Achiote Chicken Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Get your grill ready! Taco Tuesday is calling for Achiote Chicken Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce! Chicken is marinated in a delicious achiote marinade, then grilled and placed in tortillas with homemade creamy chipotle sauce and your favorite taco toppings!
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Achiote Chicken Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce are filled with grilled achiote marinated chicken along with my favorite toppings with a homemade Creamy Chipotle Sauce on top.
The base for the chicken marinade is achiote paste, cilantro, fresh garlic, onion, lime, and spices.
After marinating the meat, grill it to perfection, put it in tortillas and top with Creamy Chipotle Sauce, Avocado Pico de Gallo, and all your other favorite toppings.
What is achiote?
Achiote, or annatto, as it’s sometimes called, is a spice derived from the seeds of the achiote tree. It dyes food a bright reddish, orange color and adds a slightly tangy, mild peppery flavor.
It’s hard to describe the way achiote tastes because it does have a mild flavor, but it adds a delicious earthy tang to these Achiote Chicken Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce.
Achiote paste is what gives this chicken its beautiful dark orange/reddish color.
Ingredients needed to make this recipe (scroll down to recipe card for complete recipe):
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- Achiote powder
- Cilantro
- Garlic
- Onion
- Lime juice
- Avocado/olive oil
- Sour cream
- Chipotle in adobo
- Spices (cumin, ground coriander, salt, pepper, garlic powder)
📍This is just a summary. The full recipe with exact ingredient amounts and instructions is on the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
What is Creamy Chipotle Sauce?
Creamy Chipotle Sauce is a sour-cream based sauce that’s smoky, creamy, and so full of flavor! The sauce complements any kind of Mexican food you add it to.
I make mine with canned chipotles in adobo, which gives it a wonderful spicy, smoky flavor. Fresh lime juice adds a great brightness to it, and the spices give it a nice earthiness.
If you’ve ever been to a Rubio’s restaurant on the west coast, you’ve probably had their creamy white sauce that is on their famous fish tacos!
What kind of chicken is best to make Achiote Chicken Tacos?
I like to use boneless, skinless, thin-sliced chicken breasts or regular chicken breasts sliced in half for this recipe.
Not only do they cook faster, you get more of the marinade’s flavor into the meat.
Boneless, skinless chicken thighs can be used instead if you prefer dark meat.
How long is grilled chicken good for?
Leftover grilled chicken can be kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Need more ideas for your Taco Tuesday? Here are some favorites:
- The Best Mexican Rice
- Fiery Habanero Hot Sauce
- Roasted Tomatillo & Avocado Salsa
- Smoky Slow Cooker Mexican Black Beans
- Slow Cooker Chile Colorado
- Easy Homemade Salsa
💡 Tips & Tricks
- Achiote comes in a soft brick that you can break off into chunks as needed. I’ve linked to it in the recipe card.
- Throw your tortillas on the grill for a couple seconds on each side. This little step adds a ton of flavor and texture to the taco.
- Make the Creamy Chipotle Sauce a couple hours before the tacos if you have time. It gets better the longer the flavors meld.
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Achiote Chicken Tacos with Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Equipment
- Glass/casserole dish to marinate chicken
Ingredients
Creamy Chipotle Sauce
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 lime the juice of
- 1 can chipotles in adobo (1 chipotle + 1 tbsp. adobo sauce from can)
- pinch of salt
- pinch black pepper
Achiote Chicken Marinade
- 1 tablespoon achiote
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 2-3 garlic cloves
- 1/2 white or yellow onion
- 2-3 limes the juice of
- 1/4 cup avocado or olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste
- 2 pounds thin-sliced chicken breasts or regular chicken breasts sliced in half to make them thinner
Instructions
- Combine the sour cream, garlic powder, lime juice, 1 chipotle pepper and 1 tablespoon of adobo sauce, and salt & pepper to a mini food processor. Refrigerate or freeze the rest of the chipotles in adobo for another use. Puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl or squeeze bottle and refrigerate. Shake well before using.
- Wash mini food processor. Make marinade by adding achiote, cilantro, garlic, onion, lime juice, oil, cumin, coriander, salt and pepper to the mini food processor. Puree until smooth.
- Place chicken in a large glass baking dish. Pour half the marinade over the chicken and rub it in. Flip the chicken over and pour the rest of the marinade over it, making sure it's fully coated. Marinate for 2 hours.
- Grill chicken until the internal temperature from a meat thermometer reaches 165°. Let it rest, then slice it against the grain and add it to your favorite tortillas. Top with Creamy Chipotle Sauce and your favorite taco toppings. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Rate it and let me know in the comments below! ♥
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