Mexican Shredded Chicken in Smokey Chipotle Red Sauce Recipe
This Mexican Shredded Chicken recipe features tender chicken breasts cooked in a smoky, mildly spicy chipotle red sauce. With flexible cooking methods including slow cooker, pressure cooker, or stovetop, it’s a versatile and flavorful dish perfect for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, and more. The chicken is pan-fried to a golden brown before being tossed in a rich, pureed sauce enhanced with lime juice and olive oil, delivering delicious, vibrant Mexican flavors in every bite.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 4 hours
- Total Time: 4 hours 10 minutes
- Yield: 5 to 6 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Slow Cooking
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
Chicken & Sauce
- 1.5 lb / 750g chicken breast, skinless boneless (~3 halves)
- 1/2 cup Chipotles in Adobo Sauce (4 chillies + sauce)
- 14 oz / 400g can crushed tomatoes
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp onion powder (or garlic powder)
- 2 tsp sugar (any)
- 3/4 tsp salt
- Pepper, to taste
To Finish
- 3 tbsp olive oil (for pan frying and sauce finishing)
- 2 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- Cook Chicken: Place the chicken breasts and all sauce ingredients (chipotles in adobo, crushed tomatoes, garlic, oregano, cumin, onion powder, sugar, salt, and pepper) into your chosen cooking vessel. For slow cooker, cook on low for 4 hours until chicken shreds easily but is not mushy. For pressure cooker, cook on high pressure for 35 minutes. For stovetop, combine ingredients in a medium saucepan plus 1 cup water, then simmer covered on medium-low for 40–50 minutes, turning occasionally until chicken is tender.
- Shred Chicken: Remove the chicken from the sauce and shred it using two forks. Set the shredded chicken aside.
- Prepare Sauce: Add lime juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil to the remaining sauce in the cooker or saucepan. Use a stick blender or transfer to a blender to puree the sauce until smooth. Adjust salt and pepper to taste. You should have about 2 cups of a rich, smoky sauce.
- Brown Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add about one-third to one-half of the shredded chicken and pan-fry until dark golden brown on one side. Flip and cook the other side briefly without browning. Remove chicken from pan and repeat with remaining chicken, adding 1 tablespoon olive oil for each batch.
- Toss and Serve: Toss the browned shredded chicken in the pureed sauce or serve the sauce on the side. Perfect for tacos, enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, sliders, green Mexican rice, or tostadas. Garnish as desired with guacamole, pico de gallo, or fresh lime.
Notes
- Chipotles in Adobo Sauce bring authentic smoky heat to this dish. They are widely available in U.S. supermarkets. If unavailable, substitute with 1 1/2 tbsp chipotle powder, 2 tsp smoked paprika, and 1/4 cup sriracha for a similar flavor.
- Adjust salt to taste depending on the type of salt used; kosher or sea salt flakes may require an additional 1/2 tsp.
- Use 1 tbsp olive oil for each batch of chicken pan-fried to ensure proper browning.
- Chicken cooking releases plenty of juices that create the flavorful sauce; ensure enough liquid is present especially when cooking stovetop (add 1 cup water).
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. For freezing, shred chicken and freeze separately from sauce. Reheat and pan-fry chicken before serving.
- This recipe yields enough chicken for approximately 15 to 20 tacos, serving 5 to 6 people with about 3 tacos per person.
- Nutritional values are calculated per serving, assuming 6 servings, and include chicken and sauce only, excluding tortillas and toppings.
