Copycat Chipotle chicken recipe is to die for and even better than the original! It’s so juicy and made with an incredible marinade that is simple, fast, and so tasty!
Chipotle Chicken Recipe
Chipotle Mexican Grill has always been one of my favorite places to pick up a quick, healthier meal option to-go. You can pretty much get anything you would like on it, and it’s fast. Even though it’s one of my favorites, I am trying to kick the habit of getting things out when I know I can make them at home for a fraction of the cost and I know what’s precisely in the ingredients. Quality ingredients are everything in a simple recipe.
So I went on a mission to be able to create everything you can order in the Chipotle line, but it’s been a lot of hard work trying to nail the flavors perfectly. With that being said, I am going to be sharing all of the recipes over the next couple of weeks (there are a lot of them!). And I must say I think my copycat chipotle chicken recipe is even better than the original. You can bake it; you can grill it, you can also fry in a skillet on the stove. So easy and so versatile, my friends.
What goes into a chipotle chicken marinade?
Two main components have a significant role in Chipotle’s chicken marinade: adobo peppers in adobo sauce and ancho chili powder. With ancho chilies, you can always buy dried ancho chilies and soak them, but that method isn’t for me because the process is so long. I like to purchase ancho chili powder which you can find at or local supermarket or even grab it on Amazon.
How to cook chipotle chicken:
- Grill – you can grill it over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until it’s cooked through or at 165 degrees F.
- Stovetop – you can use a cast iron or any other type of skillet over medium heat for 4-5 minutes on each side or until it’s cooked through or at 165 degrees F.
- Baked – preheat an oven to 425 degrees and bake for 20-25 minutes or until it’s cooked through or at 165 degrees F.
All cooking methods are explained more in detail in the recipe down below.
If you love chicken recipes, I highly recommend making my perfect oven-baked chicken breasts, baked cajun chicken breasts (so good!), 5-ingredient tex-mex chicken marinade, or even baked teriyaki chicken. All are lovely options to try.
Copycat Chipotle chicken recipe is to die for and even better than the original! It's so juicy and made with an incredible marinade that is simple, fast, and so tasty!
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 small white or red onion, quartered
- 1/4 cup distilled vinegar
- 2 tbsp ancho chili powder
- 2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp dried oregano
- 4 tbsp oil , divided (vegetable, canola, rice bran)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 2 tbsp adobo sauce
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Add garlic, onion, vinegar, ancho chili powder, cumin, oregano, 2 tbsp oil, salt, pepper, chipotle pepper, and adobo sauce to the blender or a food processor and blend until smooth.
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Place the chicken thighs in a large Ziplock bag and pour in the marinade. Close the bag and mix everything together until the chicken thighs are coated. Place into the refrigerator for at least 2-3 hours or overnight.
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Preheat grill to medium-high heat and coat grill with 1-2 tablespoons of oil and grill each side for 3-4 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You may need to cook all of the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet, depending on size.
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Allow chicken thighs to rest and roughly chop.
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Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. You may need to cook all of the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the skillet, depending on size.
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Allow chicken thighs to rest and roughly chop.
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Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken thighs in a large baking dish and bake for 18 minutes.
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Remove baking dish from oven and place aluminum foil on top and bake for another 4-5 minutes.
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Allow chicken thighs to rest and roughly chop.
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