven for 20 minutes.


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Then we had all our toppings. We did lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar, Trappey's jalapenos, red onions, avocados, limes, and Baked Scoops. (No, we did not top with the baby ibuprofen in the picture. Someone is teething!) You could really cut some corners on this - preshredded cheese, lettuce, pico-de-gallo, guacamole, onions, etc.


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I forgot to take a pic of the salad I built - I was ravenous and ate it while reading Good Night Moon to the H. This chicken will be a staple around here!