Maple Chipotle Chicken Tacos may become a new taco night favorite!
With a smokey spice mixture and toppings like pickled red onions and fresh radishes, these tacos are loaded with flavor - just what you want in a good taco!
Everything in this taco recipe
Taco recipes are WAY more than just the tortilla and the meat. Seriously, topping make the taco - I believe that so firmly that I made a whole ebook about building epic tacos!
So, for this taco recipe, here's what you'll need:
- Flour tortillas or gluten free flour tortillas
- Maple chipotle chicken
- Sliced red cabbage
- Sliced fresh radishes
- Ranch
Tacos need a bit of crunch, so that's where the pickled red onions and fresh radishes come into play. They're such a good addition - never skip these little toppings to add different textures to a taco!
I also love adding some zing from something brined in my taco recipes. You'll often see either pickled red onions, pickled radishes, or a zesty sauce like chimichurri in any of the many taco recipes on Chelsea Joy Eats.
Finally, I like adding a bit of extra "sauce" to prevent the taco from getting too dry. For tacos like these maple chipotle chicken tacos, the ranch also serves to balance out the spiciness of the chipotle.
How to make maple chipotle chicken
My favorite way to make the maple chipotle chicken that's the main meat of this recipe is by poaching the chicken thighs, shredding them, and stirring in the sauce.
If you've never poached chicken before, it may sound like a lot... but really, poaching is fast, simple, and perfect for weeknight meals.
To poach the chicken, you'll put it in a pot, cover it with water, bring it to a boil and then immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes, and they should be done!
While the chicken is simmering, stir together the maple chipotle sauce. Once the chicken is done, transfer it to a bowl, shred it with two forks, and stir in the maple chipotle sauce. Easy!
Can I make the maple chipotle chicken in a crockpot?
Yes, you sure can!
Just put all the chicken thighs in a crockpot and pour the maple chipotle sauce overtop.
Cook on LOW for 3-4 hours until cooked through. Shred the chicken and you should be good to go!
Ways to customize these tacos
The easiest way to customize a taco recipe? Change up the toppings!
For this recipe and photos, I used pickled red onions, fresh radishes, and ranch.
You can easily add or take away toppings as you see fit.
For a bit of crunch:
- Fresh radishes
- Thinly sliced red or green cabbage
- Chopped romaine lettuce
For briney flavor:
- Pickled red onions
- Pickled radishes
- Capers
- Chopped pickles or relish
As an extra sauce:
- Ranch
- Honey mustard
- Guacamole
- A mild salsa
You can also make these into breakfast tacos by whipping up some scrambled eggs. A total treat!
More epic taco recipes to bookmark
- Walleye Fish Tacos with Radish Slaw
- Steak Tacos with Greek Salsa (Gluten Free, Paleo)
- Steak & Egg Breakfast Tacos with Chimichurri
- Pulled Pork Tacos with Pineapple Radish Salsa
- Weeknight Taco Bowls
Did you try this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or tag me on Instagram.
Print📖 Recipe
Maple Chipotle Chicken Tacos
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Sweet and spicy Maple Chipotle Chicken pairs perfectly with scrambled eggs for breakfast tacos! Top with sliced red radish and red cabbage for added crunch. Pickled radish or pickled red onion works well here, too!
Ingredients
For the Maple Chipotle Chicken:
- 1 ½ pound chicken thighs
- ¼ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon stoneground mustard
- ½ tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon chipotle powder
For the Tacos:
- Gluten free tortillas
- Scrambled eggs
- Radish, thinly sliced
- Red cabbage, thinly sliced
- Ranch, for drizzle
Instructions
- Add chicken thighs to a Dutch oven and cover completely with water. Bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce heat to a simmer. Cover the dutch oven and let simmer for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add maple syrup, tomato paste, mustard, smoked paprika, salt, and chipotle powder to a bowl. Stir until smooth.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, drain completely. Add the chicken thighs back to the dutch oven and shred using two forks. Alternatively, you can shred the chicken using a stand mixer.
- Add the maple syrup mixture to the shredded chicken and stir until the chicken is completely coated.
- To assemble the tacos, add a little maple chipotle chicken and scrambled eggs to a tortilla. Top with red cabbage, radish, parsley, and drizzle with ranch. Serve immediately.
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