These Achiote Chipotle Chicken Tacos are smoky, savory, and packed with bold chile flavor. The chicken is coated in a deeply flavorful achiote-chipotle marinade before being cooked until juicy with beautifully charred edges. Piled into warm corn tortillas and finished with fresh toppings, these tacos are simple enough for a weeknight but packed with the kind of flavor you want from a great taco.

What will you need?

• chicken thighs
• salt
• avocado oil
• achiote paste
• chipotles in adobo
• white onion
• garlic
• apple cider vinegar
• orange juice
• lime juice
• cumin
• mustard powder
• oregano
• black peppercorns
• thyme
• smoked paprika
• salsa, for serving
• guacamole, for serving
• corn torillas, warmed for serving
• cilantro and onion, for garnish
• lime, for garnish

How to make it

Place the chicken in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and avocado oil. Mix to coat. To a blender, add in the achiote paste, chipotles in adobo, onion, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, oregano, black peppercorns, mustard powder, thyme, smoked paprika, and apple cider vinegar. Blend until smooth. Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix together thoroughly until everything is coated well. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight for best results.

I like to use a smoker to cook the chicken. Charcoal grill is also a great method. You can also use an oven or a skillet. For the smoker, I set it to 420F. Add in the chicken and cook for 15 minutes. Flip and cook another 15 minutes. Keep cooking until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165F. Place the chicken in a container and cover. Let rest 15 minutes then chop it into pieces.

Place some warmed corn tortillas on a plate and add in some chicken. Top with salsa, guacamole, cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of lime. Hope you enjoy!

Achiote Chipotle Chicken Tacos

5 from 1 vote

Recipe by Zachary Rodriguez Course: MainCuisine: MexicanDifficulty: Easy

Servings

4

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Calories

300

kcal

Ingredients

• 6-8 boneless skinless chicken thighs

• 2 tsp salt

• 3 tbsp avocado oil

• 1/2 a 3.5oz package of achiote paste

• 1 3.5oz can chipotle in adobo

• 1/4 white onion

• 4 garlic cloves

• juice from 1 orange

• juice from 1 lime

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp cumin

• 1 tsp black peppercorns

• 1 tsp mustard powder

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• 1 tsp thyme

• salsa for serving

• guacamole, for serving

• cilantro and onion, chopped for garnish

• corn tortillas, warmed for serving

• lime wedge for serving

Directions

• Place the chicken in a mixing bowl. Season with salt and avocado oil. Mix to coat. To a blender, add in the achiote paste, chipotles in adobo, onion, garlic, orange juice, lime juice, cumin, oregano, black peppercorns, mustard powder, thyme, smoked paprika, and apple cider vinegar. Blend until smooth. Pour the marinade over the chicken and mix together thoroughly until everything is coated well. Place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight for best results.
• I like to use a smoker to cook the chicken. Charcoal grill is also a great method. You can also use an oven or a skillet. For the smoker, I set it to 420F. Add in the chicken and cook for 15 minutes. Flip and cook another 15 minutes. Keep cooking until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 165F. Place the chicken in a container and cover. Let rest 15 minutes then chop it into pieces.
• Place some warmed corn tortillas on a plate and add in some chicken. Top with salsa, guacamole, cilantro, onion, and a squeeze of lime. Hope you enjoy!