An easy, slow cooked chipotle chicken that creates the most tender, pull apart shredded chicken. With minimal effort, and only 5 ingredients, you can simply relax while your oven or slow cooker does all the hard work for you!

slow cooked shredded chipotle chicken in a baking tray

When it comes to soul-warming dishes, few can rival the aromatic allure of slow-cooked chipotle chicken. This mouthwatering masterpiece takes shredded chipotle chicken to a whole new level of deliciousness. Using only 5 ingredients this really is an easy dish to enjoy. All you have to do is put the ingredients in a baking tray or slow cooker and get on with your day while your oven (or slow cooker) does all the hard work for you

In this recipe, I will delve further into the mouth-watering world of slow-cooked and shredded chipotle chicken, offer some inventive serving suggestions, and highlight the wholesome nature of this homemade gem.

What is chipotle paste?

Chipotle paste is typically made from a purée of chipotle chillies, which are jalapeño chillies that have been smoked and dried. However the paste will also usually include additional ingredients such as onion, garlic, tomato purée, vinegar, spices, dried herbs and sugar.

So in terms of diabetic carb counting requirements, I would always read the nutritional label of your chipotle paste to see how much sugar has been added. That way you can then decide the carb counting requirements for the paste depending on the amount used.

Chipotle pastes have such a lovely smoky, slightly spicy flavour which adds so much extra depth to your sauces and marinades. I use it in my MEXICAN CHIPOTLE KIDNEY BEANS and EASY VEGAN LENTIL AND BEAN CHILLI, which combined with the 3 types of paprika makes this dish absolutely delectable.

mexican chipotle kidney beans in a bowl — Mexican Chipotle Kidney Beans

vegan lentil chilli in a bowl — Mexican Chipotle Kidney Beans

I would suggest however that you try out some different brands of chipotle paste as I do find that they vary in depth of flavour and spiciness quite a lot.

My current favourites are pastes by Very Lazy and Waitrose’s own brand which area little milder or Gran Luchito Chipotle Chilli Paste which is a little spicier.

What Are the Health Benefits of Homemade Chipotle Chicken?

One of the most appealing aspects of crafting your own slow-cooked chipotle chicken is the freedom to select your ingredients.

Chicken – You can choose premium, lean chicken to ensure a protein-packed meal without the added fat.

Black-eyed beans – apart from providing a protein punch, are a terrific source of dietary fibre, adding an extra layer of goodness to this recipe.

Tinned tomatoes – are a natural source of essential vitamins and minerals, in particular the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits.

By preparing this dish at home, you’re in control and you can be confident that your creation avoids artificial preservatives and unnecessary sugars. It’s the taste of homemade authenticity with added health benefits as well.

What you will need to make slow cooked chipotle chicken

Chicken Breasts
- I opted to use chicken breasts as they generally have 3 times less saturated fat than thighs
- However, feel free to use boneless thighs or a mixture if you prefer
- Try and buy free-range or RSPCA assured chicken
Chipotle Paste
- Adds a deliciously smoky slightly spicy flavour
- See notes above
Tinned tomatoes
- When heated they release more antioxidants.
- They are a brilliant source of the antioxidant lycopene, which has been linked to many health benefits
- Also a great source of vitamin C and K
Onions
- Bring an essential flavour and gentle sweetness to the sauce
Black-eyed beans
- Incredibly nutrient-dense, packing plenty of fibre and protein into each serving.
- High in protein and fibre

How to make Shredded chipotle chicken

I love the simplicity of this recipe. There is minimal preparation and all you have to do is let the oven or your slow cooker do all of the hard work.

This is how to make shredded chipotle chicken in the oven:

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 160 C / 140 C Fan

uncooked slow cooked chipotle chicken in a baking tray

Step 2

Coat the chicken breasts with 2 tbsp of your chipotle paste in your roasting tin.

Once you have sliced your onions, add them along with the tinned tomatoes and an extra tbsp of chipotle paste.

Mix well, cover with foil and leave it in the oven to cook slowly for 4.5 hours

slow cooked chipotle chicken in a baking tray with the black eyed beans on top

Step 3

Remove from the oven and take off the foil. Add the beans with the water and mix them through.

Put the chicken back in the oven uncovered and cook for a further 30 minutes.

This will warm through the beans and allow the sauce to thicken up into a glorious sticky mishmash of smokey tastiness.

Step 4

Remove the chicken from the oven and with a spoon and fork gently pull the chicken apart to shred it.

How to Adapt the Recipe to Dietary Preferences?

This recipe is also incredibly versatile. Even though it is already dairy and gluten free you can also make this recipe suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Just ensure that you consider how you serve the dish in order to meet individual dietary preferences. See the serving suggestions below for ideas.

Whenever I make a chicken dish I always try to consider a way of adapting it to suit vegetarians and vegans. This is usually quite easy to achieve by simply creating the sauces and adding particular vegetables or vegetarian alternatives like soya-based products the dishes work just as well.

SLow cooked Vegetarian chipotle Fake chicken in a baking dish

For this particular shredded chicken recipe, I simply oven cooked a separate dish of sliced onions, 1 tbsp of chipotle paste and 1 tin of tomatoes for a couple of hours (cover with foil again). Then 30 minutes before serving I added the beans and a couple of Quorn fillets pasted with some extra chipotle paste, covered them with the sauce and placed it back in the oven to heat through.

You could also swap the soy-based “chicken” fillets for Jack fruit to recreate that vegan “pulled meat” effect.

Serving suggestions for Shredded Chipotle Chicken

This slow cooked, fall-apart chipotle chicken is a great dairy and gluten-free meal option. But it is also a great addition to a Mexican night, which is a pretty common event for us. There is just something about that freedom to create your own flavour combinations by switching up your sides and toppings that we all love.

But here are a few other suggestions for how to serve this slow cooked shredded chipotle chicken.

In Tacos – Load up warm tortillas with your smoky shredded chipotle chicken and layer on the toppings. Like fresh salsa, crunch red cabbage with creamy avocado, and a sprinkle of cheese.

No Burrito Bowl – Create a personalised burrito bowl with a base of hearty brown rice, crunchy shredded pickled red cabbage, sliced avocado, sweetcorn and a generous serving of shredded chipotle chicken. Serve it with your favourite Mexican condiments.

shredded chipotle chicken served in a mexican burrito bowl with jalepenos, tortillas and sour cream on the side

Sandwiches – For a lunchtime delight, assemble a hearty sandwich with a generous helping of shredded chipotle chicken nestled between slices of crusty bread. Add crisp lettuce, juicy tomatoes, and your favourite spreads for a fulfilling meal.

Vibrant Salads: Craft a vibrant salad by mixing fresh greens with your flavorful chipotle chicken, diced avocado and beetroot with some tinned corn. Finish it with a drizzle of your choice of dressing for a healthy and refreshing option.

Crispy Jacket Potato – Stuff the slow cooked chipotle chicken into a crispy baked potato or sweet potato. Serve with a fresh salad for a filling and tasty meal.

With Rice – Enjoy the slow cooked chicken with a side of flavoured rice like my tasty SRIRACHA RICE SALAD. Add a green salad for a well rounded and delicious dinner.

With Sweet Potato – This shredded chicken recipe goes so well with a side of sweet potatoes. I can highly recommend either my easy Sauteed Sweet Potatoes or Smoked Paprika Sweet Potato Wedges.

Toppings that taste great with chipotle chicken

Grated cheddar cheese
Homemade Rainbow Coleslaw – No Mayo
Sour cream or crème fraîche
Sliced or diced avocado
Jalapenos
Tortilla chips (crumbled if desired)
Lime wedges
Pickled red onions
Chipotle chilli flakes

Storing any leftover Chipotle Chicken

Any leftovers can be put into an airtight container once cooled. Store it in the fridge for a couple of days and enjoy it in a wrap with lots of lettuce and mayo.

Alternatively, you can also freeze any leftovers. But make sure to thaw it thoroughly and reheat it carefully to enjoy it again.

More Easy & Delicious Diabetic Recipes for BALANCED Blood SugARS:

Diabetes Note

A brilliant one pan, slow-cooked shredded chipotle chicken dish without any carb counting requirements. Sounds good to me!

There is normally a little sugar in the chipotle paste, but the amount, when divided per serving, is so small we don’t bother to count it. However, as always you know best what to count for.

Serve with any carbs of your choice (see suggestions above). We often serve ours with a mixture of brown basmati rice and chunky cauliflower rice, with plenty of vegetables and toppings.

Brown basmati rice has a low glycemic index which means that the carbs enter the bloodstream more slowly. This in turn could reduce the risk rapidly rising blood sugar levels.

If you enjoyed this article then leave a star rating and comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Don’t forget you can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Click below to connect with me