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. Thanks so much for this recipe. Is it possible to soak the chiles for too long? I will soak them the night before but won’t be able to take them out til the next night and just want to make sure they aren’t gonna end up too “pruney”. Thanks!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Mike, I honestly cannot envision a scenario where you could soak the chiles too long. And since they are dried to begin with, they are already pruney. Plus it all just gets blasted in a food processor. You should be fine! Maybe I’ll soak some for a week and see what happens. 😀

  2. Meggan – THANK YOU SO MUCH for posting this recipe!!! Honestly, this could be one of the best-tasting recipes that I’ve ever made!!! You nailed it!! Using chicken thighs was, for me, the secret ingredient, along with the marinade. I’ve been making bowls for years, but I’ve never been able to get grilled chicken breasts to taste like this! OUTSTANDING!!! I’ll be trying your other recipes – Thanks for sharing!!!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Bob, I’m so excited by your excitement! I know though, chicken thighs make everything better. And yes, the marinade is awesome, the recipe is solid, it’s one of my go-to’s. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and your success. It makes my day so much better! Have a terrific weekend and take care!

  3. RICK — AUGUST 14, 2017 @ 4:55 PM REPLY
    I’ve made this several times and am certain there was red onion in the recipe (but there is no mention of it in the ingredients or directions anymore). Did I imagine this?

    MEGGAN — AUGUST 14, 2017 @ 5:04 PM
    Hi Rick! You did not imagine it. I literally removed it last week because I was looking at Chipotle’s ingredient list (to check my own recipe for accuracy) and they don’t have it listed anymore. Or maybe they never did, but that was my source in the past and it’s not there now. I do wonder if the marinade would be better off having it in. I am really sorry for the confusion and I feel bad. I should definitely add this to the recipe notes for any repeat visitors who might be wondering – where did the red onion go?! Sorry again, really. I feel bad. Thanks for the question and take care.

    I had the same question as Rick, I shared the link to the recipe with a friend this week and she was confused about how the recipe makes almost 2 cups of marinade. We finally figured out that her recipe was not the same as the one I had been using. I will continue to make the one with the red onion added, but you might want to update the instructions to change the amount that the recipe will yield, just a suggestion. I love all of the Chipotle copycat recipes, thanks for posting them!

    Reply

    1. You know what, I’m going to add the red onion back in. I tried it without, and I just really prefer it with the red onion (not to mention the yield problems). I’m SO SORRY for all the confusion. It comes down to a philosophical question – should I add the red onion because it tastes better, or should I leave it out so it is a “truer” copycat? I’m adding it back in, and I’ll add a note that Chipotle doesn’t use red onion but it tastes better with it. My best judgment says it should be there. Thank you for the comment and sorry again for taking it out for a few weeks!

  4. I cooked my meat Thursday and we have enjoyed a bowl with the fixing for three days. A great recipe helps to complete our dish.5 stars

    Reply

  5. I’ve made this several times and am certain there was red onion in the recipe (but there is no mention of it in the ingredients or directions anymore). Did I imagine this?5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Rick! You did not imagine it. I literally removed it last week because I was looking at Chipotle’s ingredient list (to check my own recipe for accuracy) and they don’t have it listed anymore. Or maybe they never did, but that was my source in the past and it’s not there now. I do wonder if the marinade would be better off having it in. I am really sorry for the confusion and I feel bad. I should definitely add this to the recipe notes for any repeat visitors who might be wondering – where did the red onion go?! Sorry again, really. I feel bad. Thanks for the question and take care.

  6. CHIPOTLE CHICKEN RECIPE This is amzing, chipotle chicken recipe, I think I can eat this all day it looks so delicious mmmmmmm…… 🙂 thanks for this chicken delight.5 stars

    Reply

  7. Thanks so much for this delish recipe!! It was a hit at the grad party!  I froze a few weeks in advance.  My only advice, JUlie, is be sure to give yourself plenty of thaw time so you aren’t rushing to thaw like I was.  We kept batches warm in the oven in metal brownie / baking pans. Put some into smaller electric serving / chafing dishes on the table.  Made rice in crockpots and also served in electric chafing dishes.  So yummy and def cheaper than ordering!5 stars

    Reply

  8. Meggan, I am so excited to try this for my daughter’s grad party. Chipotle charges $12-14 a person. Yikes! Can this chicken be made ahead of time and reheated?5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Julie, yes it can! I’ve made it, frozen it, and reheated it in a crockpot. Or, you can make it the day before and reheat it however you want. Thigh meat is super juicy no matter what, so you should be set! Good luck with the grad party! 🙂

  9. One more question (and thanks for your answer to my first one!)…
    Is the 20 servings off of 5 lbs of chicken (half the marinade) or 10 lbs of chicken (all the marinade).  I assume the latter, but on the recipe at the end it lists 5 lbs.

    Making a lot so I want to be sure I have the right amount of everything.  Thanks!!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Kathy! The 20 servings is based on 5 pounds of chicken. The prevailing wisdom on this is that 1 pound of chicken will serve 4 people (4 ounces of chicken per person). So 5 pounds x 4 people = 20 servings. At parties, though, people may pig out so you may want to assume 20 servings for 10 pounds of chicken, ha ha! Thanks for asking and I’ll update the recipe to clarify this information. Take care!

  10. Not sure if you are still answering questions here, but, if so, I have one for you. 🙂
    I am going to make this for my son’s grad party and want to cook ahead. I assume that I can cook a bunch of it and freeze it ahead of time and then warm it back up in a crock pot, stove top, or oven? Any thoughts about this?

    Thank you!5 stars

    Reply

    1. Hi Kathy! I’m always taking questions. 🙂 I have literally done exactly what you described – made a batch ahead, froze it, and then reheated it in a crock pot. Well I assume you could heat it any way you wanted, but I tried in the crock pot and it was delicious. I did it specifically as a test for the recipe/this post and I didn’t realize I never added the information. Thanks so much for your question and please let me know if you need anything else! So excited that you are going to make the chicken for your son’s graduation. So smart! 🙂 And congrats to him!