Easy Baked Chipotle Chicken

Can I be totally honest with you guys?
I am in love with this Easy Baked Chipotle Chicken. So much so that I made a second batch of it the day after devouring the first — which was like two days ago. Speaking of which, I think the time has come to whip up another one because seriously, this is smoky spicy awesomeness.

I adapted the recipe for the chipotle marinade from various sources that all claimed to be a copycat of Chipotle restaurant grilled chicken — which is by far my favorite item to order from their menu.
In this version whole chicken breasts are marinated then roasted in the oven to spicy perfection.
The recipe is super simple to make. The marinade takes literally 5 minutes to throw together and then you decide how long you’ll let the chicken marinate. I recommend overnight for fullest flavor but if you’re in a hurry 30 minutes will do. Needless to say it, the longer you let it stew in that marinade, the more flavor is going to soak into that chicken.
Then all you’re left to do is bake the chicken to juicy, spicy, mouthwatering perfection.

Believe me when I say that I could eat this chicken in a hundred different ways: salads, wraps, tortillas, not the least of which is straight up.
With crazy little prep and crazy huge flavor. Amazing flavor. Seriously, what are you waiting for?

Easy Baked Chipotle Chicken                                                                                                             Print this recipe!

Ingredients
Serves 6

2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
½ medium onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a can of Chipotle peppers
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder (if you can’t find ancho chile powder you can use 1 tablespoon of regular chili powder)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground oregano
2 teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

In the bowl of a food processor (or blender) place onion, garlic, adobo sauce, ancho chile powder, vegetable oil, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper. Pulse until smooth and creamy.
Pour mixture into a measuring cup and add enough water to reach 1 cup.
Place chicken breasts in a shallow container (or in a Ziploc bag) and pour marinade over it.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (overnight for fullest flavor).
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C) and place a rack in the middle. Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish.
Remove chicken breasts from marinade and place them in the prepared baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove with foil, baste with juices, and bake uncovered for further 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through (the temperature should register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.)
Cooking time depends on how big the chicken breasts are and how hot your oven is. What matters most is that the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
Place cooked chicken on a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes.
Slice and serve with your favorite sides or in tortillas.

Nutrition facts

One serving yields 239 calories, 9 grams of fat, 2 grams of carbs, and 37 grams of protein.