There’s something magical about the chicken at Chipotle. It’s tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned to complement all the burrito fixings it’s encased with inside those gigantic Chipotle tortillas. Your fastest route to eating this chicken is heading to your local Chipotle, but making this delectable copycat Chipotle chicken recipe at home is simple. Psst! Don’t miss all of our Chipotle secrets.
Before you move ahead also try this best copycat Chipotle guac recipe with six simple ingredients.
How to Make Copycat Chipotle Chicken
Lauren Habermehl for Taste Home
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup adobo sauce from a 7oz can of chipotle peppers in adobo (reserve peppers for future recipes)
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 medium red onion
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Directions
Step 1: Prepare the marinade
Lauren Habermehl for Taste Home
Start by combining all of the ingredients, except for the chicken and water, in a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth; then add a quarter-cup of water. Pulse for a few seconds to fully incorporate the water into the marinade.
See common marinating mistakes all cooks make—and how to fix them.
Step 2: Marinate the chicken
Lauren Habermehl for Taste Home
Next, grab a gallon-size plastic bag or shallow container. Add the thawed chicken thighs and pour the marinade over the chicken. Massage and toss the chicken in the marinade to ensure it’s fully coated, then place the chicken in the refrigerator to marinate for at least eight hours, or overnight for best results.
Step 3: Cook the Chicken
Lauren Habermehl for Taste Home
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to 350-400°F, setting up a zone with direct heat and an area with indirect heat. (This explains more about direct vs. indirect heat.) Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill over direct heat. Cook two to three minutes. Then, flip the thighs over and cook for an additional two to three minutes.
When both sides are nicely charred, transfer the chicken to the indirect heat zone of your grill and continue to cook for another four minutes or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°.
Editor’s Tip: The famous Chipotle queso blanco is especially popular and personally, keeps us coming back for more. It’s creamy, cheesy, and perfectly spicy. The only downside? It will set you back a few bucks to add queso to your order.
Can I saute the chicken instead?
Yes! You can easily make this recipe on your stovetop. To start, prepare the marinated and marinate the chicken as instructed. Then, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in the skillet until it shimmers and add three or four chicken thighs to the skillet.
Sear the chicken for three minutes on each side, then reduce the heat to medium, cover and let the chicken continue to cook until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°. Remove from the skillet and resume the recipe.
Editor’s Tip: Take care not to overcrowd the pan or you won’t get a good sear on the chicken. For best results, cook the chicken in batches when using the stovetop method.
Step 4: Rest, then chop
Lauren Habermehl for Taste Home
Remove the chicken from the grill to a large platter and loosely cover with foil. Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes and then use a sharp knife to chop the chicken into small, bite-size pieces.
Step 5: Assemble
Once the chicken is cooked, rested and chopped, it’s time to build the tacos, burritos, salad or bowl of your dreams. Serve this chicken with a scoop of copycat Chipotle vinaigrette, Chipotle rice, black or pinto beans, corn salsa, guac and cheese.
Editor’s Tip: You can serve this chicken with other Chipotle copycat recipes!
How Can I Make My Chicken Spicy?
Rather than using just the adobo sauce from the chipotle peppers, you can add one or two of the peppers to the marinade before blending. That will kick things up a notch! Save the unused peppers in an airtight container in the freezer for use in other recipes.
Can I Freeze This Chipotle Chicken Recipe?
Absolutely. In fact, it’s one of our very favorite things about this recipe. We recommend making a double batch and freezing the grilled, chopped chicken in freezer-safe bags or containers for later use. Individual portions are great for those living solo, and larger freezer portions make family weeknight meals a breeze. Store cooked chicken in the freezer for up to four months.
To reheat, simply add the frozen chicken to a large skillet over medium heat with a half-cup of water. Cover with a lid and let cook, stirring occasionally until the chicken is heated through. If the chicken begins to dry out before it’s fully heated, add a little more water to the pan to keep it moist while it warms.
Find More Spot-On Chipotle Recipes
Slow-Cooker Barbacoa
My husband adores this barbacoa, which is beef roast simmered in lime juice, chipotle and cumin. He would eat it one a week if I would make it that often! We have it over rice with cilantro and a spritz of lime. —Aundrea McCormick, Denver, Colorado
Go to Recipe
LAUREN HABERMEHL FOR TASTE HOME
Chipotle Chicken Copycat
Chipotle chicken is tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned to complement all the burrito fixings in those gigantic
flour tortillas. Making this copycat Chipotle chicken recipe at home couldn't be easier; the key is marinating your chicken overnight in a spicy, smoky blend of herbs, spices and aromatics.
Go To Recipe
Chipotle Queso Blanco CopycatThis chile con queso recipe has a seriously cheesy vibe and packs the perfect level of heat. Serve it as an appetizer dip, or drizzle it over chips to make a knockout plate of nachos.
Ooey-gooey cheesy queso is great in bowls, burritos—even straight out of the cup! This copycat recipe tastes just like Chipotle's queso blanco, but if you want your queso to look more similar, use shredded white cheddar instead of yellow.
Editor's Tip: The famous
Chipotle queso blanco is especially popular and personally, keeps us coming back for more. It’s creamy, cheesy,
and perfectly spicy. The only downside? It will set you back a few bucks to add queso to your order.
Chipotle Guacamole Copycat
Chipotle's guacamole is legendary—and for good reason. The secret? Its freshness! Though many dips tend to improve the longer they sit, guacamole tastes best shortly after it's made, so the flavor of fresh avocado shines through the rest of the ingredients. Eating it right away also
keeps guacamole from browning.
Chipotle Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa CopycatLast year was the first time I had ever grown tomatillos. They were so abundant that I had enough to eat fresh, give away and freeze for future gatherings. What I didn't expect was how well the salsa would freeze. I do like to add an extra zip by juicing a fresh lime into the salsa after it has thawed. —Kim Banick, Salem, Oregon
Tomatillos may look like
green tomatoes, but they're not the same thing. Instead, tomatillos are small, round and firm with a dense interior. When raw, tomatillos have a bright, extremely tart flavor that's somewhat reminiscent of limes. When roasted, tomatillos lose that acidic edge and become a little sweeter. They're the perfect addition to salsa.
Chipotle Rice CopycatMy family's favorite Mexican restaurant serves a similar rice as a side dish. I threw this together one night when I was making fajitas, and everyone loved it! It's such an easy side dish and pairs well with kabobs on the grill, too. —Robin Baskette, Lexington, Kentucky
Have you ever dreamed of going to Chipotle and eating nothing but a big, heaping bowl of fluffy cilantro-lime rice? Well, you can make that dream come true in your very own home with this simple five-ingredient recipe.
LAUREN HABERMEHL FOR TASTE OF HOME
Chipotle Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa Copycat
If possible, try to find fresh or frozen sweet white corn for the most authentic Chipotle corn salsa. It's what the restaurant uses in its recipe. However, if all you can find is yellow corn, this salsa will still be spectacularly delicious.
Go To Recipe
Chipotle Fresh Tomato Salsa CopycatThis quick-and-easy salsa tastes great as an accompaniment to meat dishes as well as with chips. I teach kindergarten and my husband is a county Extension agent. We've lived down here in the Imperial Valley for 30 years. I say "down here" because Holtville is 15 feet below sea level!
You only need five ingredients (plus salt and pepper) to make this vibrant salsa, which livens up just about everything it's paired with. Although this fresh tomato salsa is delicious the day it's made, it gets even better the longer it sits—double the recipe so you can snack on salsa and veggies or chips all week.
Chipotle Tomatillo-Red Chili Salsa CopycatMake the most of fresh tomatoes with this recipe for roasted salsa. It's so tasty, you might find yourself eating it right out of the bowl with a spoon!
This recipe isn't an
exact replica of Chipotle's fiery red salsa, but it's a great "close enough" option if you don't have access to fresh tomatillos. If you like your salsa extra spicy, don't hold back when adding the
hot sauce!
Chipotle Carnitas CopycatWe shared these flavor-packed tacos with friends from church who came over to help us move. They're so good, I put them on my blog, manilaspoon.com! The slow cooker makes this recipe extra easy, and I love that whenever I make it, I'm reminded of the wonderful people back in Michigan. —Abigail Raines, Hamden, Connecticut
Carnitas is arguably one of the most popular meats at Chipotle. Though there's no shortage of winning options on the menu, it was the irresistible slow-roasted spiced pork that put Chipotle on the map when it opened its first location in Denver, Colorado, in 1993.
Chipotle Steak Tacos CopycatZesty salsa and tender strips of steak make these traditional fajitas extra special. —Rebecca Baird, Salt Lake City, Utah
Fire up the grill to make these Chipotle-inspired flank steak tacos, topped with a simple fresh salsa made explosive with fresh lime juice. For even more delicious acidity, serve these tacos with
pickled red onions.
Chipotle Chicken Tacos Copycat with Avocado SalsaThis chicken taco recipe features a light, refreshing salsa made from avocados and corn. The chicken takes on the perfect combination of seasonings as you cook this dish; you may even want to make extra because it's just that good.
As good as these chicken tacos are, the real star of this copycat recipe is the easy-to-make avocado salsa, which you'll want to eat straight out of the bowl. Let your guests choose between crispy corn tortillas or soft flour tortillas, just like you would at Chipotle.
Chipotle Cheese Quesadillas CopycatWe serve these quesadillas as chili dippers or load them up with salsa and sour cream for a super starter. —Terri Keeney, Greeley, Colorado
If you don't want to worry about ordering a quesadilla ahead of time for pickup at Chipotle, you can make quesadillas at home instead. This is a basic, easy
quesadilla recipe everyone should know how to make, and once you do, you can start experimenting with all sorts of additional fillings.
Chipotle Veggie Burrito CopycatNo one will miss the meat when you dish up these satisfying burritos bursting with a fresh-tasting filling. They’re fast to fix and won’t put a dent in your wallet. —Sharon W. Bickett, Chester, South Carolina
Perfect for
meatless Mondays, no one will miss the meat when you dish up these satisfying burritos bursting with a fresh filling. Double the recipe, and you can eat the leftovers for Taco Tuesday! Include guacamole for an even closer copycat recipe.