Learn to recreate everyone's favorite Chipotle Chicken with this easy copycat recipe! The smoky flavor and juicy texture will instantly upgrade your favorite salads, protein bowls, tacos, and more.
I'm taking out all the guesswork for the juiciest, most delicious chipotle chicken! I've included tons of tips (like how long to marinate and what cut of chicken is best), so you're sure to cook up the perfect chicken every single time.
Why You'll Love this Chipotle Chicken Recipe
- Super Versatile - We love to make protein bowls, taco salads, quesadillas, and more with this recipe. It adds a ton of flavor and protein to anything (like mac and cheese, nachos, wraps, and baked potatoes).
- Great for Meal Prepping - The marinating step and use of chicken thighs make this the perfect meal prep recipe. Thighs hold up well to storage and reheating, staying juicy for days. You can even freeze thighs in the marinade for later.
- Bold Flavor with Minimal Ingredients - You can make this mostly with pantry staples, but you get a big dose of flavor without a ton of work!
Chipotle Chicken Marinade Ingredients
Here's a quick overview of what you will need. Scroll to the printable recipe card for exact measurements.
- Olive oil, Lime juice, and Adobo sauce - Use your favorite neutral-flavored oil. If you don't have lime juice, white vinegar is a good replacement. The adobo sauce is the liquid in the jar of canned chipotles.
- White onion and Garlic - These aromatics give fantastic flavor to the outside of the meat. They get blended up, so you don't have to chop them up too much first.
- Cumin, Oregano, Paprika, Salt, and Pepper - These easy dried seasonings give beautiful color and a ton of flavor to the chicken.
How to Marinate Chipotle Chicken
This simple step adds amazing flavor and texture with little to no work!
- Start by adding your marinade ingredients in a blender, then add the top and blend until smooth.
- With your chicken in a large bowl or ziplock bag, pour the blended marinade to cover the chicken completely. Store this in the fridge, marinating anywhere from 1-24 hours. Generally the "sweet spot" is the 4-8 hour mark, giving the meat enough time to tenderize and soak up flavor without becoming mushy or rubbery.
How to Make Chipotle Chicken
We prefer this chicken done in the air fryer because it's quick, keeps the chicken juicy, and gives you the wonderfully charred bits and pieces on the edges.
- Let your chicken marinate for 1-24 hours, then preheat your air fryer to 400 degrees F for 3 minutes.
- When it's nice and hot, spray the basket with oil. Remove each piece of chicken from the marinade, gently shaking to remove the excess, and place each chicken thigh in the air fryer. Leave some space between each piece for air flow, cooking them in batches if necessary.
- Cook chicken for 14-15 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time. Once chicken reaches 165 degrees F, you can remove them from the air fryer and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
- Serve your chicken with Mexican Rice, Cilantro Lime Cauliflower Rice, or Cheesy Jalapeno Hasselback Potatoes for a great meal.
- More great sides with this: Mexican Cobb Salad, Quinoa Black Bean Salad, Loaded Mexican Kale Salad
Chipotle Mexican Grill Chicken FAQs
The secret to making any chicken super juicy is in the marinade! A marinade is essentially a flavorful brine, another way to get salt and water into the meat so that every bite is dripping with juice. The adobo sauce gives this recipe an additional layer of flavor that most marinades can't provide.
You get some benefits from shorter marinading times (examples: exterior gets tons of flavor as soon as marinade is applied, and coloring improves after 1 hour). However, you get more benefits from longer marinating (like tenderizing the meat or causing intense caramelization on the exterior). Many people find the best balance of juiciness, tenderness, and flavor in marinating chicken around the 4-8 hour range. Chicken generally can withstand 24 hours, but you'll likely get some mushy or rubbery bits if you push it that far.
This recipe has a very mild level of spice. It has a slight kick, but it's calm enough for most picky eaters. If you want it spicy, I'd add cayenne pepper and some sliced jalapenos into the marinade.
Chipotle restaurants usually use boneless, skinless chicken quarters (thigh and leg attached), but those can be difficult to find. Instead, use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. Thighs stay juicy longer than chicken breasts, making them great for meal prep, freezing, and large batch cooking.
More Great Recipes
- How to Cook Salmon
- Air Fryer Chicken Tenders
- Roasted Chickpeas
- Ditalini Pasta
- How Long to Bake Sweet Potatoes
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Chipotle Chicken Marinade Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Chipotle Chicken Marinade
- 1 small white onion
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 lime juiced (about 1 ounce or 2 tablespoons)
- 2 tablespoons adobe sauce
- 2 tablespoons garlic
- 1 ½ teaspoons cumin
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Combine marinade ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
- Pour over 2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs.
- Marinate anywhere from 1-24 hours. Many people believe the "sweet spot" for flavor, texture, color, and juiciness is in the 4-8 hour range.
- When ready to cook, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F for 3 minutes. Once warmed, add the chicken to the air fryer and cook 7 minutes, flip and continue cooking another 7-8 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Tips:
Nutrition Information
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