Chipotle Chicken Bites
Anyone who knows me knows my love of Mexican food. My first exposure was Chi Chi’s. Now, I realize this is a very Americanized Tex Mex version, but I was young, and we didn’t have much culinary exposure in my small town to compare it to. I was devastated when they suddenly closed (especially because I had 2 $50 gift certificates left!), but once I found On the Border, I had found a new favorite.
When I started going to On the Border, they had an appetizer called Chipotle Chicken Rolls. They were spicy and creamy, and deep fried until crispy. You dipped them in a hot pepper jelly type of sauce that was sweet with a little heat. I was so disappointed when they disappeared from the menu, and I vowed to figure out how to make them. But life got busy and I just never got around to it. Then one day I was unpacking boxes in my home office and I came across an On the Border takeout menu. Guess what was on it? Chipotle Chicken Rolls!! This time I decided to start experimenting and Chipotle Chicken bites were born! I made a test batch for my book club and family and they were a huge hit!
Ingredients for Chipotle Chicken Bites
Shredded cooked chicken – I cook mine in the pressure cooker with some broth and rotisserie seasoning (and I always make extra for dinner!), but you can use a rotisserie chicken from the store or leftover roasted chicken, just cut it into small bites or shred it.
Cream cheese – yep, a whole block! Make sure it’s soft enough to mix by hand.
Sour cream – Make it full fat – go big or go home! You’ll need it to mix with the peppers.
Chipotles in adobo sauce – I use two plus at least a tablespoon of sauce. I LOVE the flavor of chipotles! They add smokiness and a tiny bit of heat.
Red Bell Pepper – This adds a bit of sweetness and color to the bites. I’ve tried it with a half and a whole, and I prefer the whole thing. But you do you…
Poblano pepper – This adds great flavor and a tiny little kick of heat! Again, I tried it with half, and if you want less heat, go with half. But I love poblanos, so I just threw the whole thing in.
Chipotle and southwest seasonings – I used Pampered Chef seasonings, but any brand should work.
Salt and pepper – These help bring out the flavors! Don’t skip it!
Hot red pepper jelly – Optional for serving. I dollop a little on top. Gives a nice sweet heat to the bites
Flour Tortillas – Use a cutter that allows them to fill the well of your pan or go slightly higher. I have two different mini muffin pans, and each requires a different-sized cutter. I would say the cutter would be 2 ½ – 4” in diameter.
Tips for Making Chipotle Chicken Bites
I use my Pampered Chef manual food processor or twist n chop to chop the red and poblano peppers into a pretty small dice. The bites are tiny, and I wanted to get the flavor and a little texture without biting into a big chunk of peppers. After they are chopped where I like them, I throw in the chipotle and chop that with it. Also, make sure your chicken is in smaller bite-sized pieces so they fit and don’t take up the whole cup.
Cut as many rounds as you can from each tortilla. The filling will fill 24 mini bites with extra filling left. Either start another pan of mini bites or use a regular cupcake pan to make larger ones. If you are feeling particularly fancy, roll them up like mini burritos. But that’s way more work than it has to be, in my opinion! Lol
Mix everything together in a bowl and taste for seasoning. Feel free to kick it up a notch with extra seasonings or chipotles!
Spray your pan and gently press the tortilla rounds into the pan. Spray again. Bake at 350 for 7 minutes until they just start to brown and crisp up slightly.
Carefully remove the pan and, using a small scoop, fill each well with the filling to the top of the well. My pans use a heaping tablespoon scoop. Bake at 350 for 14-18 minutes, until they start to brown, edges are a little bubbly, and the tortilla is crispy. Remove from the oven and dollop hot pepper jelly on each one for serving. This is optional, but it does elevate them nicely!
Serve and be ready to give out the recipe! I sometimes eat them for lunch, they are that good!
Variations on Chipotle Chicken Bites
Use a full-sized cupcake pan (you’ll need a larger cutter) or roll them into burritos. You can spray them with oil and air fry until golden, then dip the rolls in the pepper jelly.
Chipotle Chicken Bites with Red Pepper Jelly
Equipment
- 1 Mini Muffin Pan
- 1 Small scoop
- 1 Mixing Bowl
- 1 Food Chopper
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
Ingredients
- 20 Small flour tortillas
- 1 Breast Cooked Chicken Shredded or diced small
- 1 Red Bell Pepper Finely chopped
- 1 Poblano Pepper Finely chopped
- 8 oz Cream Cheese Softened
- 1 cup Sour Cream
- 2 Chipotles in Adobo Sauce Chopped, plus more if you like more heat
- 1 Tablespoon Chipotle Seasoning I use Pampered Chef
- 1 Tablespoon Southwest Seasoning I use Pampered Chef
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 jar Red Pepper Jelly Optional but recommended
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Cut tortillas into 24 rounds using a 2 1/2- 4 inch round cookie cutter. Size will depend on the pan you use. Spray pan with olive oil, then press rounds into wells. Spray rounds. Bake for 7 minutes until edges begin to brown.
- Mix remaining ingredients, except Red Pepper Jelly, in a bowl until combined.
- Using a small scoop, fill the partially baked tortilla rounds to the top of the wells.
- Bake at 375F for 15 – 18 minutes. If you had refrigerated your filling, or you make cupcake sized bites, it will take longer. Remove when tops begin to brown.
- Let cool until you can remove them from the pan. I use the flat plastic side of a Pampered Chef cake tester to remove them from the pan.
- Serve with a dollop of Red Pepper Jelly on top, or allow your guest to choose if they want to add it themselves.
