Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe
This copycat recipe for Chipotle chicken is spot-on, and arguably even better than the original restaurant favorite! The chicken can sit in the marinade overnight for an easy weeknight dinner. Cook the chicken on the stove top, in the oven, on the grill, or in the air fryer, and then use it in your favorite Mexican meal.
Many years ago, my husband suggested replica Chipotle burritos for lunch, and while I will get either chicken or barbacoa in my burrito, burrito bowl, or tacos, my husband is a straight-up chicken burrito lover, so I knew that's what I'd make.
A round of searching for the perfect Chipotle chicken recipe led me to this amazing marinade. When my husband smelled it, he said he just wanted to eat it by the spoonful. It's amazing and makes the BEST flavorful, juicy chicken!
Ingredients for the Chipotle Chicken Marinade
This marinade is phenomenal and gives the chicken all of its flavor. It comes together quickly and smells phenomenal! Here is what we use:
- Red Onion + Garlic – The base of the aromatics for the marinade.
- Adobo Sauce – This is from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you can freeze and save the peppers and any additional sauce for future uses).
- Olive Oil – Or you can use your favorite cooking oil.
- Ancho Chile Powder – This specialty chili powder is sometimes available in supermarkets with a large international spice section but can also be purchased online.
- Cumin, Oregano, Salt, and Pepper – Cumin and oregano are standard Mexican spices and impart a sweet smokiness.
- Chicken Thighs – Boneless skinless chicken thighs are perfect for this recipe; they absorb the marinade well and stay nice and juicy with no fear of drying out, which can sometimes happen when cooking chicken breasts.
The marinade could not be simpler to make – add the onion, garlic, adobo sauce, olive oil, chile powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Pour into a measuring cup and add enough water to reach 1 cup.
Poke holes all over the chicken with a fork, then combine the chicken and marinade in a resealable plastic bag, turning it over so that the marinade coats all of the chicken.
The chicken can be marinated for an hour or up to one full day. Of course, the longer you let it stew in that marinade, the more the flavor will soak into that chicken.
How to Cook the Chicken
You can cook the chicken by baking, grilling, or using an air fryer, but I really, really recommend that you sauté in a pan, preferably a cast iron skillet if you have one. Doing so will guarantee a wonderfully crusted exterior, which is this chicken’s creme de la creme.
It’s super simple; here’s how we cook it:
- Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until completely cooked through, 165 to 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. (I recommend cooking in two batches and adding more olive oil in between if needed).
- Remove the chicken to a large cutting board and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Slice or chop the chicken as desired.
Enjoy!!
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Ways to Enjoy This Chipotle Chicken
You could use this chicken in any scenario that involves chicken, but the most obvious (or most popular) is to make burritos or a burrito bowl with it. Use the chicken as the base and add your favorite toppings:
- Beans (black beans or pinto beans)
- Rice (cilantro-lime rice or Mexican rice)
- Salsa (traditional salsa, black bean-corn salsa, or mango salsa) or a fresh pico de gallo
- Guacamole
- Shredded lettuce
- Shredded cheese
- Sour cream
- Queso
You can also use this chicken as a jumping-off point for any of the following:
- Chicken tacos
- Chicken fajitas
- Chicken enchiladas
- Salads
- Chicken wraps
To round out your meal, serve tres leches cake, alfajores, or churros for dessert!
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Chicken – While chicken thighs are the preferred meat for this recipe, you can also make this recipe with chicken breasts.
- Spice Level – I would give this a mild spiciness level; we have family members who are pretty averse to spice and have eaten without an issue.
- Adobo Sauce – You will not need all of the sauce from the can of chipotle peppers, but you can freeze the remainder (use an ice cube tray for easy measuring!) and the chipotle peppers for another recipe.
- Storage – Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing – You can freeze the marinade, the marinaded raw chicken, and the cooked chicken. Use an airtight, freezer-safe resealable bag or container. Thaw the marinade or the marinaded chicken in the refrigerator overnight before using.
More Favorite Mexican Recipes
Enjoy these other Mexican main dishes for dinner!
Watch the Recipe Video:
If you make this Chipotle chicken recipe and love it, remember to stop back and give it a 5-star rating - it helps others find the recipe! ❤️️
Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ medium red onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, from a small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Water, as needed
- 3 to 4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Make the Marinade: Place the onion, garlic, adobo sauce, olive oil, chile powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper into a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour the marinade into a 1-cup measuring cup and add enough water to reach to 1 cup.
- Using a fork, poke holes all over the chicken thighs and place in a resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over, seal, and use your hands to move the marinade around so that all of the chicken is evenly coated. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
- Cook the Chicken: Preheat a large skillet over medium heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until completely cooked through, 165 to 175 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. (I recommend cooking in two batches and adding more olive oil in between, if needed). Remove the chicken to a large cutting board and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. Slice or chop the chicken, as desired. Serve in a burrito, in a salad, or on its own!
Notes
- Chicken - While chicken thighs are the preferred meat for this recipe, you can also make this recipe with chicken breasts.
- Spice Level - I would give this a mild spiciness level; we have family members who are pretty averse to spice and have eaten without an issue.
- Adobo Sauce - You will not need all of the sauce from the can of chipotle peppers, but you can freeze the remainder (use an ice cube tray for easy measuring!) and the chipotle peppers for another recipe.
- Storage - Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezing - You can freeze the marinade, the marinaded raw chicken, and the cooked chicken. Use an airtight, freezer-safe resealable bag or container. Thaw the marinade or the marinaded chicken in the refrigerator overnight before using.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
Photography by Dee Frances
This recipe was originally published in May 2016.
@browneyedbaker, This recipe looks amazing. Can’t wait to try it. I’ve read quite a few comments and will adjust ingredients as needed for my taste. But what you didn’t include was Directions for how to make in the oven, air fryer, grill, etc. The times and how long for each was not listed. Can you please share your best estimate on these? TIA. For future reference. When you list different ways to cook foods. Can you also list the time, temperature and length it takes to cook. Otherwise we are left hanging and wondering and guessing.
I rarely post comments, but this recipe was a big hit! Thanks very much, Michelle!
I only used like 3/4 Tablespoon of salt (so less than half of what the recipe calls for). I like the flavor. I don’t like hot spicy. So I wouldn’t eat this chicken on its own. But in a tortilla or burrito or rice bowl, it isn’t too spicy. I baked the marinated boneless chicken thighs in the oven. They came out very moist. Wonderful recipe (with the salt cut in half).
Thank you for sharing!
I wrote that wrong or the recipe has changed since yesterday. I used less than half of what the recipe called for in salt. And tasted great.
We made this for the first time last night and everyone loved it. I felt like it needed some citrus. Have you ever tried adding fresh squeezed lime juice to the marinade? Thank you so much! By the way, I am the baker in the family and almost always use your cake recipes. They are the best.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t tried lime juice, but I’m sure it would be delicious! And thank you for the kind comments about the cake recipes, so thrilled that you love them :)
This was SO good. We made rice bowls with all the toppings. The chicken was so tender & flavorful & I used boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Not spicy but I have a 2 year old that may have found it very seasoned. I gave him the middle of the breast without the seasoning & he did fine. Thanks for sharing this!
I made this last night and it was great. I used half the amount of salt, marinated overnight and oven baked. Even my kids were surprised at how flavorful the chicken was. I’m not skilled in the kitchen, but this recipe was surprisingly easy and the ingredients weren’t hard to find. I don’t have a food processor, so I finely chopped everything and it still turned out well. It tasted better than Chipotle’s version IMO. Thank you!
Delicious!!
Our family of 5 (with several picky eaters) used this as the chicken recipe for burrito bowl night. It was incredible! So moist, so flavorful, and spot on! We are a mostly spice averse household and we agreed that this is not too hot or spicy. We marinated for 4 hours after following the recipe exactly and it was PERFECT!
WAY TOO SALTY!!! Made recipe as written and it was inedible.
I am sorry but you have too many adds on your page. Leaving five starts because it isn’t fair to give a recipe I have not tried a negative review, but I can not get the recipe to stay appearing without a minimum of two adds covering the screen. I understand using a blog as a source of income, but when people can not even read the recipe instructions, ingredients list or your notes are the adds really doing the job?
I made this recipe and omg!!! its sooooo good! Thanks for sharing your recipe. ♥
I use this recipe every time my family has a craving for Chipotle! I think it tastes better than the actual restaurant.
Made this with chicken breasts for a 12 person “Chipotle at home” buffet and it was perfect. Exactly like Chipotle, will definitely be adding this to our normal rotation!
I made this recipe as directed – it was so good! Meat was very tender and had great flavor. However, as we don’t use a lot of salt in our cooking, I thought it was a bit on the salty side (my son said it was fine). I will be making this again — but trying it with 1/2 T. salt. Thank you for another great recipe!
As this is the first time I’ve rated a recipe, I failed to add the rating! Which I’ve just done.
Just tried this recipe for the first time. It is so much better than Chipotle! We cooked ours on the grill and it was delicious served with pico de gallo and cilantro lime rice. I used 2 heaping tablespoons of the peppers in adobo sauce instead of just the sauce. So good!!!
Not much of a fan for hot stuff, but this was really really good and wasn’t too hot for me.
My family loves this copycat recipe and requests it all of the time! Thank you for another keeper!!
How many grams or ounces is one serving? Thank you!
This turned out soooo good. I love so many of your recipes, but this one has jumped to the top of my list
Unbelievably delicious and easy! Thank you so much Michelle! Your recipes are simply amazing! Started following you when my children were little and now they are out on their own using your recipes in their own homes. 🥰
This is almost exactly what I’ve used for a while now and it is amazing. I cook my chicken on the flattop grill and it sears the outside and leaves the inside juicy! I make some yellow rice (our fav is Mahatma spicy yellow rice) and then top with Bush’s Best sidekicks taco fiesta black beans (they’re kinda new on the market) and oh my goodness is it good. It’s actually on my list to make this week for supper!!
Do you think it could be baked in an air fryer?
Yes, for sure!
My whole family loves this recipe, we make homemade copycat chipotle burrito bowls about 2x a month.
The one thing I am wondering is how you get the marinade off the chicken so it sears like your picture, without washing all the flavor off?
I just pull my chicken out of the marinade and pat dry lightly and to get the sear I cook it on either my Blackstone flat top grill or a cast iron skillet on the stovetop. If you like the burrito bowls, try adding Bush’s Sidekicks Taco Fiesta Black Beans. Wow!!
This is fantastic! The flavors are amazing! The whole family loves it.
Hi! We love this recipe! We’re having family over for the day after thanksgiving, and would love to make this. Using a skillet for that many people will be too complicated so I was thinking of cooking it in a crock pot- have you ever tried this and how long did you cook it? Thanks!
Love this recipe! We make burritos or burrito bowls with brown rice, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, sautéed onions & peppers, shredded cheese & lettuce.
So delicious! Thanks for the recipe!
I somehow MISSED the LIME RICE RECIPE?!! Please email me the recipe?!
THANK YOU 🙏🏻
JULIE FORD
I haven’t tried this yet, but if it’s as good as all of your others than it will be a great addition to the weekly menu at our home!!
I can’t wait to get some boneless , skinless chicken thighs!
I have used this recipe for multiple large events and it is easy and tastes delicious. I recommend it with no modifications. Super simple to make for our family dinners or grad parties.
Fantastic! I love how versatile this is. I marinated the chicken overnight, knowing we always have ingredients for Mexican style dishes, but no exact plan. We ended up adding it on top of rice, with choices for personal likes such as onions, cheese, salsa…Everyone was happy:) Super tasty recipe!
This has become a family favorite recipe in our house! I love it. Thanks so much for sharing!