I don’t know about you but I LOVE copycat recipes!
I mean, what’s not to love when you get to enjoy a delicious homemade version of your favorite restaurant dish at a fraction of the price that you can, if you wish, make in bulk or vary according to your preferences.
This Copycat Chipotle Chicken is one such recipe. The restaurant-quality factor is attributed to marinating your chicken in a flavorful combination of sauce and seasoning, making the chicken breasts beautifully tender and moist. Perfect for tacos, burritos, salads or bowls!
So next time the family asks to make a trip to Chipotle, wow them instead with an even better homemade version to satisfy those Mexican-inspired food cravings!
TIPS FOR MAKING COPYCAT CHIPOTLE CHICKEN
- This dish has a good kick to it but without burning your mouth. If you want to downplay this spice then you can either use less of the can of chipotles in adobo sauce, marinate for less time ( i.e. 2 hours instead of overnight), or wipe off any extra marinade before grilling.
- Save time for weeknight meals by marinating your chicken in the morning before the rest of the day unfolds and then it’ll be ready for you to grill for dinner.
- While this recipe calls for only 3 hours of marinating, I suggest doing so overnight to maximize the flavor and tenderness of the chicken.
Copycat Chipotle Chicken
- Combine all ingredients except for the chicken in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse several times to make a marinade paste.
- Place chicken breasts and marinade into a gallon size plastic bag and seal closed. Squish around the chicken and marinade so that all the chicken is fully coated. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours.
- After chicken has marinated, pre-heat grill on high heat for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and discard bag. Place chicken on grill and cook on each side for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. Adjust grill heat while cooking to ensure that there is a little bit of char, but the meat does not burn or catch on fire.
- Remove cooked chicken from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Chop into pieces and serve with tacos, rice bowls, salads, etc.
IS IT NECESSARY TO MARINATE THE CHICKEN FOR THAT LONG?
- Yes, definitely. Don’t miss this step as it assists with great flavor as well as making the chicken breast meat tender and moist. Although the recipe calls for 2 hours of marinating, I actually prefer to do it overnight.
IS THIS CHIPOTLE CHICKEN SPICY?
- No, it’s not super spicy. While it does have a slight kick to it, it isn’t spicy in the sense that you need to be prepared with a glass of milk while eating it!
HOW SHOULD I SERVE THIS COPYCAT CHIPOTLE CHICKEN?
- There are so many dishes you can incorporate your Chipotle chicken into. Here are some great and tasty ideas:
Burritos
Tacos
Enchiladas
Quesadillas
Taquitos
Salads
Bowls
WHAT OTHER METHODS OF COOKING CAN I USE?
- While grilling your chicken is the best way to mimic this restaurant-style food, you do definitely have alternative cooking methods that you can use if you wish. Here are 3 alternative cooking methods you can use:
- Slow Cooker: Cook chicken and all other ingredients on high for 3 hours or on low for 6 hours.
- Stove Top: Make sure to cut your chicken into cubes prior to marinating. Then cook the chicken on the stovetop till cooked through.
- Oven-Baked: Place the chicken breasts on a baking tray and roast at 400F for 20 minutes.
Other Copycat Recipes You’ll Love
- Copycat Taco Bell Mexican Pizza
- Copycat Chick Fil A Sauce
- Copycat Chick Fil A Nuggets
- Copycat KFC Coleslaw
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Copycat Chipotle Chicken
When the family asks to make a trip to Chipotle, wow them instead with this Copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe. Great for tacos, burritos or salads.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
marinated time: 3 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Serves:8
Hover over "serves" value to reveal recipe scaler
Calories:151
Ingredients
- 7 oz. Can chipotles in adobo sauce
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/4 cup chopped red onion
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- Juice of 2 limes about 1⁄4 cup
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 4-6 thin-sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except for the chicken in the bowl of a food processor or blender. Pulse several times to make a marinade paste.
- Place chicken breasts and marinade into a gallon size plastic bag and seal closed. Squish around the chicken and marinade so that all the chicken is fully coated. Refrigerate for a minimum of 3 hours.
- After chicken has marinated, pre-heat grill on high heat for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade and discard bag. Place chicken on grill and cook on each side for 10-12 minutes or until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F. Adjust grill heat while cooking to ensure that there is a little bit of char, but the meat does not burn or catch on fire.
- Remove cooked chicken from the grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Chop into pieces and serve with tacos, rice bowls, salads, etc.
Recipe Notes:
Note: if you are sensitive to spice, I would suggest using less chipotles in adobo sauce.
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Nutrition Information:
Calories: 151kcal (8%)Carbohydrates: 5g (2%)Protein: 24g (48%)Fat: 3g (5%)Saturated Fat: 1g (5%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 72mg (24%)Sodium: 423mg (18%)Potassium: 438mg (13%)Fiber: 3g (12%)Sugar: 2g (2%)Vitamin A: 43IU (1%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 15mg (2%)Iron: 1mg (6%)
Nutrition Disclaimer
Family Fresh Meals is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is only an estimate. We recommend running the ingredients through an online nutritional calculator if you need to verify any information.
Carmen says
Can this be prepared and kept in freezer until ready to use? If so, how long in freezer?
Corey says
Yes. I would use within 3-4 months if frozen
Stacey says
Does it matter which brand of chipotles in adobo sauce you use? This was my first time to use them, and it was VERY spicy. I’m wondering if that would make a difference?
Other than the heat level, it was a delicious flavor!
Corey says
No, it shouldn’t matter, so maybe next time I would just reduce the amount you use. Glad you like it otherwise 🙂
Angela says
Me and my kids can’t do spicy either, but I wanted the chipotle adobo flavor! So, I tried using just the adobo sauce and discarded the chipotle peppers. It turned out great! I served it in a bowl with rice, black beans, corn, and tomatoes. My kids liked it and it had great flavor with a little bit of heat. No more plain boring chicken rice bowls – Yay!
Gina P says
My teenagers are Chipotle fanatics so I decided to try this recipe to save some $$, have supplies on hand at home and hopefully eliminate some of the processed foods and extra calories you get at a restaurant. This recipe was amazing and will now be part of our regular rotation. The leftover chicken is perfect for a salad or bowl the next day for lunch and tastes great cold, too! Thanks for this great recipe.
Corey says
Yay! So happy ya’ll love it!
Maxine Cooper says
We loved it . It was a little hot for me but, everyone else thought it was fine.
Desiree Cheatham says
When making this chipotle chicken marinate can I use lemon juice instead of lime juice
Corey says
I have only used lime, so I don’t know exactly how well that will turn out.
Greg Spencer says
Mines marinating now and can’t wait. But if you cook thin sliced chicken breasts for 20-24 minutes I think you’ll just end up charcoal?
Corey says
Yes, you’ll need to adjust if you have thin cut breasts.
Ralph says
Will boneless skinless thighs work well for this ?
Corey says
Yes! Thighs also worked out great in this recipe too 🙂
Melissa says
This is a horrible recipe! The chicken was so spicy that no one could eat it! I didn’t even marinate overnight! I had to throw away all the chicken! I’m sorry to leave a negative comment but Groceries are so expensive and I wasted a ton of money ‘
Corey says
I’m sorry the recipe was too spicy for you Melissa. I have added a note to the recipe card for those who are sensitive to spice to use less of the chipotles in adobo sauce.
Jen says
So excited about this recipe. It’s super, super easy and albeit spicy, it can be easily be adjusted to taste. I didn’t marinate (no time). We had it as a bowl (because we burned the corn tortillas) with chipotle rice, pico, avocado, and shredded lettuce. My younger kiddos found it delicious, but definitely spicy so there were some comical trips for water😊. And perfect leftovers for my teenager’s lunch. Will 100% make again.
Judy Grant says
This was “Excelente”! The whole family enjoyed it, even the culinary experts!
Autumn says
What is the serving size for the nutrition information
Corey says
This make 8 servings, so I would divide the recipe into 8ths for exact serving size.
SFischer says
Wish I’d read the comments first. It was too spicy for me, but I could tell the flavor was what I’m looking for. I’ll definitely make again, but only use 1/2 can of chipotles.
Tess says
I’m confused by the people complaining this is too spicy? It has the same amount of spice as the chicken at Chipotle.. which is why it’s called copy cat Chipotle chicken? Anyway I loved it!
Corey says
So happy you loved it Tess!
MW 😊 says
My family and I loved this recipe. Even my 5yr loved it with sour cream on his taco. It is jammed packed with flavor, which we enjoyed. Thanks
Sue says
I love this. First time I made it using lemon as I didn’t have lime. It came out good. Next time I made I used lime and it was even better.
Kelly says
Amazing! There was nothing left.
Alyssa Rosenthal says
I want to make this recipe tomorrow, but don’t have time to go to the store for a red onion. I have all the other ingredients. Can I use a white onion instead?
Corey says
Sorry for the late answer, yes, that should work out ok.
Christina says
I only marinaded for 1 hour because I was scared of it being too spicy and it was perfect. Grilled on my cast iron grill pan. Will definitely be making this again. Thank you!
Dee says
Loved this recipe!
Kayla says
Can this be cooked on cask iron, air fryer or oven??
Corey says
I’ve only made and tested the recipe as written, so I can’t say for sure. Hopefully one of our followers can help that have tried this
Lori says
Loved, loved, loved this chicken! Easy to make and tastes amazing. We choose to marinate for 2.5 hours, which was sufficient for our preference. Chicken had some zing but not too spicy. Made with cilantro lime rice for a wonderful dinner.
Christine Stouffer says
I think they use chicken thighs,
not white meat breasts. Of course you could use either, but I think it is the more flavorful, but less expensive, thighs.
Billie says
This recipe is spot on. I made it exactly as it says, except I took out half the peppers in the can. and it came out perfect.
I don’t like it as spicy as some, but it was fabulous. It had just enough heat. I recommend this to anyone. It was even better cold had as a snack for lunch for two days.
Yummy!! I will make This again.
Jen says
If doing in the crockpot, do you still
Marinate first?
Ashley says
I have made this and several variations, depending on what I have on hand. I, like many others, have never used adobo sauce prior to this recipe and people, listen… taste stuff before you throw a whole bunch of an unfamiliar ingredient in to a recipe. ADOBO CHILES ARE SPICY A.F so just judge accordingly.
E J says
I’d love to try this, but could you provide the weight of meat needed for this recipe so I know how much to buy?
Corey says
About 2 lbs of chicken
Ken says
I liked how this turned out. I feel like there’s more spice/heat than the real thing but I really liked it.
Nj says
I reduced the recipe to serve 4.. and all the quantities of ingredients reduced as I would have thought except the lime juice. It still says juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup)..should I reduce that also up and down with the number of servings in proportion or is the extra liquid volume needed. Haven’t made it yet, but looking forward to it. Have everything on hand for this weekend.
Donna says
This was delicious . Family loved it! Followed recipe exactly. Perfect heat for us.
Corey says
So happy to hear you and the family loved it 🙂
Kay Sahinen says
Loved it! I used adobe seasoning bc that’s all I had and added 1/4 cup of water. And added 1/4 teaspoon of chili peppers. It was the best recipe I have tried for Chipotle chicken. Thank you.
Anne says
Have made several times now. Family loves it.
Janice says
Perfect amount of seasoning. 5th time making it. Chicken thighs on the grill was the best flavor. Kroger had chicken thighs buy one get TWO free. Made 24 thighs on the grill the night before and warmed in the crock pot with a cup of chicken stock for a company pot luck. Cheap protein but not a lot of fun to debone and skin a chicken thigh. Great recipe
Vicvinegar says
I used to work at chipotle. We only used chicken thighs not breasts. Also in the original days of working we mixed the Adobe paste with oil and honey. Helps from sticking.