Honey Chipotle Chicken Bowls

From Clare’s Kitchen

Prep time: 5 min | Total time: 10 min
x1 Serving: 4
x2 Serving: 8
x3 Serving: 12

See the Crock-Pot and Instapot versions below

Ingredients

x1 Serving

• 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs

• 1 – 4 chipotle pepper, finely chopped

• 2 Tablespoons adobo sauce

• 3 Tablespoons honey

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 lime, juiced

x2 Serving

• 3 lbs chicken thighs

• 4 chipotle pepper, finely chopped

• 4 Tablespoons adobo sauce

• 6 Tablespoons honey

• 2 teaspoon onion powder

• 2 teaspoon garlic powder

• 2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

• 2 can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 2 lime, juiced

x3 Serving

• 4 ½ lbs chicken thighs

• 6 chipotle pepper, finely chopped

• 2 Tablespoons adobo sauce

• 3 Tablespoons honey

• 1 teaspoon onion powder

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ teaspoon ground cumin

• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

• 1 lime, juiced

For Serving:

• Rice

• Slices of a lime

• Mild salsa

• Fresh cilantro

Instructions

Crock-Pot Version

1. Add the chicken to your Crock-Pot. No need to add oil or extra water/broth.

2. Add the chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, honey, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cumin. Stir or toss everything together so the chicken is well coated.

3. Cook on LOW for 5 – 6 hours or HIGH for 2½ – 3½ hours, until the chicken is very tender and reaches 165°F internally. [I prefer LOW for this recipe because the chicken thighs become especially tender.]

4. Transfer the chicken to a bowl or cutting board and shred it with two forks.

5. Return the shredded chicken to the Crock-Pot and stir it into the sauce. If the sauce seems particularly thin, leave the lid off and cook on HIGH for about 10 – 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, to thicken it.

6. Stir in the drained black beans and lime juice. Cover and cook for another 10 – 15 minutes, just until the beans are warmed through.

7. Serve over rice and top with fresh lime juice and cilantro.

Insta Pot Version

1. Cut fat off the chicken thighs. Combine the chicken, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, honey, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and cumin in the Instapot. Stir well. Cook on high pressure for 13 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes; then release the remaining pressure manually.

2. Remove the chicken and place in a bowl or cutting board using tongs. Shred the chicken with two forks. If you’d like to reduce the sauce, set to sauté and simmer 5 minutes. Add the chicken back into the pot.

3. Stir in the black beans and a squeeze of lime juice. Set to sauté and let the beans warm through, 2 – 3 minutes. Serve over rice with lime + cilantro.

Notes:

I normally get the largest tray of chicken thighs from Aldi which is usually around 3.5 lbs and use that with the 3x recipe. And when doing it in the Instant-Pot I’ve learned to add about ⅓ cup water or chicken broth to the sauce mixture or else it’s too thick and you’ll get a burn notice in the Insta-Pot. Pair with whatever rice you prefer!!

• Don't add extra broth/water. The chicken will release plenty of liquid as it cooks.

• For a less spicy version, start with 1 chipotle pepper. You can always add more after shredding.

• If you're using boneless, skinless thighs, start checking them toward the lower end of the cooking time. Bone-in thighs may need a little longer.

• For the best texture, don't add the black beans at the beginning—they can get mushy after several hours.

If you're making the 2× (3 lb) batch, you can simply double the ingredients and use the same cooking times, though a very full Crock-Pot may need a little extra time.