​Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe

All the Great Flavor You Want, None of the Hassle

I love this recipe so much. Chipotle has been one of my go-to restaurants for years, but the cost of eating out continues to go up, up, up. And with an entire family to feed, I had to figure out how to satisfy our Chipotle craving without loading everyone up in the car or driving to pick up dinner and bring it home.

How do we make the same great chicken at home? The body of flavor for this chicken comes from the smoky chipotle peppers. They have a kick of heat and earthy flavor that we know so well from traditional Mexican food. The rest of the marinade packs a punch from the citrus, garlic, cumin, and oregano. 

Key Ingredients

When I started out on my mission to make chipotle's famous chicken at home, I was convinced there had to be something super secretive about their recipe. I was shocked to find incredibly simple ingredients that I already had on my pantry.

• 2 pounds White Meat Chicken- boneless skinless breasts or chicken tenders for a better texture and quicker cook time
• Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - 2-3 peppers, plus 1 tablespoon sauce from the can. This is the base of the marinade flavor. 
• 2-4 Garlic Cloves depending on how much garlic flavor you want
• ¼ cup Fresh Orange juice - my twist on chipotle's chicken marinade, but I love the brighter flavor with heat from the chipotles in adobo
• 2 tablespoon Fresh Lime juice for some bright balance and traditional Mexican flavor
• 2 tablespoon Olive Oil 
• 1 teaspoon Ancho Chili Powder for the smoky flavor
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano 
• ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika 
• Kosher salt - 1 tsp
• Black pepper - ½ tsp
• Water - 2-3 tbsp, as needed to thin

How to Make Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe

The most complicated part of this recipe is collecting and measuring the ingredients. But, the great news is that you can toss the marinade ingredients in a smoothie blender which means very little clean-up and physical effort on your part.

1. Add the marinade ingredients to a smoothie blender and blend until smooth. You may need to add 1-2 tablespoons of water if it's too thick to pour.

2. Place the chicken tender pieces in a bowl or zip-top bag and pour the marinade over them, making sure every piece is coated.

Marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge for deeper flavor.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add a drizzle of olive oil to your hot pan. 

Sear the chicken in batches (don't crowd the pan) for 5-6 minutes per side, until charred in spots and cooked through to an internal temperature of 165F. 

Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes while you assemble the rest of your dinner ingredients.

Make it Freezer Friendly 

Make-ahead tip: The marinade can be blended up to 3 days ahead and stored in the fridge, so all you have to do on cooking day is marinate and sear. 

Freezer Marinade Instructions: One of my favorite ways to get ahead of busy weeknight dinners is to make a double batch of marinated chicken and vacuum-seal one batch in a Food Saver bag. Then I toss it in the freezer and use on a day when I'm strapped for time or energy. 

Saving and Reheating Instructions

This is actually a great recipe for leftovers and meal prep. Keep leftover chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

The chicken tenders reheat perfectly in the microwave for 1-2 minutes or in a skillet set to medium heat with a little bit of olive oil or chicken broth.  

For storage, choose an airtight container with a tight-fitting lid. I like glass Snapware containers because I can take off the lid and send it straight to the microwave.

If you're meal prepping and making several individual portions, save the cooked chicken and rice together in single servings. Save shredded cheese, pico de Gallo, and guacamole in their own separate containers to maintain quality. 

Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe FAQs

Make this Chicken a Complete Meal!

If you tried this Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I love hearing from you!