Chipotle Lime Chicken Pasta
Indulge in our zesty Chipotle Lime Chicken Pasta, a mouthwatering dish that serves up to 10, making it an ideal choice for meal prepping! With succulent chicken, a kick of chipotle seasoning, and a splash of fresh lime, this pasta is bursting with flavor and super easy to reheat for a quick weeknight dinner. Get ready to savor every cheesy bite!
Prep
15
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 48 oz (1.36 kg) chicken thighs
- 7 oz (198 g) chipotles
- 1 cup (237 ml) cilantro
- ¾ cup enchilada sauce
- 1 ½ cup (355 ml) greek yogurt
- 1 tsp (5 ml) lime zest
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) milk
- 2 ½ cups (591 ml) mozzarella
- 80 oz (2.27 kg) rigatoni
- 1 cup (237 ml) sour cream
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) tajin
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- bell peppers (to taste)
- cumin (to taste)
- garlic powder (to taste)
- honey (to taste)
- 6 Tbsp (89 ml) lime juice
- onion (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the rigatoni for half of the package time. Drain and set aside.
- 2
In a slow cooker, combine the skinless chicken thighs, chipotles in adobo, honey, red enchilada sauce, diced yellow onion, diced bell peppers, tajin, salt, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper.
- 3
Cook on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 4-5 hours, until the chicken is tender.
- 4
Shred the chicken in the slow cooker. Add the lime juice, lime zest, and chopped cilantro.
- 5
Stir in the cooked pasta, yogurt, sour cream, and milk.
- 6
Top with the reduced fat mozzarella, cover, and let it melt for 20 more minutes.
- 7
Separate into 10 equal servings and store frozen.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook rigatoni to exactly 50% of package time (typically 5-6 minutes for most brands) because it will continue cooking in the slow cooker and absorb liquid without becoming mushy.timing50% package time
- ✓Add lime juice and zest only after shredding the chicken because citric acid denatures proteins and will make the chicken texture stringy if cooked together for hours.technique
- ✓Use chicken thighs instead of breasts because thighs contain 20% more connective tissue that breaks down into gelatin during slow cooking, preventing the meat from drying out.ingredient20% more connective tissue
- ✓Let the mozzarella melt with residual heat for exactly 20 minutes because direct heat will cause the proteins to seize and create a grainy texture instead of smooth melting.timing20 minutes
- ✓Dice onions and peppers to uniform 1/4-inch pieces so they cook evenly in the slow cooker's moist heat environment and don't turn mushy while larger pieces stay crunchy.technique1/4-inch pieces
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
240
min
Serves
10
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Chipotle Lime Chicken Pasta
Indulge in our zesty Chipotle Lime Chicken Pasta, a mouthwatering dish that serves up to 10, making it an ideal choice for meal prepping! With succulent chicken, a kick of chipotle seasoning, and a splash of fresh lime, this pasta is bursting with flavor and super easy to reheat for a quick weeknight dinner. Get ready to savor every cheesy bite!
📝 Ingredients
Shopping List
- 48 oz (1.36 kg) chicken thighs
- 7 oz (198 g) chipotles
- 1 cup (237 ml) cilantro
- ¾ cup enchilada sauce
- 1 ½ cup (355 ml) greek yogurt
- 1 tsp (5 ml) lime zest
- 1 ½ cups (355 ml) milk
- 2 ½ cups (591 ml) mozzarella
- 80 oz (2.27 kg) rigatoni
- 1 cup (237 ml) sour cream
- 1 Tbsp (15 ml) tajin
Pantry Items
Amounts also listed in instructions below
- bell peppers (to taste)
- cumin (to taste)
- garlic powder (to taste)
- honey (to taste)
- 6 Tbsp (89 ml) lime juice
- onion (to taste)
- pepper (to taste)
- salt (to taste)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cook the rigatoni for half of the package time. Drain and set aside.
- 2
In a slow cooker, combine the skinless chicken thighs, chipotles in adobo, honey, red enchilada sauce, diced yellow onion, diced bell peppers, tajin, salt, garlic powder, cumin, and pepper.
- 3
Cook on High for 3-4 hours or Low for 4-5 hours, until the chicken is tender.
- 4
Shred the chicken in the slow cooker. Add the lime juice, lime zest, and chopped cilantro.
- 5
Stir in the cooked pasta, yogurt, sour cream, and milk.
- 6
Top with the reduced fat mozzarella, cover, and let it melt for 20 more minutes.
- 7
Separate into 10 equal servings and store frozen.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Cook rigatoni to exactly 50% of package time (typically 5-6 minutes for most brands) because it will continue cooking in the slow cooker and absorb liquid without becoming mushy.timing50% package time
- ✓Add lime juice and zest only after shredding the chicken because citric acid denatures proteins and will make the chicken texture stringy if cooked together for hours.technique
- ✓Use chicken thighs instead of breasts because thighs contain 20% more connective tissue that breaks down into gelatin during slow cooking, preventing the meat from drying out.ingredient20% more connective tissue
- ✓Let the mozzarella melt with residual heat for exactly 20 minutes because direct heat will cause the proteins to seize and create a grainy texture instead of smooth melting.timing20 minutes
- ✓Dice onions and peppers to uniform 1/4-inch pieces so they cook evenly in the slow cooker's moist heat environment and don't turn mushy while larger pieces stay crunchy.technique1/4-inch pieces