Close up of a honey chipotle chicken taco with fresh made slaw.

Why you’ll love these honey chipotle chicken tacos

How many times do you buy a can of chipotle peppers only to use one or two of them in a recipe? Well, these honey chipotle chicken tacos are my very successful attempt at using the rest of that can up. I threw them in my food processor with some honey, lemons, limes and lots of other flavorful stuff to make the best taco marinade ever.

After marinating the chicken overnight in a zip-top bag you can cook it however you want. I prefer to grill it and get that nice charred flavor, but I’ve also roasted the chicken in the oven.

To serve the tacos, I make a quick cilantro coleslaw and that’s it. No need for cheese or other boring toppings here.

More Mexican inspired sides: Easy Refried Black Beans / Mexican Quinoa

Close up of grilled chicken thighs.
Chopped up chicken on a cutting board.

Ingredient notes:

  • Chicken – I like to use a mixture of chicken breast and chicken thighs, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
  • Honey – You could also use agave nectar.
  • Chipotle pepper & adobo sauce – The peppers and the adobo come from the same can and you can find it in the international aisle at your grocery store.
  • Colelsaw mix – I use this for convenience, but if you prefer to shred your own cabbage, go for it.
  • Cilantro – Feel free to leave this out if you don’t like cilantro.

Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.

3 chipotle chicken tacos standing up on a plate.

The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.

How to make these chipotle chicken tacos

Make the marinade. Thrown all of the ingredients for the marinade into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Transfer to a zip-top bag with your chicken or a container for storage (if you’re not ready to marinate yet).

Grill the chicken. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (about 400˚F). When the grill is ready, add the chicken and grill for about 8 minutes per side.

Be sure to check the internal temperature before taking the chicken off the grill. You want it to be at 165˚F.

Mix the colelsaw. In a large bowl, mix a bag of prepared coleslaw (or shredded cabbage) with cilantro, mayo and lime juice. Season with salt & pepper to taste.

Assemble the tacos. After the chicken has rested for a few minutes, chop or shred the meat. Then fill your tortillas with a bit of chicken and top with some coleslaw, and you’re good to go. Feel free to serve with any other toppings you might like (such as avocado, tomato, etc). Enjoy!

More dairy free chicken recipes: chicken pomodoro / stuffed peach and prosciutto chicken / chipotle chicken avocado melt / chicken bacon ranch pasta / rotisserie chicken tacos

A taco with chicken and slaw.

More taco recipes you will love

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Honey Chipotle Chicken Tacos

By: Melissa Belanger
Marinated in a blend of spices, citrus and honey, these chipotle chicken tacos are grilled and served with a fresh cilantro slaw for a taco recipe that’s unique and satisfying.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Servings: 10 tacos
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Ingredients 

For the marinade:

  • 2 chipotle peppers + 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • 2 limes, quartered
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled
  • ¼ cup water
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt

For the tacos:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 8 – 10 flour tortillas
  • ½ 14-ounce bag coleslaw mix
  • ⅓ cup cilantro
  • 3 tablespoon mayonnaise, or vegan mayo for egg free
  • 3 tablespoons vinegar or lime juice
  • salt & pepper

For the tacos:

  • Tortillas, flour or corn

Instructions 

  • Combine marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to bag or container with chicken. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 1 hour.
  • Preheat grill to 400˚F. Add chicken and grill for about 8 minutes per side (turning once), or until internal temperature reaches 165˚F. Remove chicken from grill and allow it to rest for about 5 minutes before chopping.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine coleslaw ingredients and season to taste with salt & pepper.
  • To assemble tacos, fill each tortilla with a serving of chicken and top with coleslaw.

Nutrition

Calories: 212kcal, Carbohydrates: 21g, Protein: 12g, Fat: 9g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 29mg, Sodium: 844mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin C: 20mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Hi! I'm Melissa.

I create easy, dairy free recipes because I know how hard living without milk can be. I believe you can live a completely satisfying life without dairy, and I want to teach you how.

Read more about me

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1 Comment

  1. Michelle @ Thistle Key Lane says:

    I’m big on chipotle peppers. This looks awesome 🙂

    Reply