1-Pan Mexican Shredded Chicken

This was SOOOOO good! I had some chicken breast in my freezer waiting for something special and this was it!

I didn’t have and forgot to pick up the chipotle in adobo but I had Trader Joe’s Smoky and Hot chile powder so I loaded up with that (and chili powder of course!) and it was bomb!

I ate it with cilantro, brown rice (I make my brown rice with a lot of water so it’s really moist and yummy) and a tiny avocado as I’m trying to eat smaller portions and that was easy to.

Sunday is my cheat day so I’m going to make a nice burrito supreme with cheddar cheese, sour cream taco sauce lime crema and refried beans.

I’m in love with this recipe!

This is a very easy and tasty recipe. I probably added more spices, I didn’t measure and was very generous with them.

As others have done i added and cooked onion,garlic and pepper before adding the chicken i also used some home made taco seasoning as we don’t really have American style chilli powder where am but i guess by the notes it is very similar apart from that i did as per recipe.
I of course got carried away and ended up making a burrito style wrap with the rice and lots of grated English cheddar which were wrapped in foil and baked till very hot and the cheese had melted they were sooooo nice and juicy too.

This is my favorite chicken recipe. So good.
I did this recipe many times. Lately I started to add one small onion and some garlic after I shredded the chicken and after I cooked the onion and garlic I add the chicken. And it became more moist and tasty.

I’m the lone vegetarian in my house, but I made this for my family and all three kids and my husband loved it and asked to add it to our regular rotation. That never happens! :)

Back here after round two of this delicious dish. Still haven’t learned to stick to just the one chipotle pepper 🔥 but the extra spice makes this plate even more addictive!!

This is the recipe that introduced me to chipotles in adobo – and it’s now one of my favorite ingredients. The first time, I accidentally used the whole can, but luckily my family loves spicy food so I continued to use at least 2 peppers when I made this recipe again. The chicken is so versatile for tacos, rice bowls, nachos, etc. I love the smoky/earthiness and most importantly, how easy it is! It’s become a staple. Thank you!

I was a vegetarian for 10 years, but Im not anymore. This recipe is that amazing.

I used one larger chicken breast instead of two regular and it needed about 8 minutes more cook time (I’m talking a mammoth of a chicken breast so this might just be useless info lol). It ended up being super delicious! I left out the chipotle because I didn’t have it but I was definitely missing the spice to round out all the flavours so next time I’ll make sure to have it before I make this !!! Thanks so much

The bf loooovvveesss this, so do I! I will be making this again ❤️

Super great recipe! I only had some plain adobo sauce, but it worked amazing. This recipe is definitely beginner friendly as well. Definitely a staple. I can’t wait to try it with tofu!

I just made this dish this evening and it was so simple and delicious! The whole family loved it – we had it with a finely shredded red cabbage, lime and coriander salad, pickled red onions, guacamole in soft corn tacos – divine!! Thanks so much for the recipe,

Great recipe!! Added tsp of cornstarch to thicken sauce. Will definitely make again!!

Ah man, what a FANTASTIC weeknight dinner! I used chicken thighs and, due to the shape of the thigh-cut, found it easier to just dump them in a bowl to mix ’em up with the seasoning till evenly coated. Don’t be tempted to skimp on the chili powder like I was, the spice proportions are perfect as-is. After cooking, I added the rest of the ingredients right into the pan, which wasn’t too greasy, and in fact needed the extra juice, so DO NOT DRAIN – however, I did trim the excess fat before seasoning. After shredding the chicken it smelled so good, I almost omitted the chili adobo. If you are tempted to do the same, DON’T – just don’t. My only complaint is that it’s nigh impossible to shred the chicken to a uniform size after cooking, but hey – if you want slow-cooker carnitas, make carnitas! This recipe fed two hungry foodie adults dinner (two rice bowls as specified) and then tacos (three each) for lunch the next day, with some left over! Could easily be stretched even further. 10/10, will make again.

I have enjoyed so so so many of your recipes (thank you!!!).

This one in particular taught me how to make a tender tasty chicken breast. WoW! Never have I ever been able to do this no matter what I’ve tried in the past. So this is a double thank you with a cherry on top!

(p.s. I’m off to make your raw carrot cake and coconut creamy frosting now)

So good! I come to your site often for vegan recipes and I was pleasantly surprised to find this gem. I was looking for a burrito bowl recipe as I help (code for cook) my son meal prep for the week. It was perfect with your burrito bowl recipe. Thanks!

So so so good! I don’t know how I never thought of simmering shredded chicken in broth 😂 I did make 1 substitution – instead of chili powder + a chipotle pepper, I just replaced the chili powder with chipotle powder! Much easier, still get an incredible result. This recipe is great for prepping and can be added to tacos, Tostadas, rolled up into taquitos, truly on anything! Im kinda eh on prepping chicken breast for the week but this has changed the game for me. Thank you Minimalist Baker!! 🤩

Another great recipe from Minimalist Baker. My boyfriend says it’s the best shredded chicken he’s ever had. We’re from California and his favorite type of food is Mexican food so I’m competing with A LOT. This recipe makes me look like a genius. Love how easy and flavorful this is.

This is an awesome recipe. Juicy, tender with just enough kick.

This chicken was soo good! I did a bit of a variation with the cooking – baked the breasts in the oven covered in all the spices for about 15 mins (the largest was ALMOST all the way cooked) then shredded in the pan, added chicken broth & chipotle/adobo, and let it simmer for around 10 mins til everything was cooked through. This was sooo good and spicy. I served it with arepas (Minimalist Baker’s recipe too!) with quick pickled onions, lime, sriracha aoli & tons of cilantro. Probably the best meal I’ve ever made :)

Personally i wouldn’t add so much lime juice. And i actually preffered the chicken before being added into the broth (which totally defeats the purpose, i know). Perhaps the quality of the broth and juice matters quite a lot in this final step. Will try again.

Before being put into the broth it tasted great though!

Delicious and simple to make

Great recipe for when you want more than a rotisserie chicken for your tacos, enchiladas, and burritos. I found a 3-month-old package of chicken thighs in the back of my freezer and to my surprise, they were still good so I used them. Weight-wise, I’m sure it weighed more than 2 breasts but I didn’t “upsize” the seasoning since I plan to use it with a spicy sauce. Shredding was a bit time consuming but I know it will pay off in the final recipe.

Excellent. Versatile. I added some of the adobo sauce and used two of the peppers. Will make this again and again!

Excellent recipe!
I didn’t have the chipotle in Adobe sauce, but feel like it didn’t even need it. Will add this recipe to my rotation for sure!

I am a vegetarian but was making the pumpkin and blackbean soup and saw you link to this. I wasn’t always a veg but I changed over all the recipes I used to make as one to veg but using subs as my meat. I decided to try a similar approach with a vegetarian chicken sub for this one and it worked awesome! The spices were fantastic, loved the add of lime and then the broth actually also added a really delicious moisture to the chicken sub as well. Only thing I didn’t do was shred since it’s slightly diff texture, I cubed, but loved this, thank you. Obviously cooking times differ a lot with subs but got exactly what i was looking for out of this, the flavors. :)

So easy and delicious! Have made several of your recipes and always love the results — thank you!

Another perfect recipe Dana! Chipotles in Adobo Sauce can be hard to find in Sydney, so I sometimes substitute with smoked paprika and sriracha. The chicken has such a gorgeous flavour and doesn’t dry out after a couple of days in the fridge.
I serve is on a bed of Mexican slaw made of finely sliced purple & white cabbage, carrot, coriander, capsicum, and dressing of fresh orange & lime juice, oil, and paprika.

Delicious! My family said it was some of the best chicken I’ve ever made. I usually boil my chicken, shred and then add the spices, but I liked this method for a change and maybe a little less work … ah but shredding is still shredding :) but definitely worth it! Another A+ meal! thank you Dana!

Very easy and delicious ?

I’ve made this 3 times now in the last few months, I have to say its one of my all time fave chicken recipes. I always pair it with your Cauliflower rice burrito bowl recipe, but its so versatile you can add this to so many things. I’m eating it right now and I love it so much! Thank you!

My family loves this chicken. We make a burrito bowl with it and the kids say it’s better than chipotle ?

REcipe looks great. I am a bit confused on where to find “chiptole in adobe sauce”. Do I buy this pre made? Do I find some chiptole peppers and make my own adobe sauce?
pls help.

Thank you!

Wonderful flavor and simple prep. Used this for burrito bowls twice. Perfect mix of spice and the lime juice adds pizazz—wouldn’t change a thing. So very flavorful and versatile. Made as written in cast iron, but with three breasts (added half again the spice and lime juice); it took about 5 minutes longer as the chicken breasts were large and more crowded in the pan. Had enough left to do a layered dip for a party, and everyone loved it.
I love your recipes and this is another winner—Five big stars!!

So delicious! We had tacos, made our own corn torillas and salsa. Our daughter had 4 tacos! That means they were amazing.

Delicious! The chicken breasts I used were thicker so I had to keep it on the heat a little longer. The cilantro rice was incredible. I only wish I had added a splash of lime juice. I do not like to cook, but this was so easy and tasty that I will absolutely make this again.

I had no idea that I possessed the power to make something so delicious. I added it to Peruvian-style chimichurri rice, but before I could even do that I was basically shoveling it into my mouth straight out of the pan. I added a bit of diced jalapeño and garlic to it along with the chipotle (also dumped a bunch of the adobo sauce in), lime juice, and chicken broth (didn’t have veg broth on hand). This chicken is so good and so easy. Definitely a new go-to recipe — I see much more burrito bowl meal prepping in my future.

Made this last night and had leftovers for lunch today. Was so lovely and easy to make. I mixed with some shop brought packet mexican wholegrain rice and quinoa (for convenience) and Roasted some cherry tomatoes, mixed it all together and it was a lovely and filling quick meal and Lunch. Thank you :)

OMG. Dana. This was so good and that’s with chicken purchased at…Target. I’m a disaster of a cook and even I was able to put this together. Planning on adding this to the meal rotation. Thank you!

My new go-to recipe for burrito bowls and tacos! I do mine in a crockpot (high for 3 hrs) instead of a cast iron skillet and it turns out so great.

This is fantastic. It has quickly become a weekly staple in our house. I’m not the best at cooking chicken (or meat in general…) and this was easy to get right.

Amazing! The perfect amount of flavor, and so simple and fast to cook. I will be returning to this recipe over and over again.

Excellent recipe. We loved it & we are living in Mexico. Haven’t had a bad recipe from your website yet. Thanks.

Dana – this was so good! Easy and delicious. Thank you for incorporating some tasty meat dishes into your blog. I have been eating mostly plant-based, and have struggled realizing that I need meat more often. Encouragement in the form of a recipe from you has been so helpful. Thank you ♥️

I made a double batch of this so I could use half for the burrito bowls and the other half in the pumpkin black bean soup- it was so easy! I used about 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs and cooked them in my Instant Pot- used about a cup of broth and doubled all the rest of the ingredients, cooked at high pressure for 10 minutes. Turned out fantastic, and worked great in both recipes!

Also wanted to say that I fully support you and the new direction your blog is taking. I am not vegetarian, but I have been making your recipes for years, both from the blog and your cookbook. Many times I will make them as-is, but they have been easy to adapt if I want to add meat or fish. And, I know I can always find a delicious recipe here if I am cooking for vegan or vegetarian friends. Just wanted to say thank you!!

Absolutely delicious THANK YOU. Loved the chicken recipe too!

I made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly, adding a bit more of the adobo sauce to the chicken for more spice. It all came together in one skillet which was great (I uesd a big cast iron) and it was absolutely delicious. Thanks for another fabulous recipe that I’ll definitely be making again and again!

This was excellent. My chicken took a lot longer to cook, so I ended up putting some of the liquid in with it and covering it completely to help it finish. We ate it in a tortilla with avocado, tomatillos, and roasted anaheim peppers and onions.

So delicious! I made these with chicken breast tenders and they turned out perfectly. I added some to the pumpkin black bean soup and kept the rest for meals later in the week ?

Delicious and fast. Tastes way better than chicken cooked in a slow cooker. You can adjust the seasonings based on personal preference. I regularly have all of these ingredients on had (with the exception of the peppers) and it still tastes amazing without them. I’ll make this one often.

I made this yesterday and it was a huge success!!!

LOVED this chicken recipe! The cooking method produced super moist, easy-to-shred chicken that we made tacos bowls with, yum. I’ve always trusted MB recipes, and have made a ton of the baked goods/granolas/soups on the site, and so I was thrilled to check this new one out — I’m so here for the increasing diversity in the recipes provided!

Thank you for posting more meat recipes! My health and diet have had to change a LOT over the years and since I already trusted your plant-based recipes (they’re all SO good), I knew I couldn’t go wrong with your meat recipes. So thank you for being the person you are and for sharing the amazing things you know about cooking. ❤️

Wow. So easy, so delicious. I admit I started eating the chicken prior to the shredding.
Just perfect with anything. I topped a simple salad with the chicken and served sweet potato fries.
I wasn’t sure about “adobe sauce”. I got some fresh adobe spice and mixed it with coconut milk. Yum.

The flavor was great! I left out the chipotle in adobo (because that would’ve meant a trip to the store, plus I have kids who don’t like spicy food) but it tasted amazing to me! We put it on tortillas with some rice, refried beans, and cheese. It was really fast and easy to put together. d

This recipe is the bomb.com! I used what I had on hand, such as dried chipotle powder and chicken thighs. I added sautéed onions and garlic to the pan; added spices to the oil and bloomed them in the heat with the other items; deglazed the pan with chicken stock; added skinless chicken thighs and let it simmer. I also added more liquid if I felt the pan needed it since I was too lazy to sear the chicken. Once the chicken was cooked, I shredded it and added it back to the pan and reduced the sauce a bit. This chicken was so yummy with guacamole and a touch of sour cream and warm tortillas. Tomorrow I’m eating the rest for breakfast. Great recipe! ?

I decided to make this tonight since it was 5:00 and I had not thought of what to make for dinner yet (again!) I am so glad I did. It was delicious! I used fresh chicken tenderloins bc that’s what I had, I also doubled the spices and skipped the adobo (kids!) Great, great recipe. Thanks Dana!

I’ve been wanting to make shredded chicken for weeks using chicken breast but couldn’t find a good recipe. This was so tasty and easy. Will definitely make over and over.