If you love Chipotle Mexican Grill, then you’re going to love this copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe! Made with an easy and flavorful marinade, this chicken is great for making quick and healthy meals.
If you love Chipotle Mexican Grill (the Mexican fast food joint), then you’re going to love this copycat chipotle chicken recipe! Marinated in a flavorful sauce made from onions, chipotle peppers, ancho chili powder, garlic and olive oil, this chicken is easy to make and perfect for baking or grilling!
When I was still working a “normal” office job in Pittsburgh, there was a Chipotle restaurant down the street that I used to go to about every other day for lunch. I’d always tell myself I was going to try a different menu item, but I always caved and got my usual favorite – a salad bowl with juicy chipotle chicken, pinto beans, all the salsas, sour cream and guacamole. It was the best!
After years of eating it every week, I’ve finally decided to recreate the recipe at home!
The first secret to making your chicken just like Chipotle’s is getting the marinade just right.
Chipotle Chicken Marinade
To make the marinade, you’ll need some easy-to-find ingredients like onions, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, ground cumin, dried oregano and salt.
You’ll also need some canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce and ancho chili powder. Those ingredients are fairly easy to find in the U.S., but I’ve had some readers mention that those two things aren’t always available in other countries. If you’re not able to find them locally, here’s some links {affiliate links} where you can get them online:
Simply add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and blend.
Once the chicken has marinated for 30 minutes (or up to 8 hours/overnight), it’s time to cook it.
How to make chipotle chicken
The preferred method for cooking chicken breasts is baking in the oven. This makes the juiciest chicken without overcooking or burning it. I like to bake it at a high heat (425°F) for about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breasts. Cook it until it reaches 160°F, then remove it from the oven and cover for 10 minutes. It will continue to cook and the internal temperature will rise to 165°F, which is the safe eating temperature according to food safety standards.
To get great results every time, I highly recommend using a meat thermometer like this one {affiliate link}. It’s an essential tool in my kitchen that I use every single day!
If you’re using chicken thighs, the stovetop or grill are great cooking options! Because chicken thighs are made from juicier and fattier dark meat, cooking it on the stovetop in a large nonstick skillet or directly on the grill are perfect because it’s not as likely to dry out as much as white meat can. Plus, both of these methods often caramelize the marinade and create delicious little brown bits which adds more flavor!
Just like chicken breasts, I recommend using a meat thermometer and making sure the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F before eating.
While I love using this chicken in burrito bowls and taco salads, I also love eating it plain alongside some of my favorite Mexican sides! Here are a few ideas of what to serve with this recipe to make it a meal.
What to serve with chipotle chicken
- cilantro lime rice
- authentic Mexican rice
- refried beans
- easy guacamole
- pico de gallo
- classic margarita
I hope you love this recipe as much as I do. Happy cooking!
Ingredients
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1/4 cup water
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon vinegar (white or apple cider vinegar both work)
- 2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce (from canned chipotle chiles)
- 1 tablespoon ancho chili powder (or regular chili powder if that's all you have)
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
- 3 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- cooking spray
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- In the bowl of a food processor or blender, add all the ingredients except chicken. Blend until smooth.
- Place the chicken in a large resealable storage bag and pour the marinade on top. Seal the bag and massage the bag until all the chicken is evenly coated.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 8 hours.
To bake the chicken (best method for chicken breasts)
- Preheat oven to 425°F and spray a large baking dish with cooking spray (or grease with olive oil). Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade and place them in the baking dish in a single layer.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160°F. I highly recommend using an in-oven thermometer like this one {affiliate link} to know exactly when the chicken is ready.
- Remove chicken from oven and cover baking dish with aluminum foil. Let chicken rest for 10 minutes and take the temperature of the chicken once more - it should now be 165°F.
- Slice or chop chicken. Season with salt to taste, and serve.
To cook the chicken on the stovetop (great for chicken thighs)
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken to the skillet with tongs and cook 5-7 minutes per side, until fully cooked through. Discard the used marinade.
- Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice or chop chicken. Season with salt to taste, and serve.
To grill the chicken
- Heat grill to medium-high heat, about 375°F. Remove chicken from marinade and spray with nonstick cooking spray or olive oil.
- Place chicken on grill, cover and cook for about 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the chicken, until it's fully cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Remove from grill and transfer to a cutting board. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Slice or chop chicken. Season with salt to taste, and serve.
Nutrition Information
I’m sure this recipe is as good as it looks,can’t wait! I’ve not yet made it. Question, can I cook this on my flat top verses the grill!!
Hi Russell! Yes you can use a flat top! Let us know how it turns out.