A wooden board filled with grilled chicken and tortillas, surrounded by taco ingredients like salsa, jalapeños, cilantro, red onions, lime wedges and salad.

Main courses

Grilled Chipotle Chicken Tacos

6 to 8 portions

25 minutes

We LOVE chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, which is what gives this marinade its spicy, smoky, slightly sweet flavour. If you’re not familiar with this ingredient, it’s made with smoked and dried jalapeño peppers that are packed in a tomato sauce. You’ll find it in your grocery’s Mexican aisle.

INGREDIENTS

12 boneless chicken thighs
8 Mejicano corn tortillas
Tomatillo salsa, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve
Fresh cilantro, to serve

For the marinade

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, cut in large cubes
6 garlic cloves, peeled
¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 tbsp maple syrup
½ cup water
½ tsp salt

STEPS

In a pan over medium-high heat, fry onions and garlic for about 10 minutes. Add chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and maple syrup and continue to cook for another 2 minutes, until mixture begins to darken. Remove from heat and pour into a food processor.
Add water and salt and blend until smooth. Allow to cool.
Combine marinade and chicken thighs. Cover and allow to marinate for 1 to 5 hours in the fridge.
Remove chicken from marinade, sprinkle with salt, and bring to room temperature while you prepare the grill.
Preheat barbecue on medium-high heat to about 400°F.
Grill chicken thighs for 10-12 minutes, flipping at half-time. Remove from grill and allow to rest for a few minutes before cutting into pieces and setting aside.
Grill the tortillas before topping with chicken and a spoonful of salsa to serve.