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This copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe is a favorite in my house. Yes, Chipotle Mexican Grill, home of the giant burritos and that delicious tender chicken that is loaded with flavor–I’ve created a healthy version of their marinade that you can make at home.
This Chipotle chicken recipe could not be easier to make, plus I put a healthy spin on it. You can make this easy chicken breast on the grill, in the oven, or in the Instant Pot.
Where’s the recipe?
I have readers from all levels of comfort and experience in the kitchen and I receive a lot of questions about recipes.
To better serve all of my readers here at My Crazy Good Life, I’ve made a commitment to put a ton of helpful information in all of my posts.
If you’d like to skip over the information about freezing, different cooking methods, and diet information, please simply scroll to the bottom of the page, where you will find the printable recipe for this Copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe.
Why is this such a great meal prep recipe?
I consider this a great meal prep recipe because it’s so easy to make ahead of time and freeze, and because it keeps well in the fridge for a week.
I love to double or even triple this recipe for meal prep. Once cooked, it can be stored in the fridge for about 6 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. You can freeze just the marinade or the raw chicken in the marinade, and simply defrost when you’re ready to cook.
Table of Contents
Ingredients in this Chipotle Chicken Marinade:
With just 8 ingredients, you can throw this chipotle chicken recipe together super fast.
- Chicken: I use boneless skinless breasts, but you could use chicken thighs or legs too.
- Black pepper
- Cumin
- Mexican oregano
- Garlic
- Chipotle Peppers in adobo sauce: A chipotle pepper is just a jalapeño that has been smoked, and adobo literally means marinade in Spanish. You can control the heat in this recipe by the number of whole peppers you add to your marinade. If you don’t like spice remove all of the whole peppers and just use the adobo sauce. The amount of spice will increase with every whole pepper you add. I like to use one.
- Red Onion
- Olive oil: Olive oil is my go to for marinades. Just be sure and grab the extra-virgin variety.
Grilling Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: Add chipotles in adobo sauce, red onions, garlic, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, and olive oil into a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- Marinate: Cover the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Grill: Preheat your grill on medium/high heat. Place the marinated chicken on the grill grates and grill the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF (about 10 minutes per side).
- Serve: Serve warm or place in individual serving containers for meal prep.
Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken:
- Add adobo sauce, chipotle pepper, red onions, garlic, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, and olive oil to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- Cover the chicken in marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Add your chicken, marinade, and ½ cup of chicken broth (or water) to your Instant Pot.
- Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing. Select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cook time for 12 minutes.You’ll be cooking on high pressure for 12 minutes whether your chicken if thawed or frozen–the thing that will change is the amount of time your pot takes to come to pressure.
- When the cook time is complete, allow pressure to release naturally. This means do not move the Sealing valve, it will slowly pop up on its own. This allows the chicken to retain the most moisture. Once the pressure valve drops, remove the lid and remove the chicken. Slice on a cutting board and serve or store in individual serving containers for meal prep.
How to cook in the oven:
- Add adobo sauce, chipotle pepper, red onions, garlic, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, and olive oil to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
- Cover chicken in marinade and refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour, or up to 24 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cook the chicken until the internal temperature reaches 165°F, about 30 minutes.
- Serve warm, or store in individual serving containers for meal prep.
This versatile chicken recipe can be served in so many ways! Here are just a few suggestions:
- With brown rice or black beans and vegetables
- Served in a burrito
- Made into chicken burrito bowls
- Shred the chicken into tacos
- Made into spicy chicken salad
- Cubed or shredded in a pita
- Stuffed in an avocado
- On top of a salad
Recipe Tips
- If you’re sensitive to spice you can omit the adobo sauce completely and use smoked paprika.
- This marinade works well for all forms of protein. Give it a try with pork loin, chuck roast, or flank steak.
- To lower the fat and calories in the marinade you can omit or lower the amount of olive oil.
- If you can’t find chipotle chiles, try adding in a teaspoon or two of ancho chili powder. It’ll be a bit spicy :)
- If you prefer to cook this in a cast iron skillet, you can do so! Just make sure it’s 165 degrees before you pull it off.
- If you’d like less spice, use less peppers (or even just the adobo sauce and no peppers!).
Healthy Eating Plans:
- Weight Watchers: As written: 2 Blue Plan Points, 5 Green Plan Points, 2 Purple Plan Points. To reduce points replace olive oil with chicken broth: 0 Blue Plan Point, 3 Green Plan Points, 0 Purple Plan Points.2023 Points: 0 per serving.
- 21 Day Fix: This entire recipe counts as 12 Red Containers, 12 teaspoons, and ½ Green Containers. Per ¾ cup serving: 1 Red Container, 1 teaspoon.
- 2B Mindset: Fill your plate with 50% vegetables, and 25% ffc for a complete lunch or 75% vegetables for a complete dinner.
- Trim Healthy Mama: You will need to replace the olive oil with coconut or mct oil to make this a THM S recipe.
More healthy copycat recipes:
I love taking my favorite restaurant and grocery store meals and making them healthier! These are some of my favorites:
- Starbucks Egg Bites
- Tuscan Chicken Pasta
- Drunken Noodles
- Just Crack an Egg Cups
- Rotisserie Chicken (directions for Instant Pot, Foodi, Grill, Oven, and Crock Pot)
- Starbucks Brownies with Espresso
- Baked Blooming Onion
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Copycat Chipotle Chicken Recipe (VIDEO)
Created by: Becca Ludlum
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 20 minutes mins
Marinade 1 hour hr
Total Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins
Approximate Serving Size: 3/4 cups
Servings 8
This copycat Chipotle Chicken marinade is healthy and delicious. Cook in the Instant Pot, on the grill, or right in the oven!
Equipment
Instant Pot 6 qt
Kitchen Knife
Food processor
Ingredients
- 7 oz chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 Red onion quartered
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 tsp cumin powder
- 2 tbsp Mexican oregano
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 lbs chicken breasts boneless skinless
- ½ tsp salt or to taste
Instructions
Add adobo sauce, chipotle pepper, red onions, garlic, black pepper, cumin, Mexican oregano, and olive oil to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth.
If you like less spice, add less peppers (or even JUST the adobo sauce!). If you add all of the peppers, this will be hot! 7 oz chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, 1 Red onion, 6 cloves garlic, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp cumin powder, 2 tbsp Mexican oregano, ¼ cup olive oil
Marinate the chicken and refrigerate for at least one hour or up to 24 hours. I love freezing this marinade with the chicken, so it thaws and marinates at the same time. 3 lbs chicken breasts
Grill:
Preheat your grill on medium/high heat. Place the marinated chicken on the grill and cook until the internal temperature reaches 165ºF, about 10 minutes per side.
Serve warm, or place in individual serving containers for meal prep.
Instant Pot:
Add your chicken, marinade, and ½ cup of chicken broth (or water) to your Instant Pot. 3 lbs chicken breasts, 7 oz chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, 1 Red onion, 6 cloves garlic, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tsp cumin powder, 2 tbsp Mexican oregano, ¼ cup olive oil
Close and lock the lid and turn the pressure valve to sealing select Pressure Cook (high) and set the cook time for 12 minutes.
When the cook time is complete, allow the pressure to release naturally. Once the pressure valve drops remove the lid and slice chicken.
Serve warm, or place in individual serving containers for meal prep.
Oven:
Preheat your oven to 350°F, cook the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F, about 30 minutes.
Serve warm, or place in individual serving containers for meal prep.
Video
Notes
Healthy Eating Plans:
- Weight Watchers: As written: 2 Blue Plan Points, 5 Green Plan Points, 2 Purple Plan Points. To reduce points replace olive oil with chicken broth: 0 Blue Plan Point, 3 Green Plan Points, 0 Purple Plan Points. 2023 Points: 0 per serving.
- 21 Day Fix: This entire recipe counts as 12 Red Containers, 12 teaspoons, and ½ Green Containers. Per ¾ cup serving: 1 Red Container, 1 teaspoon.
- 2B Mindset: Fill your plate with 50% vegetables, and 25% ffc for a complete lunch or 75% vegetables for a complete dinner.
- Trim Healthy Mama: You will need to replace the olive oil with coconut or mct oil to make this a THM S recipe.
Recipe Tips:
- f you’re sensitive to spice you can omit the adobo sauce completely and use smoked paprika.
- This marinade works well for all forms of protein. Give it a try with pork loin, chuck roast, or flank steak.
- To lower the fat and calories in the marinade you can omit or lower the amount of olive oil.
- If you can’t find chipotle chiles, try adding in a teaspoon or two of ancho chili powder. It’ll be a bit spicy :)
- If you prefer to cook this in a cast iron skillet, you can do so! Just make sure it’s 165 degrees before eating.
- If you like less spice, add less peppers (or even JUST the adobo sauce!). If you add all of the peppers, this will be hot!
Nutrition
Calories: 285kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 176mg | Potassium: 683mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1319IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 2mg
Make This Recipe?
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Becca Ludlum
Healthy recipe creator, self-confessed food snob, and certified Level 1 Precision Nutrition Coach. I create healthy recipes with minimally processed ingredients, but have never turned down a homemade brownie. ;)
