This Copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe is simple, versatile, budget-friendly and just as delicious as the real thing. It’s perfect for meal prep and can be used in burritos, tacos, salads and more.
Jump to:
- Simple Chipotle Chicken Copycat Recipe
- What To Eat With Copycat Chipotle Chicken
- Ingredients in Chipotle Chicken Marinade
- How to Cook Copycat Chipotle Chicken
- What Can I Do With Leftover Adobo Chilis?
- How Long Should I Marinade Chicken?
- Can I Cook Copycat Chipotle Chicken in the Slow Cooker?
- How to Store Copycat Chipotle Chicken
- Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe
Simple Chipotle Chicken Copycat Recipe
Chipotle is a simple go-to lunch or dinner for many people because it’s quick, fairly healthy and super tasty. But, it can really start to add up. We thought, how hard can it be to make? Luckily, we were right - this recipe couldn’t be simpler.
All you’ll need are a few ingredients to make your marinade, chicken breasts (you could sub dark meat) and your favorite fixings. The recipe itself only takes about 20 minutes to prep. During the rest of the time, the marinade is doing all of the work.
We’ve included instructions for grilling, baking and sautéing your Copycat Chipotle Chicken so you’ll have plenty of ways to get that juicy, flavor-packed Chipotle favorite whenever you want. Make a big batch and you’ll be able to eat it throughout the week!
What To Eat With Copycat Chipotle Chicken
This recipe is perfect for meal prep because it is so versatile. You can use it in just about anything!
Serve with tortillas, Chipotle Lime Rice, black beans, diced tomatoes, shredded lettuce, queso, sour cream and your favorite salsa for a number of uses, including:
- Quesadillas
- Enchiladas
- Tacos
- Burritos
- Quinoa or Burrito Bowl
- Soups
One of our favorite ways to use leftovers is for a Copycat Chipotle Chicken salad. Add chicken to upgrade your favorite green salad for a light and healthy lunch or dinner.
Ingredients in Chipotle Chicken Marinade
- Onion - red onions taste great in this marinade, but you could also use white or yellow if that is all that you have.
- Adobo Sauce - we like to use just the adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo. You can store and save the rest of the canned peppers and sauce for another use.
- Avocado Oil - you can also use vegetable oil, or even rice bran oil if you want to truly copy Chipotle.
- Brown Sugar - we use light brown sugar for this recipe.
- Lime Juice - fresh squeezed tastes best.
- Garlic - we use fresh minced garlic, but you could substitute garlic powder if you’d like.
- Chili Powder - you could use regular chili powder or ancho chili powder.
- Cumin - any type of cumin works great.
- Oregano - try and find either Mexican or Italian dried Oregano. They both have a slightly different flavor profile but are equally good in this marinade.
- Salt and Pepper
How to Cook Copycat Chipotle Chicken
Grill Instructions
- Preheat grill and remove the chicken from the marinade. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then place on the grill and cook over medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes per side, or until the chicken is caramelized and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest spot.
- Take chicken off the grill and tent with foil for 5 minutes. Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces, then season to taste with salt and fresh squeezed lime juice just before serving.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and remove the chicken from the marinade. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and arrange chicken in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper, then bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest spot.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and tent with foil for 5 minutes. Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and transfer to a bowl. Pour the drippings from the baking dish over the chicken and season with salt and fresh squeezed lime juice just before serving.
Stovetop Instructions
- Remove the chicken from the marinade. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts to the pan and cook, until golden brown, or about 4-5 minutes. Flip to the other side and continue to cook the chicken for another 4-5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest spot.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and tent with foil for 5 minutes. Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and transfer to a bowl. Pour the drippings from the pan over the chicken and season with salt and fresh squeezed lime juice just before serving.
What Can I Do With Leftover Adobo Chilis?
You can actually freeze leftover canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce! Empty the rest of the can into a small freezer bag and allow it to freeze as flat as possible. When you want to use some, just break off as much as you want and toss the rest back in the freezer for up to 6 months.
You could also freeze them individually in ice cube trays, then transfer to a freezer bag once they have frozen completely.
How Long Should I Marinade Chicken?
The minimum time to marinade your Copycat Chipotle Chicken is 2 hours in the fridge. This will at least ensure that the chicken is nice and flavorful and juicy. However, you can marinade as far as 24 hours in advance if you want to get a head start.
Can I Cook Copycat Chipotle Chicken in the Slow Cooker?
You can! The texture won’t quite be the same, as you can imagine, but the flavors are all there.
If you want to cook your chicken in the slow cooker, skip the pounding step and dump everything into your crockpot at once. Cook on high for 3 hours or low for 6 hours, double checking that the internal temperature of the chicken has reached 165 degrees F in the thickest spot.
How to Store Copycat Chipotle Chicken
To store, put your chicken into an airtight container and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you want to reheat, you can warm in the microwave, or add to a saute pan over medium heat and cook with a little oil until warmed through.
Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Copycat Chipotle Chicken Marinade
- 2 lbs Chicken Breasts boneless, skinless
- ½ medium Red Onion chopped, can substitute white or yellow
- 2 Tablespoons Adobo Sauce from canned abobo chilis
- 3 Tablespoons Avocado Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
- 2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
- 2 tsp Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Oregano dried Mexican or Italian
- 1 tsp Salt plus more to taste
- ½ tsp Black Pepper
- 1 whole Lime cut into 6 wedges for serving
Instructions
How to Prepare and Marinade Chicken
- In a food processor or blender, add the onion, adobo sauce, avocado oil, brown sugar, lime juice, minced garlic, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Blend until smooth, then set aside.
- Lay chicken on a cutting board, cover with plastic wrap and pound chicken to an even thickness using a meat tenderizer or the bottom of a glass jar. You want to pound the chicken to about ½" - ¾" thickness.
- Add pounded chicken to a large resealable plastic bag, then pour marinade ingredients over the chicken. Seal the bag and massage until all the chicken is covered in marinade. Marinate in the fridge for as little as 2 and up to 24 hours.
Grill Instructions
- Preheat grill and remove the chicken from the marinade. Season both sides with salt and pepper, then place on the grill and cook over medium high heat for about 5-7 minutes per side, or until the chicken is caramelized and the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest spot.
- Take chicken off the grill and tent with foil for 5 minutes. Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces, then season to taste with salt and fresh squeezed lime juice just before serving.
Oven Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and remove the chicken from the marinade. Spray a baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and arrange chicken in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper, then bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the chicken reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest spot.
- Remove the chicken from the oven and tent with foil for 5 minutes. Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and transfer to a bowl. Pour the drippings from the baking dish over the chicken and season with salt and fresh squeezed lime juice just before serving.
Stovetop Instructions
- Remove the chicken from the marinade. Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large non-stick or cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add chicken breasts to the pan and cook, until golden brown, or about 4-5 minutes. Flip to the other side and continue to cook another 4-5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees F in the thickest spot.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and tent with foil for 5 minutes. Cut chicken into small, bite-sized pieces and transfer to a bowl. Pour the drippings from the pan over the chicken and season with salt and fresh squeezed lime juice just before serving.
Serving Instructions
- Serve on a tortilla, quesadilla or rice bowl with additional toppings if desired. Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Here are more of our favorite copycat recipes!
If you’ve tried this recipe, please rate it and leave a comment on this post. I love hearing feedback from you helps me and other readers too! If you love Pinterest, feel free to leave a comment and photo there too. Also, if you like to share, use the hashtag #thecarefreekitchen on Instagram and tag me @thecarefreekitchen so I can find you and give your post some love. You can also find me on Facebook at The Carefree Kitchen. Thank you!!
Leave a Reply