Chipotle Chicken (Copycat)

Meggan Hill

• Updated

5 from 1438 votes

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Skip the restaurant and make your own copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe at home. The marinade is quick, easy, healthy, and tastes even better than the real thing! Make white meat or dark meat and follow my instructions for either baking or grilling.

Chipotle chicken in a white serving bowl.


 

The perfection of Chipotle Mexican Grill, made even more perfect because you get to eat it in the comfort of your own home, whenever you want it.

Chipotle Chicken is tender and juicy, packed with flavor, and perfect on everything. And whether you want to grill it, sauté it, or bake it in the oven, I’ve got all your options covered!

Chipotle Chicken Ingredients:

Ingredients for Chipotle chicken in various bowls.

Chipotle does not use red onion in their marinade. However, the recipe tastes better with it, so it comes down to this philosophical question: Do I post the recipe that tastes closest to Chipotle’s recipe, or do I post the recipe that tastes the best? I kept the onion.

  1. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a food processor or blender.
  2. Blend until smooth, then transfer to a plastic bag or covered container.
  3. Add the chicken, mash around to distribute, and let marinade for 30 minutes.
Chipotle Chicken marinading in a plastic zipper bag.

How to Make Chipotle Chicken Marinade

That smoky, spicy flavor in Chipotle’s chicken comes from two primary ingredients: Dried ancho chiles and adobo sauce.

To create this flavor, you can:

  1. Buy Ancho Chile powder – Depending on how much you want to buy, we recommend McCormick Gourmet Ancho Chile Pepper and Amazing Ancho Chile Powder.
  2. Make your own Ancho Chile powder
  3. Soak Dried ancho chiles (I recommend Olé Rico Dried Ancho Chiles)

Marinade Method 1: Using Ancho Chile Powder

Ancho Chile Pepper powder is available to purchase, or you can make your own.

  • ¼ cup of the powder is equivalent to 2 oz. of the peppers (stems and seeds removed, ground up).
Ancho chile powder dumped out of a glass jar onto a counter.

Marinade Method 2: Soaking Dried Ancho Chiles

  • Slow-Soaking the dried ancho chiles takes at least 12 hours. Once the chiles are soft, I like to open them up, remove the stems, and rinse out the seeds (I recommend using kitchen or latex gloves).  For additional heat, add in seeds from the chipotle peppers.
  • Quick-Soaking shaves 12 hours off this recipe. You toast the dried chiles in a skillet and microwave them in water. It works perfectly!

What is a substitute for adobo sauce?

Whisk together:

  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle powder (or ½ teaspoon each smoked paprika and cayenne powder)
  • ½ teaspoon cumin
  • Pinch EACH of oregano, garlic powder, and salt

How to make Chipotle Chicken

If you’ve ever been to the restaurant, you know Chipotle grills their boneless, skinless chicken thighs on a flat-top grill.

Here are your cooking options at home:

  1. Stove-top skillet (indoor, similar to Chipotle’s method)
    Chipotle chicken cooking in a black skillet.
  2. Gas grill (outdoor, minimal cleanup)
  3. Baked in the oven (cover with parchment paper for juicy chicken every time)
Photo collage of three photos, the right in the upper right hand corner is the seasoned chicken covered in parchment paper, below is a seasoned sliced chicken breast, and the upper left are three seasoned chicken breasts in a white baking dish.

Slice or dice and use for burritos, tacos, bowls, salads, everything!

A Chipotle burrito bowl in a white bowl.

Chipotle Chicken Recipe FAQs

What can I do with my leftover Chipotle peppers and/or adobo sauce?

Transfer to a bag and freeze for future use, or use in:

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Chipotle chicken in a white serving bowl.

Chipotle Copycat Chicken

By Meggan Hill
Skip the restaurant and make your own copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe at home. The marinade is quick, easy, healthy, and tastes even better than the real thing! Make white meat or dark meat and follow my instructions for either baking or grilling. 
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Marinate Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 8 servings
Course Main Course
Cuisine American, Mexican
Calories 326
5 from 1438 votes
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Equipment

Ingredients 

Instructions 

To make the marinade (see recipe notes for dried chiles method):

  • To the bowl of a food processor or blender, add red onion, garlic, adobo sauce, ancho chile powder, olive oil, cumin, dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Blend until smooth. Pour into a measuring cup and add water to reach 1 cup.
  • Place the chicken in a large freezer-safe plastic bag. Pour in marinade, close the bag, and mash until chicken is evenly coated. Place the plastic bag in a dish and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or overnight.

To make the chicken on the stove:

  • Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until shimmering. Add chicken to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until the temperature reaches 165 degrees on an internal thermometer. Depending on the size of your skillet, you can cook the chicken in batches.
  • Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces. Season to taste with salt. Serve on tortillas or in bowls with additional toppings as desired.

To make the chicken on the grill:

  • Preheat over medium-high heat. Coat with 2 tablespoons oil. Grill the chicken in batches, turning occasionally until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on a thermometer and bits of caramelized fond have begun to cling to the outside of the chicken, 10 to 15 minutes. Add 1 – 2 tablespoons oil to your grilling surface between batches.
  • Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces. Season to taste with salt. Serve on tortillas or in bowls with additional toppings as desired.

To bake the chicken in the oven (preferred method for white meat):

  • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking dish with oil or nonstick spray and arrange chicken in a single layer. Cover with parchment paper, tucking the paper around the chicken so it is completely covered. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees when tested with an internal thermometer.
  • Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces. Season to taste with salt. Serve on tortillas or in bowls with additional toppings as desired.

Recipe Video

Notes

To make the marinade with dried ancho chiles:
  1. Quick-Soaking method for ancho chiles: Remove stems and seeds from dried chiles (wearing gloves is recommended). In a dry skillet over medium-low heat, toast the chiles until fragrant but not smoking, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and add 4 c. (1 quart) water and 2 Tbsp. adobo sauce. Microwave on HIGH for 6 minutes. Drain well.
  2. Slow-Soaking method for ancho chiles: Place in a bowl and add enough water to cover completely. Top with a small plate or bowl to weigh down the chiles so they are completely submerged. Soak at least 12 hours or overnight. Drain well.
You can use either Italian or Mexican oregano. They have different flavors (Mexican oregano tastes more like marjoram) but both taste great in this recipe. Feel free to use whatever you have.
Adobo sauce: You can get adobo sauce from cans of Chipotle peppers (I recommend La Costeña) or you can purchase a jar of just adobo paste (La Costeña makes one). Substitute about 3 Tbsp. of paste + 1 Tbsp. water.
Rice Bran oil: Chipotle uses Rice Bran oil in all of their products. Olive oil is more widely available (probably already in your pantry) and works equally well, especially if it has a neutral taste.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 servingCalories: 326kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 44gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.04gCholesterol: 215mgSodium: 1008mgPotassium: 633mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 672IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 49mgIron: 3mg
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5 from 1438 votes (1,271 ratings without comment)

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Comments

  1. I am about to try this recipe for the 1st time and had a question. Could i used a roasted chicken? Debone a lets say Costco
    chicken. Let it soak in the marinade overnight. Take it out of the marinade and place on a baking sheet and put under a broiler until it is a touch crispy and serve it that way? What do you think?5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Robert, if I’m understanding you, you want to flavor a pre-cooked rotisserie chicken. It’s worth a try! There is nothing about it that alarms me other than the chicken will already have that trademark rotisserie flavor… I would love to know if the chipotle marinade overpowers it. Such an interesting idea. It just might! This could absolutely work. I think it’s brilliant, such a great way to change up a Costco chicken. I’m so vested in this outcome! LOL! -Meggan

  2. I commented on the wrong post about cheesy breadsticks. I’m so sorry. I love your chipotle chicken recipe! Ignore the previous one as I don’t know how to delete it. 🙁5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Jordan, no worries! I’ve removed your comment. If it was for one of my other recipes, please let me know which one and I’ll be more than happy to help with your question! I’m glad you enjoy the Chipotle chicken, too. 🙂 Take care! – Meggan

  3. My Chipotle in Adobo wasn’t very saucy, so I just used the peppers themselves. Otherwise, followed the recipe and it was phenomenal! Made faux Chipotle bowls with this chicken recipe and my son couldn’t get enough! Will make again and again. Packed with flavor. Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

  4. I chop up my leftover chipotle peppers and spoon with the adobo sauce into an ice cube tray and freeze. Bag up the cubes after they are frozen and you have a handy tablespoon or so to use in future dishes. My favorite use is to add one cube to taco soup.

    Reply

  5. I’m seeing that one serving indicates that it contains 14 g of fat. Is that with the assumption that chicken thighs are used? I have to be on a low-fat diet and am trying to find ways to reduce it from 14 g. Thank you in advance for your help.

    Reply

    1. Hi Cindy, thank your for your question! Yes, I double checked the nutrition calculator and it assumes thighs are being used. If you’re not already doing it, I recommend using a food scale to weight everything out, an app to input the ingredients and calculate the serving size based on what the batch you make is. I hope you love this recipe! Please write again with anymore questions! – Meggan

  6. Hi Meggan! I’m looking forward to trying this recipe. I’m planning to make it for a crowd, including children. Could you give me an idea of how spicy this recipe is? I would like to make it kid friendly, or at least be able to modify the recipe to make a portion of the chicken less spicy for the kiddos. Thanks so much!

    Reply

    1. Hi Abigail! Thank you for your question! First, I feel like “spiciness” is very subjective. When I eat Chipotle’s chicken with sour cream and cheese or a burrito shell, I feel like is never spicy because those offset. But sometimes when I eat it plain, I feel like it’s spicy. So, I don’t think this marinade is super spicy. It has flavor, but you are using 1 cup of marinade per 5 pounds of chicken. And when you cook it, some of the marinade comes off. At worst, you may find a spicy bite here and there, but not really. My toddler eats it with no problem. If you plan to make a kid-friendly batch, you can reduce the amount of adobo sauce and be sure to get rid of any and all seeds when you strain. I hope the chicken is a hit! Please let me know if you have anymore questions! – Meggan

  7. This will be my fourth or fifth time making this and it never fails to be amazing. Somewhere I saw that you’d asked what I do with my leftover chipotle peppers and adobo sauce. I usually don’t have much but when I do I buy another can and use both in the crock pot with a Boston butt and as much of a 2 liter of Dr Pepper as needed to cover the butt and turn it on low and let it cook for about 8-10 hours. In the harsh winter when I want a taste of summer and the Boston butt on the smoker this is a close substitute.5 stars

    Reply

    1. Wow, thank you for your comment, Michele! I love your suggestion, will have to try it myself! Thanks again! – Meggan

  8. I’m looking forward to making this dish. The ingredients have adobo sauce and ancho chili powder. I the can of adobo peppers in sauce. I am wondering have you tried using the adobo peppers instead of the ancho chili powder? What are the effects? Slight variation or major?
    Thanks for your thoughts!

    Reply

    1. Hi Angela, yes absolutely! You can do whatever you want. The recipe will still taste great. It will taste slightly different. Hope you love it! – Meggan

  9. Hello Meggan!
    I cooked the Chipotle chicken tonight in the oven per your recipe and earlier made the corn salsa. Hands down, better than Chipotle my kids and their friends said!
    Normally I would have put the chicken on my smoker, but it has been in the negative degrees for the last few days, so the reason for the oven.
    We did burrito bowls tonight with all of the various fixings and now it has been requested for 1x per week by everyone.
    I guess that I will be a Chipotle kitchen now for so much cheaper & better tasting is what the kids told me!
    Feeding 6 high school teenagers with Chipotle style food & flavors was absolutely awesome! Everyone thought that I brought it home from the restaurant.
    2 of the kids asked me where I learned how to make everything and I showed them your website. They now have it saved so they can make it for their families!
    You are amazing! Thank you!!!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Kevin, thank you so much for following up to your first note! Feeding a group of 6 teenagers is quite an undertaking, I’m so glad again it was a hit with them! Thank you so much for sharing the recipes with them, I love when people are excited about food. I hope they make it for their families as well. You’ve made my day! Happy cooking and please write again, I’m happy to help if you have any questions and loved reading your comments. Take care! – Meggan

    1. Hi Ani, yes! There are instructions to bake the chicken in the oven in the recipe itself. Its the best method for cuts of white meat. Here they are for you: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a baking dish with oil or nonstick spray and arrange chicken in a single layer. Cover with parchment paper, tucking the paper around the chicken so it is completely covered. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165 degrees when tested with an internal thermometer. Remove to a cutting board and tent with foil for 10 minutes. Chop into small pieces. Season to taste with salt. Serve on tortillas or in bowls with additional toppings as desired. – Meggan