Copycat Chipotle Chicken
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Recreate your favorite Chipotle-style meals at home with this copycat Chipotle chicken recipe—it’s flavorful, easy to make, and tastes just like the real thing.
This is my copycat version of the chicken from Chipotle—and it couldn’t be easier. There’s no marinating required; just rub the chicken with a bold, smoky spice blend and bake it in a hot oven. Like the chicken at Chipotle, it’s not meant to be served on its own—it’s more of a flavorful base for all your favorite Mexican and Tex-Mex meals. Slice it up and serve it in tacos, burrito bowls, salads, or whatever you’re craving.
My favorite way to serve it is over greens with fresh corn salsa, a scoop of guacamole, and a drizzle of my Chipotle-honey vinaigrette (another great copycat!). It’s basically my go-to Chipotle order, recreated at home. Leftovers are great too—top with some Monterey Jack and microwave until melty, or tuck it into a quesadilla for a quick and tasty lunch.
What You’ll Need To Make Copycat Chipotle Chicken
- Vegetable oil: Helps the spice mix stick and gets the outside nicely browned as it cooks.
- Spice blend (chipotle chile powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, garlic powder): This combo brings smoky heat, warm spice, and a hint of earthiness—everything you need for that signature Chipotle-style flavor. Heads up: chipotle powder is pretty spicy. For less heat, use 1 teaspoon or swap in ancho chile powder for a milder take.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: Stay super juicy and flavorful, even with high heat. Prefer white meat? Chicken tenderloins work too—just reduce the cook time (20 to 25 minutes in the oven, or 3 to 4 minutes per side on the grill). You might also want to dial back the chile powder, since leaner meat tends to carry heat a bit more.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
Step 1. Make the spice rub. In a large bowl, mix the oil, salt, chili powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and garlic powder.
Step 2. Coat the chicken. Add the chicken and toss to coat evenly.
Step 3. Prepare chicken for cooking. Arrange the chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet for easy clean-up.
Step 4. Cook the chicken. In a preheated 425°F oven, roast the chicken for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping halfway through. The high oven temperature helps create a slightly charred exterior, similar to what you’d get from grilling. One of the benefits of chicken thighs is that they are pretty forgiving and stay juicy even if slightly overcooked, so don’t worry if they go a few minutes over.
Step 5: Slice the chicken. Let the cooked chicken rest until it’s cool enough to handle, then use a sharp knife to cut into chunks or slices.
Step 6: Serve. he chicken is wonderful in tacos, burritos, rice bowls, salads—whatever you like! It also keeps well for meal prep: store it sliced in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days and use it to build easy lunches and dinners throughout the week. Enjoy!
More Easy Chicken Recipes You May Like
Copycat Chipotle Chicken
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1¼ teaspoons salt
- 1½ teaspoons chipotle chile powder (see note)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of fat (about 8 thighs)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C) and set an oven rack in the middle position. Line a baking sheet with heavy-duty aluminum foil.
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, oil, salt, chile powder, cumin, oregano, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Toss until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Place the seasoned chicken on the prepared baking sheet and cook for 30 to 35 minutes, flipping halfway through, or until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (75°C).
- Slice the chicken and serve in tacos, rice bowls, burritos, salads, or however you like.
Notes
- This chicken has a little kick to it. If you'd like to make it less spicy, use ancho chile pepper instead of chipotle chile pepper.
- The chicken at Chipotle is made with chicken thighs. If you'd prefer to use white meat, I recommend chicken tenderloins. The cook time will be shorter (20 to 25 minutes in the oven or 3 to 4 minutes per side on the grill). The chicken will also be spicier due to the leaner meat, so consider reducing the chile powder to 1 teaspoon.
- If you'd prefer to grill the chicken, preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Grease the grill grates with oil to prevent sticking. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 6 to 8 minutes per side, or until it is fully cooked and has reached an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Make-ahead Instructions: The chicken can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Once cool, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then reheat in the microwave before serving.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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Comments
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This was easy delicious and versatile. I used skinless thighs which worked well. Maybe you can teach us how to make Chipotle’s steak version of meat.
Terrific! Better than Chipotle Chicken!
Easy and delicious recipe…thank you!
Delicious chicken! Seasoning mix is perfect. I used tenderloins and will be keeping this recipe to make again and again! Thank you!!
Thanks this recipe! This was such an easy meal that my husband kids all loved. I followed the recipe as written and had everyone make their own burrito bowls with rice, avocado, salsa, slaw, beans and chips.
Hi, I would like to make a big batch of this recipe- it looks fabulous. Do I simply double up the spices, salt and oil? Some recipes double easily and others don’t. Thank you in advance. Your recipes are the best!
Hi Patty, so glad you like the recipes! Yes, I’d double all the ingredients for a double batch. Enjoy!
This is the best kind of recipe – easy and delicious. I substituted 2 canned chipotle peppers for the power. Diced and added some of the adobo sauce they were packed in. This will go into the summer rotation.
Mmmmm, Delicious!! It was a big hit at tonight’s dinner. Going to make this again very soon. Thank you, Jen!
Hi Jen,
Looks yummy and I can’t wait to try. Can one substitute the veg oil with avocado oil?
Sure, Kathy, that’s fine – enjoy!
Absolutely delicious. Really flavorful and tender. And so easy. It makes an excellent base for burritos, bowls and tacos. I was looking forward to leftovers for lunch, but there were none. Everyone devoured this.
Hi Jenn – so excited to make this! I have a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with chicken thighs. Thoughts about doing it with chicken breast? I generally use a in-meat thermometer so can take it out before it dries out. Thank you as always for such delicious recipes.
Hi Elizabeth, I definitely prefer this with chicken thighs, but if you’d like to use white meat, I’d recommend chicken tenders – just reduce the cook time (20 to 25 minutes in the oven, or 3 to 4 minutes per side on the grill). You might also want to dial back the chile powder, since leaner meat tends to carry heat a bit more. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!
Looking forward to trying this. Could you please share the brand of chipotle powder you use? I’m not a fan of the brand that I currently have.
Hi Tara, I use McCormick brand. Hope you enjoy the chicken!
This is really delicious. I made it and served alongside the corn salsa (also incredible), cilantro lime rice and black beans. Very simple recipe and it made a spectacular dinner!