In this chipotle chicken recipe, we're going to light your taste buds on fire with delicious Southwest flavors. You can use this dry rub on any type of chicken… legs, thighs, drums, breast, quarters, even the whole chicken!
One of my favorite parts about this chipotle chicken recipe is that is completely low-carb, keto friendly, gluten-free and fantastic.
CHIPOTLE CHICKEN RECIPE: SOUTHWEST AT ITS BEST.
I'm not sure if you know this about me, but I'm a massive fan of anything Southwestern. If I can make it southwestern style, I will.
That's whether the recipe is for low-carb, gluten-free, keto friendly or any other way of eating. Southwestern is just one of my favorite flavor profiles and I will try to make any dish sing to this tune.
So let's talk about chipotle chicken. What is it about chipotle chicken that I love? The smoky spiciness.
The flavor is best described like this "absolute deliciousness with just a hint of sweet that is almost irresistible." That's what first came to mind when thinking about this recipe.
CHIPOTLE DRY RUB
He's my favorite part of this recipe: you can use the dry rub on just about any type of chicken.
The only caveat is that the chicken needs to have its skin on in order for this to really work.
You need that extra fatty flavor to really bring out the bold roundness of this dry rub.
Don't have chicken? No problem. Use it as a dry rub on a pork butt or on ribs. It's just so good.
WHAT IS CHIPOTLE CHILI PEPPER
The chipotle pepper is simply a jalapeño that has been smoked until it is dry. After the pepper has been smoked, it gets small and dark red with a sweet heat.
If you have ever seen a whole smoked chipotle pepper you'll notice that they are shriveled, leathery and often times very pliable. I've often found that the heat in the jalapeño pepper is intensified through the smoking process.
ALTERNATIVES FOR CHIPOTLE PEPPERS
It's difficult to duplicate the flavor profile of the chipotle chili pepper. Chipotle peppers have been described as having a flavor that is chocolatey, earthy and smooth.
For me, the main flavor component that I absolutely love is the smokiness. It adds that slightly umami characteristic to so many different dishes.
If you don't have Chipotle on hand, try to mix some Ancho Chili powder with some Smoked Hot Hungarian Paprika. It's not exactly the same but comes close.
LOW CARB CHIPOTLE CHICKEN RECIPE
So why is this dish low-carb? It's chicken. Chicken and a few spices. Very low carbs (they are really only in the spices). That means that this is absolutely wonderful for the low-carb diet, a keto friendly diet, or eating Paleo.
I'm also a huge fan of leaving the skin on the chicken. This is where all the flavor is located... right in the skin. The skin is going to keep your chicken nice and juicy while it's cooking in the oven.
It can provide a fantastic delivery method for all of those spices right into your mouth. The underside of the skin provides enough fat that's going to make each bite taste absolutely delightful.
One of my favorite parts about being on the low-carb way of eating is that I can eat the skin on the chicken. I spent my entire childhood eating boneless skinless chicken breasts that tasted like cardboard.
I love being able to eat the skin, particularly the crunchy, crispy, really decadent browned skin. It makes everything just feel good when I eat it. If you choose to not eat the skin, then the spices will disappear from the equation and it will be VERY LOW-CARB.
HOW TO MAKE A CHIPOTLE CHICKEN RECIPE
First, let's start off by getting some really good chicken. My suggestion is to use the legs and the thighs, with the skin on.
Not only are these the most delicious cuts of the chicken but they are also the juiciest. Nothing better than juicy chicken!
Once you have all your chicken ready to go, all you need to do is mix together the dry rub and coat the chicken. It's that easy.
After having coated the chicken with the chipotle dry rub, it goes right into the oven. When I say that this is a simple recipe – it's a simple recipe.
OTHER CHIPOTLE RECIPES
So today I'm going to include more than just a couple of chipotle recipes. I'm adding in my chorizo recipe as well... because it is just so damn good that I thought you might want to check it out.
The Best Chipotle Chicken Recipe
This recipe has got flavor, flavor, flavor! You're gonna love my chipotle chicken recipe… Hands-down one of my best chicken recipes. Get it today, cook it tonight and smile all the way to bed.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 Chicken Legs
- 4 Chicken Thighs
- 1 tablespoon Lime Juice, Fresh
Chipotle Chicken Dry Rub
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoon Chipotle Powder
- 1 tablespoon Granulated Garlic Powder
- 1 teaspoon Onion Powder
- 1 teaspoon Oregano, Dried
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
- ¼ teaspoon Cayenne Powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Ground Coriander, Optional
Instructions
For the Chipotle Chicken Dry Rub
- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients for the dry rub. Mix well.
For the Chipotle Chicken Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 400f
- Coat the chicken with the lime juice. Sprinkle all of the rub onto the chicken.
- Place the coated chicken into an ovenproof dish.
- When the oven has come to temp, bake for 35-40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165f.
- Remove from the oven. Serve hot and enjoy!
Notes
TIPS FOR THE BEST RESULTS:
I tried coating the chicken in a gallon sized ziplock bag without much luck one of the times I made this recipe. The lime is an important factor in the flavor profile and makes the seasoning stick just as much to the bag as it does to the chicken.
As you can see in the pictures, I also tried to coat the chicken in a bowl, which also resulted in a gloppy mess. My recommendation is to just season the chicken by sprinkling it or rolling the chicken in the dry rub after it has been coated with the lime juice.
SUBSTITUTION AND ALTERNATE FLAVOR IDEAS:
If you don't have the lime juice, that's fine. Although it adds a nice acid to the dish, it is not necessary.
Want to make this even more spicy? Increase the cayenne pepper or add in some ground habanero pepper... WOW, now that's spicy!
You can also add this rub to ribs, shredded chicken or a pork butt before cooking it. It's a very versatile rub!
HOW TO SERVE AND STORE:
The dry rub can be stored in an airtight container for months. Try coating some chicken breasts with it and add a spray or two of oil before grilling... amazing!
Once the chicken is cooked through, this is a dish that is best served hot and immediately.
If you have leftovers, allow them to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Once cool, store them in an airtight container for up to a week in the fridge.
To reheat, add the chicken to a non-stick frying pan with a splash of water. Cover and reheat over high heat until warmed through.
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1 leg 1 thighAmount Per Serving Calories 779Total Fat 42gSaturated Fat 12gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 27gCholesterol 494mgSodium 1178mgCarbohydrates 5gFiber 2gSugar 0gProtein 94g
This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.
Scott - I'm making this this week for one of our dinners!! Looks and sounds amazing!!
Hi Amanda:
Thank you for trying this delicious chicken. I would really love for you to let me know how it went.
Have an excellent day in the kitchen!
Scott
I'm trying this tonight! Sounds amazing!!
I hope that you liked the recipe... sorry for the late response!
LOVE this recipe! Very flavorful and we made enough for leftovers so we can have it again tomorrow. Didn’t have lime juice on hand but it was perfectly fine using as a dry rub on chicken thighs.We will definitely be making this again.
Thanks so much- definitely works just fine without the lime juice too! Apologies for the late response to the comment!