This chipotle chicken recipe is a simple and flavorful 30-minute dinner with a delicious smoky, creamy sauce (that's healthy and made without heavy cream)! Serve over rice to soak up the extra sauce!
This recipe first appeared on Real Housemoms, where I am a contributor.
With summer here in full force and the kids at home for most of the day, I’m ready to relax into a little less work and a little more play. 🙌
You know, long afternoons at the pool or playground, lazy weekend mornings in our PJs in the backyard, evenings looking for fireflies and sipping on something delicious.
So today I’m bringing you creamy chipotle chicken, a quick and easy dinner that’s big on flavor! It’s ready in 30 minutes so you can spend more time in play mode. 😉
This recipe is based on my chicken breasts with jalapeño cheese sauce recipe - it's the same technique, just a slightly different flavor in the sauce.
Can you tell I like some spicy and some smoky flavors?!
(Oh and my healthy creamy Italian chicken skillet uses the same technique with new flavors too. Sometimes when you find a winner, you want to tweak it and make it ALL the delicious ways!)
This chipotle chicken recipe has tender, juicy chicken breasts that are seared then finished in a rich, velvety sauce. 😍
And oh that chipotle cream sauce; it really takes this dish over the top! It's smoky, with just a touch of heat, and has such a depth of flavor.
Seriously spoon-licking good!
(Plus, it's made with no heavy cream, so it's a bit lightened up and easy to make anytime. Or maybe it's just me who never has heavy cream on hand...)
Also, it's really simple to make -- but sure doesn't taste that way! So in addition to being great for an easy weeknight dinner, it's also a good recipe for company!
Now, I’ve got some notes and tips coming up for this recipe. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Notes on this creamy chipotle chicken recipe:
- To make things efficient, you can chop your onion, garlic and chipotle peppers while the chicken is searing. 👍
- I use â…“ less fat plain cream cheese here. Full fat would work fine, too. You could substitute fat-free cream cheese if that’s what you prefer, but it’ll lose a little richness.
- Similarly, I use nonfat Greek yogurt, but 2% or 5% are OK too. You can also substitute sour cream if that's what you have on hand.
- I use 3 chipotle peppers and 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce in this recipe and find that to be well balanced. You can increase or decrease that to your liking to adjust the smoky and spicy flavors.
You are in for so much YUM!
So let's talk the details of what to do here.
How to make this chipotle chicken recipe:
- You're going to season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper then sear them in a pan with olive oil over medium high heat, to create a beautiful golden brown color. This helps flavor the actual chicken on its own.
- Then you remove the chicken breasts from the pan. No, they aren't finished cooking through. Yes, they will continue to cook in a few minutes.
- In the same skillet, you made the chipotle cream sauce. You sauté the onion, garlic and chipotle peppers over medium heat then add the adobo sauce, chicken broth and cream cheese. Stir until it's all melty and well combined.
- Return the chicken breasts to the pan, along with any of those great juices that accumulate on the plate. That's extra flavor so don't waste it!
- Turn the chicken breasts over in the pan to get them well coated in your yummy sauce. Then cover the pan and cook everything together over medium-low heat until the chicken is all the way cooked through.
- Lastly, after you turn the heat off, stir in the Greek yogurt (or sour cream). This adds a final touch of richness and creaminess, and ensures it won't curdle.
Last tip: Be sure to serve the chicken with ALL the sauce. You don't want to skimp on the sauce.
(The only exception is if you start spooning the sauce to your mouth before you serve it. Been there. It's called the cook's prerogative. 😉)
Ready to round out the rest of the meal?
Serving ideas for chipotle chicken:
- We love serving this over steamed brown rice with plenty of extra sauce! White rice works too.
- You could also try it over quinoa, pasta or mashed potatoes. Even polenta would be great here.
- For a vegetable side, we love this with steamed asparagus (like my steamed lemon butter asparagus) or some steamed or roasted broccoli or broccolini.
- Even just a nice green salad would go well with this. (The chicken has so much flavor, it's OK for the sides to stay pretty simple.)
Flavor up your next chicken dinner with this easy creamy chipotle chicken!
(Some other comforting chicken dishes I plan to try soon: this creamy, garlicky mushroom chicken and this 20-minute cheesy chicken enchilada soup!)
Hope you give this recipe a try and hope you get to enjoy some slower days this summer!
Happy cooking!
XO,
Kathryn
Creamy chipotle chicken
Creamy chipotle chicken is a simple but super flavorful 30-minute dinner with a delicious smoky chipotle cream sauce - that’s healthy!
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 4 (5-6 oz.) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 chipotle peppers, minced
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 oz. â…“ less fat cream cheese
- 2 to 3 tablespoons plain non-fat Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
Instructions
- Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Season chicken breasts with the salt and pepper. Add to pan and sear for 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown.
- Remove chicken breasts from the skillet to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. (They will finish cooking later.)
- Reduce heat to medium and add remaining two teaspoons olive oil to pan.
- Add diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Add garlic and chipotle peppers and saute for 30 more seconds.
- Add adobo sauce, chicken broth and cream cheese and stir until melted.
- Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices, and turn to coat in the sauce.
- Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 7-9 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. (It will depend on how thick your chicken breasts are.) I like to spoon some of the sauce over the chicken breasts halfway through the cooking time.
- Once chicken is cooked through, turn off heat and stir in Greek yogurt. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Serve chicken breasts with extra sauce spooned over the top, and enjoy!
Notes
To make things efficient, you can chop your onion, garlic and chipotle peppers while the chicken is searing.
I use ⅓ less fat cream cheese here. Full fat would work fine, too. You could substitute fat-free cream cheese if that’s what you prefer, but it’ll lose a little richness.
I use 3 chipotle peppers and 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce in this recipe. You can increase or decrease that to your liking.
We love serving this over steamed brown rice with plenty of extra sauce! You could also try it over quinoa, pasta or mashed potatoes.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Amount Per Serving: Calories: 365Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 146mgSodium: 875mgFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 39g
Luci's Morsels
My mouth is watering! Love the idea of using cream cheese in the sauce. So delicious!
Luci’s Morsels | fashion. food. frivolity.
Kathryn
It's so easy and decadent but so much lighter!
Kate | My Little Larder
I'm with you Kathryn! I love spicy and smoky flavours too. I wish it was summer here in New Zealand but unfortunately it's the middle of winter (want to swap?), but I think your dish would be the perfect winter warmer too. I'm making it this week. Yum!
Kathryn
Absolutely, this dinner works any time of year!
Katherine | Love In My Oven
I love that smoky chipotle flavor in dinner! A quick and easy recipe that'll be ready in 30 minutes? Sign me up!
Kathryn
Right?! I'm all about quick and easy!
Arielli
This is a really easy, quick, I-have-everything-it-needs recipe!
Made it the first time with boneless thighs. Amazing!
Never had chipotle peppers before and was surprised at the spicyness but I loved it !
I’m gonna make it again but with drumsticks. Hope it tastes just as good!
Kathryn Doherty
I'm so happy to hear you loved it! Thanks so much for sharing! 😊
Belal
Really easy to cook. Amazing & Delicious!
Kathryn
I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing!
Karissa
This was absolutely delicious!!! My husband devoured it, asking for more! We served it over saffron rice, and I also added some fresh summer squash to the dish when cooking the onions. Love it!
Kathryn
I'm so happy to hear that Karissa! Thanks so much for sharing!
ashley
I want this for dinner!
Kathryn
You gotta try it! 🙂
Crystal Faulkner
This entire recipe just comes together so well. Thank you for sharing it!
Kathryn
Thanks! I hope you enjoy it!
Carolyn
That sauce is the best!
Kathryn
It's SO good! 🙂
Beverly Hayes
What is adobo sauce? Thank you!
Kathryn
Hi Beverly! It's the sauce that the chipotle peppers come in. I buy a small can and it's called "chipotle peppers in adobo sauce." Goya and Embasa are the brands they have in my grocery store and they're near all the taco stuff in the international aisle for me. I hope that helps!
Bailey
Have you tried it in the crock pot? What would the process be like for that? Trying it tonight! Just left the store with ingredients 🙂
Kathryn
Yay, I hope you love the recipe! No, I have not tried this in the crock pot before. Would love to hear if you do it that way though!
Sarah
What amount of Chipotle seasoning would you recommend for this recipe? They do not have Chipotle peppers on the stores here.
Kathryn Doherty
Hmm, I've not made this with that substitution and I'm not sure it's going to be a good swap. You could certainly give it a try though - it might be a tasty, if slightly different, dish! I'd say just do a light dusting of chipotle seasoning on the chicken breasts - maybe a teaspoon total. Would love to hear what you think!
Carol Slater
My partner moans that chicken breast has no flavour, not any more! We both loved this dish, served with steamed green veg it is a great low carb dinner that tastes fantastic. Will definitely make again.
Kathryn Doherty
Oh I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it Carol! Thanks for sharing! 😊
John Hamblin
What is a substitute for the adobo sauce. We don't have that here in the frozen north.
Kathryn Doherty
It's the sauce that the chipotle peppers come in - you buy them as "Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce." They have some you can order on Amazon if that helps (or to see what it looks like) - https://amzn.to/3itqS8u I'm not sure there's a great substitute, but if you somehow have the chipotle peppers and no sauce, you could probably just leave the sauce off. Hope that helps!
Sarah Cheek
If you have an Albertsons near you, they should have some. Just bought some at the Albertsons in Miles City, Montana. Hope this helps. And also, I have made this 3 times. The first time I followed the recipe to a tee. The next 2 times I tripled the ingredients for the sauce. We like enough sauce to coat all of our rice. I also add about a teaspoon to a teaspoon and a half of browning sauce to mine. This recipe is so good!
Kathryn Doherty
Thanks for the info Sarah! And I'm so happy to hear you love this recipe! 😊
John Hamblin
Thanks for responding.