Chipotle Chicken Recipe

Prepare and Marinate

Pound the chicken breasts to an even 1/2-inch thickness or slice horizontally into cutlets. In a bowl combine olive oil, minced chipotle in adobo, minced garlic, lime juice, ground cumin, smoked paprika, 2 tsp salt and black pepper. Rub the marinade over both sides of the chicken, cover, and let rest at room temperature 15 minutes or refrigerate up to 2 hours.

Cook Chicken

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of oil if needed. When hot, add the chicken and cook 3-4 minutes per side until nicely charred and internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C). Remove to a cutting board, rest 5 minutes, then slice thinly for assembly. Sprinkle remaining 1 tsp salt to taste while resting.

Poach Eggs

Fill a wide shallow saucepan with 3 inches of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Add white vinegar. Crack each egg into a small ramekin. Stir water to create a gentle whirlpool and slip eggs in one at a time (or poach 2 at once spaced apart). Poach 3-3.5 minutes for soft runny yolks or 4 minutes for slightly firmer yolks. Remove with a slotted spoon and transfer to a warm plate lined with paper towel.

Make Hollandaise (stovetop emulsified)

Place egg yolks, lemon juice, water and 1/2 tsp salt in a metal bowl. Whisk to combine. Set bowl over a simmering (not boiling) water bath (double boiler) ensuring bowl bottom doesn’t touch water. Whisk constantly while slowly drizzling in the melted butter in a thin stream until sauce thickens and doubles in volume (3-5 minutes). Remove from heat and season with white pepper or cayenne and additional salt to taste. Keep warm; if it becomes too thick, whisk in up to 1 tsp warm water to adjust consistency.

Toast the English muffin halves and spread softened butter on each half.

Place sliced chipotle chicken evenly on each muffin half (about 2 oz chicken per half). Top with a slice or two of red onion if using.

Set a poached egg on top of the chicken for each muffin half.

Spoon warm hollandaise generously over each egg, letting some drizzle down onto the chicken and muffin.

Garnish with chopped cilantro and a small squeeze of lime. Serve immediately with extra lime wedges.