Honey Chipotle Chicken

Happy Tuesday everyone! In case you missed it on Facebook, this recipe was featured on Perry's Plate yesterday. Thanks again Natalie!

Since we just had Thanksgiving, I thought some Mexican food might be in order, just to have something different! This recipe is quick and easy; very versatile; and the flavor is truly amazing!

Recently, I spotted a dish from a restaurant that sounded really, really good. Honey Chipotle Chicken! I haven't tried the ones at the restaurant yet, but I thought I'd give it a try at home. It was perfect. The lime and honey added smoothness and tartness; with the chipotle adding it's smokey kick. 

If you've never used Chipotle in Adobo Sauce before, no fret. It is found in the mexican aisle by the salsas. You only usually use one pepper, and maybe some sauce. It's really spicy! The rest of the chipotles and sauce can be chopped up, placed by Tablespoons into ice cube trays, and frozen for later use!

Now, on to the recipe!

Honey Chipotle Chicken 
The Double Dipped Life

 In a bowl, mix the following ingredients:

6 Tb honey
5 Tb lime juice (1 large lime)
1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo Sauce, finely chopped
1/2 - 1 teas Chipotle sauce
1/2 teas garlic pepper

Add 3 cooked chicken breasts, or the meat off of one rotisserie,  and toss.  Let the chicken marinate for at least an hour, up to overnight.

Isn't that easy? You can now use the chicken for so many yummy things!  Use in Quesadilla's, burritos, enchiladas, taco salads... any Mexican dish you want!

Enjoy!

Quesadillas and perfecting an old recipe

I was cooking for a crowd last week, and really wanted to make my Lime Cilantro Chicken. However, I needed a meal that would travel well. The thought hit me to do the chicken in the crockpot! That way, I could cook all day, and then the crockpot would keep it warm during the 45 min. drive.

This little experiment resulted in the best batch of Lime Cilantro Chicken I have made to date. The chicken just fell apart, and since it was baked right in the sauce, it had more flavor then when I cook it on the stove.

A few hours into the cooking, our family get-together fell through, so I was left with a lot of chicken! I used some to make these yummy quesadillas, and then froze the rest in 2 cup quantities. Now, I can just pull the chicken out of the freezer whenever I need too!



Here is the basic recipe again. I used 5 chicken breasts, so I doubled the sauce ingredients. I left the chicken whole, and just stacked them in the crockpot.

Lime and Cilantro Chicken

Enough skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips, to feed your family
Juice of 2 limes (can also use the zest for an extra kick)
2 TB Sugar
2 teas. dried Oregano
1/2 teas. Cayenne
1 teas. ground Cinnamon
1 bunch Cilantro
1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

For crockpot:
Mix all of the ingredients, except the chicken, together. Lay the chicken in the crockpot. My chicken was even frozen! Pour marinade over the top, and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Shred chicken, stir, and cook until done.

Serve in a burrito, as fajitas, or in a quesadilla!  Serve with Cilantro Lime Dressing!

I spread cheese on half of a flour tortilla, added chicken and salsa, folded the top of the tortilla over the mixture, and grilled until the cheese melted and the tortilla was crisp. Yum!