Shredded adobo chicken tacos are a flavorful and EASY protein to feed a crowd. Whether you’re looking to meal prep a protein for the week or make something for a gathering, this chicken comes together in less than an hour and is delicious!
Looking for more protein crowd pleasers? Try my Asian Braised Beef Brisket, my Herby Balsamic Chicken Skewers, or my Monday Meatball Sliders.
The best parts about this recipe
- It can easily be made in a big batch to feed a crowd!
- Minimal ingredients but BIG flavor.
- Can be made ahead and reheated while still maintaining its quality.
Table of Contents
- Ingredient Notes
- How to make Shredded Chicken Adobo Tacos Step by Step
- Recipe and Cooking Tips
- Storage and Reheating
- Additions and Substitutions
- FAQ
- Video Tutorial
- The Recipe
- Looking for more similar recipes?
Ingredient Notes:
Chicken Thighs – I use boneless skinless chicken thighs. The chicken thighs allow for this dish to reheat easily, and helps keep the chicken tender and juicy. If you want, you can use chicken breast or even bone-in chicken legs.
If using bone-in chicken, be sure to cook the chicken longer than what my recipe calls for. It will likely need 25-30 minutes instead of the 15 minutes.
Chipotles in Adobo Sauce – The secret ingredient to this dish and what adds so much smokiness and flavor. You can find this in the international aisle at most grocery stores. This is SPICY so be careful how much you add. Feel free to just use 1 pepper for a mild version.
Braising liquid – I use both chicken broth and orange juice to braise the chicken. The slight sweetness + umami from the chicken broth + smokiness from the chipotle peppers are delish!
How to make Shredded Adobo Chicken Tacos – Step by Step Instructions:
This is just a quick overview with photos – find the full instructions with all exact ingredients in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Prep the onion and garlic and saute until soft.
Step 2: Add in the chipotle peppers, chicken broth, and orange juice.
Step 3: Add the chicken (can first be browned, or raw) to the broth and simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat.
Step 4: Remove chicken once cooked and shred.
Step 5: Keep cooking the sauce for another 10 minutes. Blend the sauce, then add the chicken back in and mix.
Recipe & Cooking tips:
Tip 1 – Brown the chicken thighs before you saute the onions. The browning on the bottom of the pan really enhances the sauce and brings another deep layer of umami to the dish. Don’t worry about some stuck browned stuff on the bottom the of the pan. This is called fond and will be absorbed by the onions.
Tip 2 – Use the juice of 2 oranges for the orange juice if you can, otherwise orange juice also works.
Tip 3 – Use an immersion blender to blitz the sauce before adding the chicken back in. This creates a thicker sauce that will coat the chicken and add EVEN MORE flavor!
Make ahead tip:
I like to make a big batch of this to feed a crowd. You can make the shredded chicken the day before or morning of, and reheat in the sauce when it’s time to eat.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Store this in an airtight container for up for 3 days in the refrigerator. The chicken and sauce can be stored together.
Reheating: Reheat the shredded chicken and sauce in a pot on medium heat until warm, about 20-30 minutes. You can also reheat in the oven safe pan at 350F for 25-30 minutes.
Freezing: The chicken and sauce can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I recommend defrosting slowly overnight and then reheating in a heavy bottomed pan.
Substitutions
- Aromatics – Instead of fresh garlic, feel free to use garlic powder. The onion is important in creating texture in the sauce, but this could be omitted. If you are low fodmap, skip the onions and garlic and just use the chipotles in adobo.
- Chicken – Instead of chicken, you could make this with shredded jackfruit. You can get the canned jackfruit and tear this up and add it directly to the sauce. To keep the sauce vegetarian, use a vegetable broth.
FAQ
Use a meat thermometer at the thickest part of the chicken and see if it is at 165F. I highly recommend using a meat thermometer because it takes the guessing out of it! Otherwise, you can take a piece of chicken out to cut and check the doneness.
If you follow the recipe to a tee, this recipe is I’d say a 6/10 spice level. The chipotles in adobo are very spicy, so if you prefer less spice, only use one pepper rather than half the can.
I love creating a taco bar so everyone can pick and choose what they want on their tacos. Here are a few ideas:
– Flour and corn tortillas
– Sour cream or creme fraiche
– Fresh lime wedges
– Chopped lettuce and cilantro
– Shredded cheese
– Salsas – I love a pico de gallo or even a corn salsa would be delicious with this adobo chicken.
– Guacamole
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VIDEO TUTORIAL:
Recipe:
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Shredded Adobo Chicken for Tacos
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
Shredded adobo chicken tacos are a flavorful and EASY protein to feed a crowd. Whether you’re looking to meal prep a protein for the week or make something for a gathering, this chicken comes together in less than an hour and is delicious!
Ingredients
For the shredded chicken adobo
- 4 lbs of boneless, skinless chicken thighs
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1 yellow onion, diced
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2 tbsp oil
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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1/2 of a 7 oz can of chipotles in adobo
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4 tsp salt
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1/2 tsp black pepper
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1/2 cup orange juice
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4 cups of chicken broth (water also works)
Instructions
- Dice the onion and mince the garlic.
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Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper on each side.
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In a heavy bottomed pot, work in batches to brown chicken thighs on high heat, being careful not to overcrowd the chicken. Browning process should take about 3 minutes on each side. Set browned chicken aside when finished.
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Once all the chicken in browned, cook onions on medium high heat with oil and a pinch of salt until soft, about 7 minutes.
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Add in the chipotles in adobo and minced garlic. Stir and let cook about 2 minutes, then add in the orange juice and the browned chicken. Add enough water or chicken stock to barely cover the chicken (about 4 cups). Bring pot to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook covered for 20 minutes.
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Remove chicken from the pan and shred with 2 forks (or using the paddle attachment of a kitchen aid stand mixer). In the meantime, continue to let the sauce reduce at a simmer for another 10 minutes.
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Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning as needed. Blend the sauce until smooth, or your desired thickness (you can also keep it unblended if you prefer), then add the chicken back in. Serve in tacos, over rice, or in a quesadilla!
Notes
- Brown the chicken thighs before you saute the onions. The browning on the bottom of the pan really enhances the sauce and brings another deep layer of umami to the dish. The brown stuff that might get stuck will be absorbed by the onions.
- Use an immersion blender to blitz the sauce before adding the chicken back in – this will help enhance the flavor and get the sauce to coat the chicken!
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: entertaining made easy
- Method: stovetop
- Cuisine: american
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 338
- Sugar: 1.4
- Sodium: 417
- Fat: 23.6
- Saturated Fat: 3.6
- Carbohydrates: 18.1
- Fiber: 2.5
- Protein: 15.7
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