​Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe for a Busy Weeknight

The chipotle chicken marinade is a flavor powerhouse with just the right balance of smoky ancho chilis, great herbs, and savory spices. The recipe may seem mysterious, but I have cracked the code. Now I have created a copycat recipe that you can make faster than a DoorDash delivery and for a fraction of the cost.

I'll take you through the quick marinade steps and show you how to cook your marinated chicken on a busy weeknight. Then we will finish strong with the extras you want for an easy and delicious burrito bowl or taco night at home. 

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. 

Intensely Flavorful 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. The one thing you may not have already is the can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, but those are easy to find in any grocery store or add to your curbside order. 

For the chicken

• 2 pounds Boneless, skinless chicken tenders or skinless chicken thighs  

Chipotle restaurant uses chicken thighs, so if you really want your meal to be exactly like the restaurant version, use thighs. However, I prefer chicken tenders cut into small pieces for three reasons. First, we prefer leaner white meat. Second, chicken tenders cook faster than breasts or thighs, and even faster when they are cut into bite-sized pieces. Lastly, if I don't have a ton of time to let the chicken marinate, I get more flavor into the extra surface area. So, chicken tender bites are way faster to work with overall.

For the marinade

We are building layers of flavor with chipotles and adobo sauce, a blend of Mexican spices, and citrus for a bright marinade.

• 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

What You'll Need For Every Step

• Smoothie Blender or food processor (for the marinade)
• Large bowl, zip-top bag, or vacuum seal bag if freezing (for marinating)
• Cast iron pan, heavy nonstick skillet, or grill pan — traditional recipes call for an outdoor grill, but a screaming-hot skillet gets you the same charred edges indoors
• Instant-read thermometer (optional but helpful)
• Cutting board and knife for chopping

Simple Cooking Instructions

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. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Serve it Up: Burrito Bowls, Tacos, and Salad

• Build a burrito bowl with cilantro-lime rice, black beans, pico de Gallo, sour cream and cheese.
• Serve it up for taco night with warm tortillas, shredded Monterey Jack cheese, shredded lettuce, diced onion, and cilantro.
• Pile it over a salad with avocado and a squeeze of lime. Try it with my Mexican Caesar Salad Dressing for a bangin meal!
• Pair with a simple side of Mexican street corn salad and a Blood Orange Margarita.

Chipotle Chicken Recipe Card

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Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe with White Meat

Bite-sized white meat chicken is marinated in a thick marinade from chipotles in adobo, garlic and Mexican spices. The chicken is cooked in a hot skillet until golden brown and served just like Chipotle.

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Cook Time20 minutes mins

Marinade Time4 hours hrs

Total Time4 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Mexican

Keyword: chipotle

Servings: 6

Calories: 231kcal

Author: Alexis Leonhardt

Equipment

• 1 smoothie blender
• 1 12" Cast Iron Skillet
• 1 Tongs

Ingredients

• 2 pounds Chicken Tenders cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 Chipotle peppers
• 2 Garlic Cloves
• ¼ cup Fresh Orange juice optional
• 2 tablespoon Fresh Lime juice
• 2 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon Ancho Chile Powder
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano
• ½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon Black pepper
• 2 tablespoon Water as needed to thin

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Instructions

Make the Marinade

• Combine the chipotle peppers, garlic cloves , orange juice, lime juice, olive oil, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper in a smoothie blender. Blend until smooth, adding water 1 tablespoon at a time if it's too thick to pour.
• Place the chicken tender pieces in a bowl or zip-top bag and pour the marinade over them, making sure every piece is coated.
• Let the chicken marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight in the fridge for deeper flavor.

Cook the Chicken

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. Add a drizzle of olive oil to your hot pan.
• Add the chicken in batches to the pan and avoid crowding. Sear the chicken for 5–6 minutes per side, until charred in spots develop and cook through to an internal temperature of 165F.
• Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes while you assemble the rest of your dinner ingredients.

Notes

For less heat and a milder marinade, only 1-2 chipotle peppers or just 1 tablespoon of the adobo sauce. 

For more heat and a spicier marinade, add 3 or more chipotle peppers.

This is a freezer-friendly marinade. Add marinated chicken to a vacuum-seal bag and freeze for up to 3 months. 

Nutrition

Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 97mg | Sodium: 572mg | Potassium: 606mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 254IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 16mg | Iron: 1mg