Pollo en crema de chipotle is my answer to leftover chipotles in adobo: golden pan-seared chicken breast simmered in a smoky chipotle cream sauce that has a ton of flavor without much heat, since the cream tones it down. It comes together in about 35 minutes and is so good spooned over rice.
Creamy chicken with a little spice is my favorite kind of dinner, and pollo en crema de chipotle is the one I keep coming back to. It started with half a can of chipotles in adobo left over from another recipe. I stirred them into a cream sauce just to use them up, and it was so good that I stopped thinking of them as leftovers.
Two things make it work. I dredge the cutlets in a little flour before they go in the pan, which gets you that golden crust and thickens the sauce later without any cornstarch. And once the cream goes in, keep it at a gentle simmer, because boiled cream breaks and a curdled sauce is not coming back.
The chipotles give it a ton of smoky flavor without much heat, since the cream tones it down. Three peppers is my sweet spot for pollo en chipotle, and you can go up or down from there.
I like it best over cilantro lime rice, though plain white rice works just as well. Add a side of calabacitas and you have a full plate, and if creamy chicken is your thing, my creamy cilantro lime chicken is the other one I make on repeat.
What Is Pollo en Crema de Chipotle?
Pollo en crema de chipotle is chicken simmered in a cream sauce built on chipotle peppers in adobo. You’ll also see it called pollo al chipotle or pollo enchipotlado, and they’re all the same dish.
It’s different from plain pollo en crema, which is chicken in a mild cream sauce with no chile heat at all. Adding chipotles changes everything about it. The sauce turns a rusty orange, and it picks up a smoky, slightly tangy bite from the vinegar and garlic in the adobo the peppers are packed in.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s what goes into this one and why. Full amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts: Two large boneless, skinless breasts, sliced in half lengthwise so you end up with four thin cutlets. They cook fast and evenly that way, and you get more golden crust per bite. Boneless thighs work too, they just need a few extra minutes.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo: These are the whole dish. They bring smoke, color, and heat all at once. 3minced peppers land on the mild side once the cream goes in. Use 1 or 2 to keep it mild, or 4+ if you want spicy.
- Heavy cream and milk: The two together give you a sauce that’s rich but still pourable.
- All-purpose flour: Use just a quarter cup to dredge the cutlets, and it doubles as the sauce thickener later. A gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend works just as well if you need it without other changes required.
- Olive oil and butter: The oil keeps the butter from burning while the chicken browns, and the butter is what gets you that nutty flavor in the crust.
- Garlic and onion: Fresh minced garlic and thinly sliced onion, added after the chicken so they pick up the browned bits left in the pan.
- Dry seasonings: Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, and garlic powder, mixed together and rubbed on both sides of the cutlets before they get floured.
- Cilantro: Chopped, for the top. Parsley works if cilantro isn’t your thing.
How To Make Pollo en Crema de Chipotle
- Season the chicken: Sprinkle the chicken seasoning on all sides of each cutlet. Dredge each cutlet in flour.
- Sear: Add oil and butter to a pan and sear the chicken on both sides. Once each piece is golden brown, transfer it to a plate.
- Make the cream sauce: Cook the onions and garlic in more butter in the same pan. Reduce the heat and pour in the cream, milk, and chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. Whisk everything together as it simmers.
- Combine: Place the chicken cutlets back into the pan and cook until the sauce is thick and the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with cilantro and serve!
Recipe Tips
- Slice the cutlets evenly, and pound the ones that aren’t. Cutting the breasts in half lengthwise usually gives you four even pieces, but if one comes out thicker on one end, give it a few whacks with a meat mallet so they all finish at the same time.
- One big skillet is enough. All four cutlets fit in mine without crowding. If your chicken is on the large side or you’re cooking more than 4, cook in two batches so they sear instead of steam.
- Mince the chipotles fine. You want the smoke and heat spread through the whole sauce, not concentrated in one bite that catches somebody off guard.
- Use the adobo sauce for smoke without more heat. If you want it deeper and smokier but not spicier, spoon in a little of the adobo the peppers are packed in instead of adding another pepper.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. The sauce comes out a little lighter and not quite as thick, but it still tastes great. Keep the heat low the same way you would with cream.
Yes. Reheat it low and slow, either in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. Rushing it with high heat is what splits a cream sauce.
Shrimp or pork cutlets both work in the same sauce. Shrimp cooks much faster, so add it at the very end and give it just a couple of minutes.
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In a small bowl or ramekin, combine salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. Sprinkle seasoning on both sides of all 4 chicken cutlets.
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Add flour to a shallow bowl. Dip and dredge the chicken in the flour so both sides are coated.
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Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter.
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When butter has melted, add the chicken cutlets and cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown. Transfer the cutlets to a plate and set aside.
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Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, garlic, and onions to the pan. Saute for 3 minutes, until onions have softened.
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Reduce the heat to medium and add the minced chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, heavy cream, and milk. Whisk together to combine and bring to a gentle simmer.
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Add the browned chicken cutlets back to the pan and cook for 5 more minutes, until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
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Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve.
Prevent your screen from going dark
- Storing and reheating: Leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat low and slow in a skillet over low heat or in the microwave in short bursts, stirring in between. High heat will split the sauce. I don’t recommend freezing this one, since cream sauces tend to break when thawed.
- Heat level: 3 chipotles lands on the mild side once the cream goes in. Use 1 or 2 for milder, 4+ for spicier. If you want more smoke without more heat, add a spoonful of the adobo sauce instead of another pepper.
- Doneness: The chicken is done at 165ºF in the thickest part. Since it finishes in the sauce for the last five minutes, pull it from the first sear while it’s still shy of that.
- Swaps: A gluten-free 1-to-1 flour blend works for the dredge. Half and half can replace the heavy cream for a lighter sauce that won’t thicken quite as much. Shrimp or pork cutlets work in place of chicken, and shrimp only needs a couple of minutes at the very end.
- Any boneless, skinless chicken cut works here, including thighs. Just give thighs a few extra minutes.
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 161mg | Sodium: 1553mg | Potassium: 584mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1770IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 109mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published in March 2021 and has been updated with more helpful tips.
Photography by Isabel Orozco-Moore.