It seems like most recipes that call for chipotle peppers never use the whole small can meaning there are always leftover peppers in adobo sauce that go to waste unless you can come up with another recipe on the fly. Today's recipe, Spicy Chipotle Chicken and Peppers, does just that by using any remaining peppers and sauce to create a quick chicken marinade and season the final dish. You can essentially call this recipe a Western Stir Fry since it combines the basic idea of a classic Asian Stir Fry with more Western seasonings and flavors. No matter what you call it, this Spicy Chicken and Peppers dish is delicious and sure to please the entire family so think of it next time you find yourself with extra chipotle peppers in adobo sauce...Let's Get Cooking!
The first step in this recipe is to make a quick marinade for the chicken. Using whatever leftover chipotles in adobo sauce you have on hand, about a half can or so, quickly pulse them in a blender or use a knife to chop them up. If you have slightly less than a half a can, simply add a tablespoon or so of olive oil to stretch the chipotle paste. Ultimately, you want to have about a 1/4 cup of paste to season the chicken and the stir fry later on. Use about half the chipotle paste to coat some boneless, skinless chicken thighs. At this point, leave them whole and only season them with some salt and pepper otherwise.
Next, we are going to quickly cook the chicken. You can either use an Air Fryer to speed things up or your oven. If using an Air Fryer, preheat it to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cook the chicken 10 to 12 minutes, flipping it at the halfway point. Otherwise, bake the chicken in the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes, then broil it on each side for about 3-4 minutes to help develop some additional color and finish cooking it through. Whichever method you use, be sure the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, and we will later it get it up to the perfect 175 degrees during the stir fry procedure.
While your chicken is cooking, roughly dice the bell peppers and onion into 1/2-inch to 3/4-inch pieces. It's really the only prep work required for this recipe so just knock it out when you have a free moment, either before cooking the chicken, during, or now since we are about to begin the stir fry procedure. Any color bell pepper will work for this recipe so use what you have on hand.
Once your chicken has cooked, dice it into small, bite-sized pieces and set aside for now. To keep it warm, I placed mine in a mixing bowl and covered it with a lid. You could also use the residual heat from the oven if you didn't Air Fry your chicken.
When your chicken is cooked and all the veggie prep work is complete, add some oil to a large sauté pan and heat it over Medium-High. Add the bell peppers and sauté them for 3 to 4 minutes.
Now add the diced onion and continue sauteing the veggies for 2 additional minutes. As always, season with a bit of salt/pepper or some seasoning salt mix.
Once the onions just begin to turn translucent, add some minced garlic and continue cooking for about 1 minute, until it is fragrant and your mouth really starts watering! We are almost done so just hang in there!
Add the cooked and diced chicken to the pan with the veggies. Give everything a stir and add the remaining chipotle paste and a bit of lime juice. Stir until everything is coated and well-seasoned.
At this point, let the Spicy Chipotle Chicken and Peppers cook until the chicken is warmed back up to temperature, about 3-4 minutes. That's it! A super simple recipe that uses up remaining chipotle peppers in adobo sauce along with a few other pantry staples to create a Western style Stir Fry anyone will enjoy! Obviously, you can crank up the spice level with additional hot peppers, Sriracha, or Sambal. I kept things really simple with this particular version, but adding additional vegetables like baby corn or broccoli, etc. would just knock this out of the park so get in the kitchen and give it a try for yourself next time you find yourself wondering what to do with those extra chipotle peppers from another recipe....Just Keep Cooking!
SPICY CHIPOTLE CHICKEN AND PEPPERS
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