Copycat Chipotle Chicken
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Seriously SO SO GOOD. Perfect for burritos and/or burrito bowls! And it’s even better than Chipotle, but shhhhh!
This recipe has been such a lifesaver.
I have been incredibly busy with work/errands/adult chores lately that I have been (shamelessly) ordering delivery a few times a week. And with all the surcharges, tips and fees, I think I have been spending at least $20 on ONE Chipotle burrito bowl.
I know. It’s been a lot. But not anymore.
So I introduce to you the copycat Chipotle chicken recipe. A recipe that tastes so much better than the restaurant-version. And it’s been a god-send with meal prep. With a grain base (I prefer a wild rice + brown rice blend), corn, some greens, pico de gallo, and a sprinkle of cheese, this has been saving me and my wallet all week!
Tools For This Recipe
Cast iron grill pan or large cast iron skillet
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.
Modelo is a great option for this recipe!
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!
Copycat Chipotle Chicken
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.
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Any suggestions on how one might do this in an oven? I live in an apt. and do not have easy access to a grill 🙁
Line a sheet pan with foil (for easy clean up) and place on an oiled rack on top. Place chicken on rack, broil on high 3-4 inches from the element for 5-6 minutes on each side. I did this tonight and it came out perfect, juicy with bits of char.
I did it right on the stove top. I cooked the marinated chicken in the air fryer, but you could do in a skillet as well. I let it cool, then diced it up.
When I was ready to serve, I simply heated the tortilla’s on both sides in a non-stick pan, melted the cheese and then added the chicken. Fold over and give each side two minutes. Was perfect! (*pro-tip…I bought two tortilla’s for $.25 each from Chipotle for a legit copycat taste)
This recipe was delicious. I thought it may be spicy but it was so full of flavor. Would make again and again.
I have to say, this marinade is outstanding! I double it and put half straight in a sauce pan to reduce (maybe with a little cornstarch) and it makes the best sauce/salsa. I even use leftovers with chips or on eggs. I make a batch almost every week. So amazing! Thanks!!
Excellent! Chicken is not my meat of choice at Chipotle, so I can’t say how similar it is, but it’s delicious! I will say two pounds of chicken was A LOT for our family of five. Luckily it’s good enough that I’m looking forward to leftovers.
What is the substitute for beer?
Best replacement for beer is India Pale Ale, other than that, no replacement.
Chicken broth
I haven’t actually tried this recipe yet but my husband and I love chipotle and are really excited to give this a try. I have 2 questions though, 1) the tablespoon of adobo sauce that is called for, is that in addition to the chipotle chili pepper in adobo sauce or does that just come from the can that contains the pepper? And 2) there are at least a few different types of Models beer. Is it just the regular that you recommend?
Thank you! Can’t wait to try this recipe.
Hi there, my family LOVED the slow cooker chicken Parm pasta. slowly trying to make more of your recipes.. WHERE DO I GET ADOBO SAUCE? is there an alternative to that? i found adobo powder in out grocery stores, but never have i seen adobo sauce. thank you! will be making this soon once i’ve figured out the adobo sauce.
It’s in a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. All grocery stores carry it. Mine is next to salsa, taco shells, refried beans.
You can buy peppers in adobo sauce at the store. I think I paid around a dollar for it at Walmart.
Loved it! We don’t have chipotle here but this was a hit with the whole family!!
I didn’t have beer and we got a huge amount of snow so we made due to with chicken broth.
Thanks so much!!!!
Amazing! Gonna double this for our family of 5 next time because only one wing survived the feast. Used chicken broth instead of beer. Ate this with homemade mexican cauliflower rice. I am guessing we will put this on our menu plan for next week again. Thank you for sharing this awesome recipe!
I made this chiptole chicken recipe yesterday and it turned out to be so damn delicious.. My husband and daughter absolutely loved it too…. Thanks so much for sharing!
I made this tonight for dinner. It was easy and tasted great. I didn’t cook on the grill but used a frying pan.
I used a blonde beer because that was all that I had.
Sounds really good! What type of beer would be best for this recipe?
Hi Darcie! Modelo is a great option for this recipe. Hope that helps!
Chipotle the restaurant doesn’t use beer, their food is all gluten free (except flour tortillas) and they could say gluten free if they used beer. Plus my celiac husband has never gotten sick from it. So… any idea for the marinade without using beer?
Sounds DELICIOUS. Scared to make for my kids who freak out about spices. Where could I reduce quantities to tone down the intensity? Thanks for your great recipes and beautiful photography.
I’m not a beer drinker. What kind of beer do you recommend?
Hi Cindy! Modelo is a great option for this recipe. Hope that helps!
Oh yes please !
Any substitutions for beer? We are a non alcoholic household.
Chicken broth can be used as a non-alcoholic substitute. 🙂
I have used apple cider as a replacement for beer in a lot of recipes. It should work here and you would get the slightly sweet, acidic taste of the cider with the spice of the adobo…I would eat that, for sure!
They do make non-alcoholic beer.