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’m always looking for a way to make chicken taste better I made the marinade It taste great. and have the chicken sitting in it can’t wait till tonight when I cook it. But I want to know the calories in this marinade? Anybody  have a idea?5 stars

    Reply

    1. I plan to figure it out at some point soon. I do have the Barbacoa figured out, if you need it let me know (I realize it’s not the same as the steak). I haven’t posted it yet but I have it.

    1. Yes, you can. I have. You won’t get the crispy, caramelized bits that you would from a cast iron skillet or grill, but it will still be good. I will add instructions for this! 4 hours on HIGH or 8 hours on LOW. Thanks Meredith!

  4. Hello Meggan! Thank you for your thorough explanation. Good to know that there isn’t much difference in the marinating time.  Now that I am thinking again, I think I used chicken breast the second time I made this chicken. I will be making again this dish on Saturday and this time I will use the brown meat. Thank you! 5 stars

    Reply

  5. Hello and thanks for posting this recipe. I have made it twice already! First time it turned out great and the second time it dried up. I also felt like the 2nd time maybe I have over marinated the chicken, i think i left it overnight. What is the ideal time for marinating this chicken?5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Julie, marinating the chicken overnight will not dry it out. I used to actually recommend that, but then I realized that it didn’t make much difference whether you marinate it for 30 minutes or 30 hours. The marinade is obviously very flavorful but it can only impact the chicken so much. Did you change anything else in the recipe? Did you use a different type of chicken (white vs. dark meat) or cook it a different way? Was the chicken marinating in a completely sealed container (i.e., a ziplock plastic bag) or was it just in a bowl that might have been exposed to the air of the fridge? Just checking in case something clicks. 🙂 Sorry you had difficulties. I really don’t think it was from the added marinating time (and to answer your question, I really don’t know what is “ideal” but I’ve frozen the uncooked chicken in the marinade for 2 months and then cooked in a slow cooker and it was still good…).

  6. I am not having luck yet finding dried ancho chiles and I got to wondering…if the recipe calls for reconstituting, would it work to just buy fresh poblanos? Or is there something about the process of reconstituting the dried chiles that makes a difference?

    Reply

    1. Hi Rachel, I think the flavor would be quite different if you used fresh poblanos. Not that you couldn’t, but I’m not sure what it would taste like. When the poblanos are dehydrated into anchos, it both changes and concentrates the flavor. They aren’t even really recognizable as poblanos to my taste. Have you been able to locate dried ancho chile powder by any chance? That might be your best bet, if you can’t find the dried chiles. Good luck and thank you for your question!

  7. I tried this, and sadly, did not have any success. It was not at all similar to Chipotle, and I didn’t like it. I see some god reviews, so I’m wondering what I could have done wrong. Did I get bad Ancho chilies or something? After soaking them (long method), they were leathery like fruit roll-ups. Is that normal? Just wondering if anybody had similar issues and had to make adjustments.

    Reply

    1. Hi Kris! So sorry to hear that the recipe didn’t work for you. I doubt you had bad Ancho chiles. Yes, after you soak them overnight, they are leathery like fruit roll-ups. That is correct. I assume you put everything in a food processor after that, along with the leathery chiles? Did your marinade look like the photo? I don’t suppose you left out any ingredients by any chance? I am sure you didn’t, but for you to say the recipe was “not at all similar to Chipotle” makes me think something was missing. It is a labor-intensive recipe to be sure, but if you included everything and followed the method, your results would definitely be in the ballpark of Chipotle. Did you use dark meat or white meat, and which cooking method did you use? I’m so sorry for the issues you had. :-/

    2. Hi, Meggan. I’m pretty sure I added everything. I used one of those little “bullet” blender thingies. (Cheap $10 walmart thing.) The result was indeed a coarse paste, but the color was more of a sick looking orange, not the rich color like your photo. I used dark meat (white is always too dry), and I baked it. I may try a skillet next time. Grilling would be ideal, I think, but since I’ve downsized from a 4-bedroom house to an apartment, I can’t grill. Maybe I’ll try again and halve the recipe to make sure I get the right amounts. Mistakes are always a possibility. If you and others had success with this recipe, then I must be doing something wrong. It definitely had an odd taste. Maybe I should use fresh garlic instead of stale, minced.stuff in a jar. I love garlic, just seriously hate peeling it.) I felt that the marinade needed to be a lot sharper. …And of course, baking makes a mushy texture.

      Thank you so much for writing back. Take care, and have a wonderful holiday season!

    3. Hi Kris, a “sick looking orange” color is possibly the saddest thing I’ve heard all day. I’m wondering if it was just a horrible brand of chipotles in adobo, although I didn’t think there was such a thing. Maybe try using a different brand? I would definitely try to use fresh garlic if you can manage. The stuff in a jar is heat-treated so it always has an off taste. However, I cannot imagine that would even show up much considering all the other stuff in the marinade. I completely understand about hating to peel it. I have a garlic press in my shop that works without peeling garlic (you just put the cloves with the skin on right through it, works like a charm) but I’m certainly not suggesting you buy some gadget just for this one recipe! Here is a video of Martha Stewart showing how she peels garlic by putting two bowls together and shaking it. For some reason I haven’t tried this yet, but Martha can’t be wrong! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0abnwTGeAiM Anyway, if you get a chance to try again, please keep me posted. You can also email me anytime at meggan@culinaryhill.com. Good luck Kris!!

  8. I want to try this and some other Mexican recipes you offer, but the audible commercials are truly annoying, especially at 6:30 in the morning when I’m trying to not wake my husband. As a webmaster, I can tell you that anything audible that plays automatically is the number one reason people do not re-visit a website. Those who like to surf while on break at work (and those who are doing it on company time!) are not going to come back at all. Affiliate marketing for money is a great little income producer, but you’ll have a lot more visitors if you can the commercials. Just trying to be honestly helpful. Your recipes look fabulous and I would love to try many of them.

    Reply

    1. Hey there! I agree with you 100%, I click off a site IMMEDIATELY if something auto-plays. I will notify my ad company immediately because that is not supposed to happen. I’m really sorry about that. I would never visit a site again and I certainly wouldn’t be nice enough to tell them. So, thanks for that. I cannot get rid of ads on my site (they fund the operation) but they should not be playing sound automatically. Sorry again. Take care.

  9. I’m not sure how to get a whole onion in there and only kick out 2 cups of marinade. Seems physically impossible….maybe I’m bad at picking out onions.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jason, the onions I pick are usually the size of a softball or a little larger. I trim the ends and quarter it. If you have one the size of a cantaloupe, you might have an issue. 🙂

  10. How many burritos do think 5 lbs of chicken makes? Would it affect the taste if I stored extra cooked chicken in the freezer?

    Reply

    1. Hi Bryson, I’ve made the chicken and stored it in the freezer and reheated it later in a crockpot, and it still tasted great. So you should be fine there. As far as how many burritos would 5 pounds of chicken make, I don’t know off-hand but I would guess at least 10 (of the 10-inch size). I mean, that would be roughly a half-pound of chicken per burrito if my math is correct… I suppose it depends on what else you are putting in there, you could obviously use less chicken and get more burritos. I hope this helps!