This super simple, 5 ingredient Orange Chipotle Chicken will make weeknight dinners a snap. Fresh orange and spicy chipotle marry together for the yummiest marinade.
Can we keep grilling season around all year long? I have been known to fire up the grill in the middle of winter and I love every minute of it.Â
This grilled orange chipotle chicken may just be my new favorite thing. First, you only need 5 ingredients to make this super flavorful chicken.
Here’s the lineup:
- olive oil
- oranges
- garlic
- chipotles in adobo
- kosher salt
Technically, we could even count that as 4 ingredients since salt is a basic, pantry item. Boom.Â
You can use either boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts. I went for thighs this time because they are more flavorful and I love them on the grill.
The only work needed to get this marinade ready is to dice up the chipotle peppers and garlic. And they can just be roughly chopped since they are just going in the marinade.
Here’s a chipotle tip for you. For me at least, I never use a whole can of chipotles in adobo. So instead of only using a partial can and tossing the rest, I portion them out in little snack size bags then toss all those bags into a freezer bag.
They’ll last in the freezer for months and you won’t have to waste any food.Â
I usually put two and a little sauce in each bag since that’s about the average spice level my family can handle. Then if I need more I can thaw two bags. You can use the extras for these tasty tacos (new pictures coming soon).Â
The marination time can range from one to four hours making it perfect for a weeknight dinner. You can throw it in the marinade when you get home from work then have dinner on the grill an hour later.
A little chat on how long to marinate this chicken. You don’t want to marinate it for much longer than 4 hours because of the amount of citrus in the marinade. Any kind of acid can start to “cook” the protein which ends in a really weird texture situation.
Once it’s had time to soak in the delicious fresh, spicy marinade the chicken heads to the grill. Getting that char on the chicken puts it over the top.
This orange chipotle chicken is great on its own, in rice bowls or atop a salad. I’m thinking a Mexican chopped salad with roasted corn, cilantro, black beans, avocado and a citrusy vinaigrette. How good does that sound?!
Orange Chipotle Chicken
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 large oranges, zested and juiced
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo, minced
- 1 Tbsp. adobo sauce from can
- 1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Whisk together olive oil, garlic, salt, orange zest, orange juice, chipotles and adobo together in a bowl with a lid. Add chicken and toss to coat. Marinate for 1 to 4 hours.
- Preheat grill over medium heat. Grill chicken for about 7 minutes per side, until charred and cooked through.
