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!!
Save This Recipe
Enter your email address, and we'll send it straight to your inbox!
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.
This has become my go-to recipe for our taco/burrito nights. I like a little more spice so I add in a couple chunks of the chipotle peppers in the blender. It’s divine!
If you’re checking out this recipe, you’re probably a Chipotle fan like my son and me. I gave it a try after reading reviews and similar recipes. For my version, I used 2 whole dried BADIA ancho chili peppers instead of powder (hard to find), 2 tsp regular chili powder, and 2/3 tbsp salt instead of 1. I used about 3 tbsp of chipotle peppers in adobo (it was pasty and hard to separate) and added 2 tbsp of BADIA chipotle sauce. I followed the rest of the ingredients as listed.
I blended everything in a Ninja, marinated boneless skinless thighs for 6 hours, then grilled them in a nonstick pan on medium-high for 16–18 minutes, flipping every 4.5. The result: great char, juicy chicken. I might use the full tablespoon of salt next time. I’m also curious how a splash of white vinegar or lime juice might add some zip and perhaps a tablespoon or brown sugar or honey. Will definitely make this again—thanks!
CROCKPOT!
I’ve made this as recommended a number of times and it’s a family favorite but wondered how it would do in a crockpot so I gave it a try and it’s great! Small changes I did- I added just a small pinch of salt, did not add the water but just dumped the marinade straight onto the chicken breasts in the crock pot, cut the chicken breasts I used into thirds, and then put in just enough chicken stock to keep the chicken covered. The chicken shredded easily after 3 hours on high, and then I left the lid off for 30 more minutes for the sauce to thicken up. This was a great way to make a shredded chicken with a ton of flavor on a day that I didn’t have a chance to let it marinade in advance and definitely didn’t have time to grill/ cook it in cast iron (though, that is of course the BEST way to make it!)
Excellent recipe, everyone in my family loves this chicken!
Perfect! My teenage kids love this chicken! Copycat Chipotle bowls are requested regularly now.
Insanely good. I made this a few years ago but this time able to figure out a way to keep the chicken from burning so even better! It’s Chipotle at home for sure thank you!
Family LOVED the chicken. It is going into the family dinner rotation schedule. Thank you
So good tastes just like chipotle!
Perfect! We make this all the time – often 9 or 12 pounds at a time. It freezes well both cooked/chopped and uncooked. The only thing I do different is use the whole chipotle peppers along with the sauce. Comes out great every time!
Have made this several times but with only a teaspoon of salt. Thought it might be a typo for a tablespoon. Also, added a chipotle pepper or 2 to the marinade in the food processor. Used air fryer, cast iron skillet and the grill and it all has turned out great! Make homemade salsa, Cajun corn, cilantro rice and topped with lettuce, cheese, sour cream and guacamole! Delicious!!
My wife and I LOVE this recipe! It turns out great every time. However, the nutrition label is quite a bit different. What is your serving size?
This is fantastic. When I go to the beach in the summer, I make the sauce at home, toss it in a freezer back with the raw chicken, then defrost before grilling. No mess and fabulous every time. Leftovers are great for tacos, salads, quesadillas.
My youngest loves Chipotle so we had the whole family over for Chipotle Bowls. This recipe was great, everyone loved it. The only change was an added a couple of the Chipotle Peppers in with the sauce. The salt was not a problem. I will definitely fix this again.
Yummy.
This was great! Just like Chipotle. I used 1.5 tbs regular chili powder and 1/2 tbs paprika in lieu of the ancho. I definitely want to try with the ancho.
Made for my son’s birthday dinner on the Blackstone – awesome!
I am not a fan of chicken thighs so I used chicken breasts. It was delicious and so much better than Chipotle’s. I used them to make a chicken bowl which will definitely be going into meal rotation.
YUM! Family loved this! Has anyone pressure canned this recipe?
This came out amazing!!!
This recipe is going in my permanent rotation! Chopped it over cilantro and lime rice for our at home burrito bowls. AMAZING! Thank you!
A bit salty as others have mentioned, it is missing some lime juice to break the saltiness. Also, cumin is mostly used for Tex-Mex dishes, not so much in Mexican cuisine. :)
This was so good! We didn’t have the ancho chili powder but used regular chili powder which was the only change made. We cooked the chicken on the grill and it was delicious. I couldn’t stop eating it while I was cutting it up. Really good flavor and using the thighs kept it very moist.
TERRIBLY SALTY. Not to yell, but it was just that salty. I’ve never made something so terrible just by following the instructions. Against my better judgement I put a tablespoon, but if I did it again I would do 1 teaspoon salt and I’m sure it would be great!
FABULOUS!!!
Hi I can’t find ancho chile powder anywhere, what can I use instead?
Amazon has it. Guess you could use regular chili powder, but won’t taste the same.
If you have a Target, they should have it. I purchased some today for $1.99.
So far a 4. Added water and the marinade was weak. Redid the marinade and added less water. Cooking chicken tomorrow on a blackstone
Freakin amazing and soo accurate. Cause you can’t distinguish the copycat flavor from chipotle except the fact that it taste a little more homemade, but that’s even better!
This tastes terrible, there is somehow no flavor to the recipe.
I had to dump it out because it was UNBEARABLY salty. I even questioned the whole tablespoon of salt when I was making it, but all the reviews said it was great. It tasted like a block of salt. Do NOT use as much salt as the recipe calls for.
Our Family loves Chipolte and this recipe is the closest tasting chicken ive come across, entire family loves it. A+++
INCREDIBLY salty. Inedible. The people saying it’s great must nothave followed the recipe. There’s no way. I re read the recipe multiple times to make sure it said TABLESPOON of salt. Went against my better judgement and didit. Awful. What a waste.