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A glass jar filled with reddish-orange chipotle marinade sits on a wooden surface near a bowl of limes and two jars with sealed lids.
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Chipotle Chicken Marinade

One marinade, six completely different dinners. This is the recipe running our kitchen on repeat right now.
Prep Time10 minutes
Rest2 hours
Total Time2 hours 10 minutes
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: mexican-american
Servings: 4 servings (makes about 1 cup of marinade, enough for 2 lbs chicken)
Calories: 170kcal
Author: Kita Roberts

Equipment

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce plus 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2-3 limes)
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice (optional)
  • 4 cloves garlic smashed
  • 1 tablespoon honey or agave
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican oregano)
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Blend the Marinade

  • Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor. Blend on high until completely smooth, about 30-45 seconds, until it forms a thick, deep red paste.
    Overhead view of a blender containing a orange colored chipotle marinade with visible herb and spice flecks, resting on a white surface.

Coat the Chicken

  • Place chicken in a large zip-top bag or glass bowl. Pour the marinade over it and massage or toss until every piece is fully coated.
    A hand pours chiptole marinade from a jar into a zip-top plastic bag containing raw chicken breasts on a wooden surface.

Marinate

  • Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. 2 to 4 hours is the sweet spot. Do not exceed 24 hours, or the citrus will break down the proteins and turn the chicken mushy.
    Two raw chicken breasts coated in chiptole marinade sit on a white plate with metal tongs, surrounded by limes, a spice jar, and a pepper grinder on a wooden surface.

Notes

  • Storage: marinade alone keeps for 5 days in the fridge / 3 months in the freezer.
  • Marinated raw chicken freezes for 2 months and marinates as it thaws overnight.
  • Cooked chicken keeps 4 days in the fridge.
  • Works on pork tenderloin or shrimp; just adjust the time down, as they don't need to marinate as long.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 170kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 879mg | Potassium: 80mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 287IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg