Juicy chicken packed with spicy, savory, and smoky flavors! This easy copycat Chipotle chicken recipe uses simple ingredients. A delicious main dish that is family-friendly, better-than-takeout, and budget-friendly.
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What is Chipotle Chicken?
Chipotle Chicken features tender chicken thighs marinated in onion, garlic, adobo sauce, chili powder, ground cumin, and spices, then grilled over a flame.
It's a famous chicken dish served at Chipotle Mexican Grill, a popular North American restaurant serving Mexican food, like tacos, burritos and more!
Their grilled chicken is best served in a burrito bowl with cilantro lime rice, black beans, pico de gallo or salsa, guacamole, fresh lime juice, and sour cream. It's also served in tacos, quesadillas, or with salad.
My husband and I love Chipotle Mexican Grill and we always order the chicken burrito bowl. It brings back a lot of fond memories when we were a young married couple.
What sets my recipe apart is that you can easily fry the chicken in a regular pan or cast iron pan - a grill is not required for this recipe, but you can use one if you wish.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll to the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs: Or use skinless chicken breasts and cook until an internal temperature of 160 F with a digital cooking thermometer and let carryover cooking bring it to 165 degrees F for tender chicken.
- Neutral Oil: Use a neutral oil like avocado, sunflower, grapeseed, peanut, vegetable, or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any low smoke point oil.
Marinade
- Red Onion: Or use white or yellow onion.
- Garlic Cloves: Fresh garlic is recommended for this recipe.
- Adobo Sauce from a can of "Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce": We are only the sauce not the peppers, but you can add 1-2 for more spice. The brands La Costena or La Morena carry this canned ingredient at most grocery stores in the ethnic aisle.
- Neutral Oil: See examples above.
- Chili Powder: Or use ancho chili powder for better results if you can find it.
- Ground Cumin: To add a warm, earthy and nutty flavor.
- Dried Oregano: Do not replace with fresh oregano as it's too potent for this recipe.
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Cold Water: To dilute the sauce.
Note: Most grocery stores will carry these ingredients or you may find some of these ingredients online, like on Amazon.
Variations
- Pork version: Replace the chicken thighs with sliced pork shoulder or pork shank.
- Beef version: Replace the chicken thighs with sliced chuck angus roast or sirloin.
Expert Tips
- Use chicken thighs for best taste as they contain more fat and are more forgiving if you happen to overcook them.
- Marinate the chicken overnight for best results, so the marinade has more time to absorb into the meat.
- If you have a cast-iron skillet or a grill pan, use it to add more smoky flavor.
- For easy cleanup, use a non-stick pan as the marinade will stick to the pan!
- Don't skimp on the oil as enough oil is needed to prevent the chicken from sticking to the pan.
- Fry the chicken in small batches and avoid overcrowding the pan, so it cooks through.
- For extra smoky flavor, char the edges of the chicken in the pan.
- Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing to redistribute the juices, so they don't leak out.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Chipotle chicken:
- Prepare the chicken: Poke holes into the chicken thighs with a fork so the marinate can better penetrate in the next step. Then transfer chicken thighs into a large bowl or Ziploc bag.
- Create marinade: Add the marinade ingredients as listed above into a blender or food processor and blend on high into a smooth paste.
- Marinate chicken: Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
- Cook chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Pan-fry the chicken thighs in small batches for 7-9 minutes until cooked through, and slightly charred on the edges, flipping halfway. Cooked chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 F with a digital thermometer, or the juices should run clear.
- Rest and dice chicken: Remove chicken from pan and let it rest for 3-5 minutes before dicing into pieces, so the juices can redistribute. Enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
- Chipotle chicken can last up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge once cooled. To enjoy, reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
- Chipotle chicken can be frozen for up to 2-3 months when stored in a freezer-safe bag, once cooled. To enjoy, defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until heated through.
Pairing Suggestions
Chipotle chicken pairs well with:
- Cilantro lime rice, Mexican rice, white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice.
- Black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, or Mexican-style beans.
- Pico de gallo, tomato salsa, salsa verde, or any salsa you enjoy.
- Guacamole or avocado.
- Grilled bell peppers, zucchini, or Mexican-style corn.
- Salads
- Tacos, burritos, burrito bowls, fajitas, quesadillas, chimichangas, or enchiladas.
FAQ
To make chipotle chicken less spicy, use 1 tablespoon less of adobo sauce, add 1 tablespoon cold water, and reduce the chili powder by half.
The marinated chicken can be cooked in the air fryer by: Evenly spraying the air fryer basket with oil. Then place the chicken thighs in a single layer giving each piece enough space (you'll need to air fry in batches). Air fry at 400 degrees F for 8-10 minutes, without flipping. Note: There will be less charring on the chicken if you air fry it.
The marinated chicken can be cooked on a barbecue grill over medium heat (350 degrees F) until you reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, or the juices run clear.
📖 Recipe
Easy & Simple Copycat Chipotle Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Marinade
- ½ medium red onion or white / yellow onion, coarsely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoon adobo sauce from a can of "Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce"
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ cup water cold
Instructions
- Poke holes into the chicken thighs with a fork so the marinate can better penetrate in the next step. Then transfer chicken thighs into a large bowl or Ziploc bag.
- Add the marinade ingredients as listed above into a blender or food processor and blend on high into a smooth paste.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken thighs. Cover the bowl or seal the bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours or overnight for best results.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Pan-fry the chicken thighs in small batches for 7-9 minutes until cooked through, and slightly charred on the edges, flipping halfway. Cooked chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 F with a digital thermometer, or the juices should run clear.
- Remove chicken from pan and let it rest for 3-5 minutes before dicing into pieces, so the juices can redistribute. Enjoy!
Shruti
This recipe was so easy and delicious! It’s going to be my go-to for my weekday Mexican rice bowls.
Linda
I can't wait to make this again, it was so good.
Mark
This was so good! I will definitely be making this again. It even tasted smoky like how chipotle does it.