Shredded adobo chicken tacos are a flavorful and EASY protein to feed a crowd. Whether you’re looking to meal prep a protein for the week or make something for a gathering, this chicken comes together in less than an hour and is delicious!

Looking for more protein crowd pleasers? Try my Asian Braised Beef Brisket, my Herby Balsamic Chicken Skewers, or my Monday Meatball Sliders.

The best parts about this recipe

• It can easily be made in a big batch to feed a crowd!
• Minimal ingredients but BIG flavor.
• Can be made ahead and reheated while still maintaining its quality.

Table of Contents

• Ingredient Notes
• How to make Shredded Chicken Adobo Tacos Step by Step
• Recipe and Cooking Tips
• Storage and Reheating
• Additions and Substitutions
• FAQ
• Video Tutorial
• The Recipe
• Looking for more similar recipes?

Ingredient Notes: 

Chicken Thighs – I use boneless skinless chicken thighs. The chicken thighs allow for this dish to reheat easily, and helps keep the chicken tender and juicy. If you want, you can use chicken breast or even bone-in chicken legs.

If using bone-in chicken, be sure to cook the chicken longer than what my recipe calls for. It will likely need 25-30 minutes instead of the 15 minutes.

Chipotles in Adobo Sauce – The secret ingredient to this dish and what adds so much smokiness and flavor. You can find this in the international aisle at most grocery stores. This is SPICY so be careful how much you add. Feel free to just use 1 pepper for a mild version.

Braising liquid – I use both chicken broth and orange juice to braise the chicken. The slight sweetness + umami from the chicken broth + smokiness from the chipotle peppers are delish!

How to make Shredded Adobo Chicken Tacos – Step by Step Instructions:

This is just a quick overview with photos – find the full instructions with all exact ingredients in the recipe card below.

Step 1: Prep the onion and garlic and saute until soft.

Step 2: Add in the chipotle peppers, chicken broth, and orange juice.

Step 3: Add the chicken (can first be browned, or raw) to the broth and simmer for 15 minutes on medium heat.

Step 4: Remove chicken once cooked and shred.

Step 5: Keep cooking the sauce for another 10 minutes. Blend the sauce, then add the chicken back in and mix.

Recipe & Cooking tips:

Tip 1 – Brown the chicken thighs before you saute the onions. The browning on the bottom of the pan really enhances the sauce and brings another deep layer of umami to the dish. Don’t worry about some stuck browned stuff on the bottom the of the pan. This is called fond and will be absorbed by the onions.

Tip 2 – Use the juice of 2 oranges for the orange juice if you can, otherwise orange juice also works.

Tip 3 – Use an immersion blender to blitz the sauce before adding the chicken back in. This creates a thicker sauce that will coat the chicken and add EVEN MORE flavor!

Storage and Reheating

Storage: Store this in an airtight container for up for 3 days in the refrigerator. The chicken and sauce can be stored together.

Reheating: Reheat the shredded chicken and sauce in a pot on medium heat until warm, about 20-30 minutes. You can also reheat in the oven safe pan at 350F for 25-30 minutes.

Freezing: The chicken and sauce can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. I recommend defrosting slowly overnight and then reheating in a heavy bottomed pan.

Substitutions

• Aromatics – Instead of fresh garlic, feel free to use garlic powder. The onion is important in creating texture in the sauce, but this could be omitted. If you are low fodmap, skip the onions and garlic and just use the chipotles in adobo.
• Chicken – Instead of chicken, you could make this with shredded jackfruit. You can get the canned jackfruit and tear this up and add it directly to the sauce. To keep the sauce vegetarian, use a vegetable broth.

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