Love the chicken from Chipotle? Now you can skip the restaurant and make it at home with my easy chipotle chicken copycat recipe. Whether you want to make it on the grill, in the oven, or on the stovetop, I’m providing you with the all instructions and tips that you need. This copycat Chipotle chicken recipe will quickly become one of your favorite Mexican recipes to make at home!
We love grabbing dinner from Chipotle together. They always have fresh ingredients and everything is so yummy. We don’t have a favorite meal there, but we love getting any entree with their chicken or barbacoa beef. The Chipotle chicken is perfect in burritos, tacos, and even nachos!
I decided to recreate the recipe at home, and trust me, my version is better than Chipotle’s! The chicken is juicy, smoky, and is bursting with flavor. It’s also healthy and so easy to make, that you’ll definitely want to add it to your rotation!
The best part is that you don’t need a bunch of special ingredients to make this copycat chicken recipe. In fact, the most exotic ingredient is the chipotles in adobo, and those are pretty common at most grocery stores.
The chipotles give this chicken the perfect amount of spice and smokiness and make it taste just like the restaurant. If you meal prep, making this copycat chipotle chicken once and eating it all week is the way to go.
If you love recreating your favorite fast food recipes at home, see how we make Chipotle Steak, Steak Quesadillas, Wendy’s Frosties and McDonald’s Shamrock Shakes next!
Chipotle chicken ingredients
The ingredients for this copycat recipe are pretty basic. You can find everything at your local grocery store. You may have to go down the Mexican food aisle for the chipotle peppers in adobo, but everything else should be easy to find.
Here’s what you’ll need:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
How to make copycat Chipotle chicken
The best part about this chicken recipe is that it’s super easy to make!
- To start, place all of your ingredients, except the chicken in a powerful blender. Blend everything together until you get a smooth consistency. The smoother the marinade, the easier it will stick to the chicken.
- Using a large Ziplock bag, carefully pour the marinade into the bag. Add in the chicken, seal it and toss to coat.
- Place the Ziplock bag with the chicken in the fridge and allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes. You can leave it for up to 24 hours as well. The longer you allow the chicken to marinate, the better the flavor will be.
When you are ready to cook your chicken, you can pick which method you prefer. I love the taste of this chicken fresh from the grill, but you can also bake it or cook it on the stovetop. The grill and the stovetop will allow you to char the chicken a bit and bring in maximum flavor.
- To make the chicken on the grill or stovetop, heat your grill or skillet to medium-high heat. Place the chicken on and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. To bake it, cook the chicken for 20-25 minutes at 425°F/220°C. No matter what method you use, make sure your chicken is cooked to 165°F/74°C internal temperature. Check using an instant read thermometer!
- You can chop your chicken into pieces (just like Chipotle!) or into slices. Serve it in a burrito, taco, over a salad, or even rice.
Recipe tips
This is a pretty simple recipe, but to make the best-tasting chicken follow the tips below:
- Chicken thighs are juicy and produce the best flavor, but if you don’t like dark meat, substitute with boneless and skinless chicken breasts. The recipe remains the same.
- Marinate your chicken as long as possible. It helps to infuse your chicken with flavor. You can do at least 30 minutes, but if the time allows it, I recommend allowing the flavors to infuse for a couple of hours and up to 24 hours.
- You can also pour the sauce into a Tupperware with an airtight lid to marinate your chicken. Just make sure to cover the entire chicken with the sauce.
- Preheat your skillet or grill before adding the chicken. This will allow the chicken to char a bit and leave you with a few darker pieces that are full of flavor. Starting with a cold pan or grill is a big no!
What to serve with Chipotle chicken
This recipe is perfect for making tacos, burritos (bowls or actual burritos), salads. Here’s how I usually serve it:
I make a batch of this simple and delicious cilantro lime rice, and serve it in a bowl along with diced chipotle chicken, black or pinto beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, shredded cheese, fajita veggies, shredded lettuce, and a dollop of sour cream or lime crema.
You can also serve this chicken in these baked chicken tacos, or use it to make Mexican stuffed peppers or stuffed poblano peppers.
And for dessert, make this refreshing Mexican fruit salad!
FAQs
You don’t have to use the chipotles, but they are a big part of why this chicken is so flavorful. If you are worried that they will be too spicy, feel free to start with just one or two and taste the marinade after it’s blended.
Combine 1 tablespoon of tomato paste with 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika. If you want some heat, add some fresh or dried chili to taste.
Freeze it! Transfer to a small ziploc bag or a small container, seal and freeze. You can also use it in other recipes such as chicken tinga, birria tacos, barbacoa beef, or Texas chili.
This chicken is great on its own, but you can use it in burritos, tacos, nachos, quesadillas, over rice, or on a salad. To keep it healthy and low-carb, you can serve it over cauliflower rice as well.
You can place any leftover chicken in either a Ziplock bag or Tupperware with an airtight lid. Place in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Everyone is going to love this version of Chipotle chicken, that they’ll be begging you for the recipe. Feel free to share it, or Pin it to save for later.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Chipotle Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ small yellow or red onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 3 chipotles in adobo from a can freeze the rest to use in other recipes
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless
Instructions
To make the marinade and marinate the chicken:
- In a blender, combine the onion, with garlic, water, olive oil, vinegar, chipotles, and seasonings. Blend until you get a smooth sauce.
- To a Ziploc bag, add the chicken and cover with sauce. Seal the Ziploc bag, and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes-24 hours.
Grill:
- Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Clean and oil your grill grates.
- Grill the chicken for 4-5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs is 170°F/76°C. Or use a grill pan.
Stovetop:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a skillet, when the oil is hot and shimmering add the chicken and cook 4-5 minutes on each side or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs is 170°F/76°C
- Work in batches if needed.
Oven:
- Preheat the oven to 400°/200°CF, and spray a baking sheet with non-stick spray. Arrange the chicken in a single layer, and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs is 170°F/76°C
- Remove from the oven onto a plate, cover with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes:
- Chicken thighs are juicy and produce the best flavor, but if you don’t like dark meat, substitute with boneless and skinless chicken breasts. The recipe remains the same.
- Marinate your chicken as long as possible. It helps to infuse your chicken with flavor. You can do at least 30 minutes, but if the time allows it, I recommend allowing the flavors to infuse for a couple of hours and up to 24 hours.
- Storing: You can place any leftover chicken in either a Ziplock bag or Tupperware with an airtight lid. Place in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Patty says
You do not have enough liquid in the marinade recipe to blend in a large blender. I suggest an immersion blender instead.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thanks Patty! I was able to use my blender, but that’s a great tip!
Melissa says
Great copycat! Flavor is spot on, but spicier than Chipotle. I did marinate overnight, so that could be why. If you don’t want it as spicy cut back on the chipotle and adobo. It’s not too spicy when you eat it with everything else.