Copycat Chipotle Chicken
by Chungah
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This copycat Chipotle chicken is so easy, juicy and flavorful with a make-ahead marinade. It tastes like the restaurant-version if not better!
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Why you’ll love copycat chipotle chicken
- Better control over ingredients. You can avoid the extra sodium and all the mystery ingredients when ordering out. Making this at home allows you to use premium chicken, fresh ingredients, and high-quality oils, cooking on demand without it sitting under a heat lamp.
- Easy, make-ahead recipe. The marinade comes together so quickly in a blender in just minutes, marinating ahead of time for the easiest prep, making this an ideal candidate for a quick, effortless dinner during the busy week.
- Budget-friendly. A single chicken bowl can cost anywhere between $12-15, whereas a single serving will cost $2-5 here, substantially cutting down costs with better quality ingredients.
- Perfect for meal prep. Say goodbye to boring chicken dinners! The chicken can be served in so many ways, repurposing leftovers for tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, salads or wraps.
What is chipotle chicken?
Chipotle chicken is a popular grilled chicken dish from Chipotle, a fast-food chain restaurant serving burritos, tacos, and quesadillas assembly-line style. The chicken is made using a blended marinade of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, garlic, chili powder, and cumin.
How to make copycat chipotle chicken
- Blend the marinade. Combine the beer (such as Modelo), onion, garlic, chili pepper, oil, lime juice, adobo sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, and pepper in a blender until smooth.
- Marinate. Marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight. The longer it sits, the better!
- Prep the grill. Preheat the grill to medium heat and scrape the grill grates clean to prevent sticking and to guarantee those perfect sear marks on the chicken thighs.
- Grill. Brush the chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper. Then add the chicken to the preheated grill, letting them cook undisturbed for a few minutes for those favorited smoky, charred flavors. The chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Let cool. Let the chicken rest and cool for 5-10 minutes to lock in moisture and allow the juices to redistribute before dicing into bite-sized pieces.
how to serve chipotle chicken
- Tacos: serve on warm flour or corn tortillas, topped with shredded lettuce, cheese, sour cream, and salsa
- Burrito bowls: layer the chicken over rice with black beans, corn salsa, and fresh guacamole
- Salad: serve over shredded romaine and top with black beans, corn, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro lime dressing
- Quesadillas: melt shredded cheddar cheese and pepper jack cheese with the chicken between two flour tortillas
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Copycat Chipotle Chicken: Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here, but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content, which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
A beer such as Modelo is an excellent option for this recipe.
Substitute with chicken stock for a non-alcoholic substitute.
To ensure juicy, moist chicken, marinate the chicken for at least 1 hour, avoid overcooking (use an instant-read thermometer) and let it rest prior to slicing and serving.
No grill, no problem. A cast-iron grill pan or a large cast-iron skillet will work beautifully here, especially during those winter months when it’s too cold to grill out!
Yes! The chicken can be marinated overnight and placed in the fridge.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days, reheating in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil, until warmed through.
Copycat Chipotle Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup beer
- ½ medium sweet onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce
- 3 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Instructions
- Combine beer, onion, garlic, chili pepper, 2 tablespoons canola oil, lime juice, adobo sauce, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt and pepper in blender until smooth.
- In a gallon size Ziploc bag or large bowl, combine chicken thighs and beer mixture; marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, turning the bag occasionally. Drain the chicken from the marinade.
- Preheat grill to medium heat.
- Brush chicken with remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil; season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add chicken to grill, and cook, turning occasionally, until chicken is completely cooked through, reaching an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 8-10 minutes. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
- Serve warm.
Notes
- An outdoor grill is not necessary. Too cold to grill outside? A cast iron grill pan can be used to get those favorited grill marks and charred flavor.
- Preheat the grill. Ensure that the grill is properly cleaned (to prevent sticking) and preheated prior to grilling. This will allow for a better sear for those grill marks and evenly cooked chicken.
- Marinate for at least 4 hours. For the best flavor and texture, marinate the chicken for at least 4 hours (to overnight). This will help tenderize the meat and lock in moisture when cooked.
- Neutral oils with a high smoke point is ideal. Use a neutral oil such as avocado, peanut, canola or vegetable oil, offering the ability to withstand high heat without smoking, burning, or changing the flavor of the chicken while producing a perfectly golden-brown sear.
- Use an instant-read thermometer for the most accurate results. The internal temperature should reach 165°F.
- Let the chicken cool before dicing. Let the chicken rest and cool prior to dicing, allowing the juices to redistribute – this will allow for maximum flavor and juiciness without tearing when dicing.
- Reheat in the oven. Leftover chicken can be rubbery when reheated. For best results with leftovers, reheat in the oven at 350°F, covered in aluminum foil until warmed through.
Did you make this recipe?
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I worked at Chipotle for 3+ years. So, I have eated A LOT of their chicken. This recipe is spot on. I cut back on the chili powder to 1 1/4 teaspoons. That was a mistake. I should have followed the recipe exactly for a perfect dupe.
This recipe is sounds amazing but am a baby when it comes to spice. Any suggestions?
I have prepared this chicken twice. It is delicious. I served it with black beans, rice and salad. Thank you for a great recipe.
This is my new favorite way to make fajita meat. Best I’ve ever had!
Do you have a recommendation for a beer substitute for someone who can’t consume gluten?
We are a “dry” family around here. I’ve always used sparkling water – like Perrier. It turns out delicious!!
I’ve probably made these at least 20 times! The marinade is so delicious and the longer it sits – the better it gets. To be honest, most of the time I substitute the beer for chicken stock and I think it’s equally as delicious. Definitely a family favorite!
Can you use olive oil or avocado oil instead of canola?
Has anyone tried freezing the marinade and chicken together to cook later? I’ve heard then the chicken can marinate as it thaws. I wonder if it would work with this recipe.
We do this all the time!! Works great!
Any suggestions on how to keep warm without drying out? After it’s grilled and cut, can I keep warm in a crockpot, do you think chicken broth with some do they adobo sauce mixed in would be a good liquid so it doesn’t dry out. Your suggestions would be greatly appreciated! Making this for a friends house this weekend!
A repeat in our house! A great copycat that tastes like the real thing!
absolutely fabulous. We are big Chipotle fans but it can be so expensive. This recipe is spot on, the only problem was it was gone so fast. Making this again today, but doubling up the recipe this time!
This is *the best* chicken. Everyone who has it talks about it months later. I made it for my son’s birthday a year ago and my dad remembered it and has requested it for his Father’s Day dinner. We don’t have beer on hand, so I use white wine, but I do everything else as the recipe says – sometimes breasts instead of thighs (once again, it’s just what we keep on hand). 10/10. Definitely make this!
What kind of white wine do you use?
Thanks!
This is the best chicken ever. I made it for company – a burrito bowl bar – and everyone wanted the recipe. Thank you!!
What type of beer would you recommend? There’s so many to choose from. Thank you.
Just a pale lager (Budweiser, Modelo, etc) will do… nothing particularly hoppy, etc
Thank you for this delicious recipe!! I love chipotle but it always hurts my stomach. Now I can eat it all week, save money AND my stomach Haha.
Any recommendations on making this in a crock pot?
I have not tried this yet. It’s on my menu for this week. Can you tell me how you made the ‘Bowl” part. Did you make your own guacamole and Pico? what else did you put in the bowl?
Delicious!
I usually make black beans, refried beans, Fajita Veggies (like Chipotle Onions and peppers), sour cream (I use plain non fat Greek yogurt) cheese if you like and any salsas! I add mine to a salad but you could just add lettuce to yours also!
This is a great recipe and it came out great on my pellet smoker. It was a tad heavy on the beer flavor for my taste. Next time I’ll try 2.5 to 3oz of beer instead of 4.
This is AMAZING! I’ve made it grilled and baked, with thighs and breasts, marinated a little and a long time. A hit EVERY SINGLE TIME. The flavors are amazing and even my picky teenager says it tastes like the real thing!
For the peppers in Adobo sauce … I get a can and freeze what I don’t use. It’s easy to chip off one pepper at a time for recipes!
How did you bake? I don’t have a grill but would love to make this. Thanks!
I wish I could upload pics!! it came out amazing my first try, my boyfriend couldn’t stop talking about it, so I attempted to make it again for New Years and everyone loved it!