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33 Comments

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl

Kathleen

by Kathleen Pope Apr 29, 2025

Jump to Recipe

Pin for Copycat Chipotle Chicken burrito bowls, 15 minute prep.
Pin for easy Chipotle chicken recipe copycat, with image of chopped chicken in bowl with cilantro lime rice and toppings.

Recreate Chipotle’s famous chicken at home with this tried-and-true Copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe! My family’s favorite, with tips for tender, flavorful chicken every time. Perfect for burritos, bowls, and more!

A copycat bowl full of Chipotle chicken, cilantro lime rice and toppings.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure & privacy policy.
  • Chipotle Chicken Bowl Recipe
  • Why you will love Copycat Chipotle Chicken
  • Simple Copycat Chipotle Chicken Marinade Ingredients
  • Watch How to Make Chipotle Chicken
  • How to make Copycat Chipotle Chicken
  • Pro Tip
  • Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Variations
  • Make-Ahead Freezer Instructions
  • How to Store a Homemade Chipotle Bowl
  • Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl FAQs
  • More great Mexican-inspired recipes:
  • Copycat Chipotle Chicken
  • Variations & Substitutions

Chipotle Chicken Bowl Recipe

This Chipotle Chicken recipe has been a favorite in our house for years, so much so that when our boys come home from college, it’s the first thing they ask for! It’s incredibly easy to make, super versatile, and dare I say, even better than the original. Plus, it freezes beautifully, so I usually make 1-2 extra baggies for quick, no-brainer dinners another night.

My Secrets to Success:

  • Pound the chicken to an even thickness for even cooking.
  • Marinate for at least 4-6 hours (up to 3 days for even more flavor).
  • Let the chicken come to room temperature before grilling.
  • Rest the chicken for 5 minutes under foil after grilling to lock in the juices.
  • Freezes well—perfect for meal prep!


⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Reader Review: Cynthia says, “Super easy and so flavorful! I served it with some cilantro rice – perfect combo!”

Why you will love Copycat Chipotle Chicken

  • Instead of heading to your nearest Chipotle restaurant for one more night of fast food, bring the whole family around the table with some hot, crispy tortilla chips and this amazing copycat Chipotle chicken recipe.
  • Tastes like the real thing! I have made it dozens of times, usually on a weekly basis.
  • EASY – Takes less than 15 minutes to put this recipe together.

If you enjoy this delicious copycat Chipotle chicken recipe, you might want to try my Copycat Chipotle Carnitas, or these amazing Shish Kebabs.

Copycat chipotle chicken burrito bowl with chips in a cast iron pan.

Simple Copycat Chipotle Chicken Marinade Ingredients

  • Vegetable oil: I used Avocado Oil and/or Grapeseed Oil
  • Kosher salt & black pepper
  • Chipotle jalapeno powder: You can also use ancho chili powder or extra chili powder, this isn’t overpowering and I’m talking as a spice wimp!
  • Spices: Chili powder, Cumin, and Dried Oregano
  • White vinegar: Distilled or I have also used Apple Cider vinegar
  • Lime Juice: Just a squeeze from a half of lime, use the rest to serve with the chicken. Citrus adds great brightness and flavor to the chicken!
  • Garlic cloves: because garlic makes every dish better!

Get the full recipe in the recipe card below.

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Watch How to Make Chipotle Chicken


Chicken Breast or Chicken Thighs?

Chipotle restaurants use primarily chicken thighs, which are much more tender and juicy than chicken breasts; however, we have made this both ways and both are quite delicious! Use one or the other, or combine.

How to make Copycat Chipotle Chicken

  1. To start, place chicken in a a freezer baggie or between two pieces of plastic wrap on a cutting board. Using a meat mallet, pound the chicken until they are all about the same thickness, about half inch.
  2. In a small bowl add the rest of the ingredients and whisk together.
Process shots for Chipotle chicken marinade, top to bottom, left to right. Spices with chipotle powder, chili powder, salt, oregano, cumin and pepper; second is a small bowl of minced garlic being tossed into the spice bowl, 3 pouring oil into bowl of spices, 4 is pouring vinegar into bowl of oil and spices with whisk.

3. I use a baggie, but you can also place in a casserole dish, combine the marinade with chicken and coat. Allow to hang out in the fridge 4-6 hours, longer is better.

Four process shots of marinade mixture for Chipotle Chicken. Left to right, top to bottom; marinade in white bowl with mini whisk, marinade being poured over raw chicken breasts, marinade and chicken in plastic baggie with wooden mallet on top for flattening chicken, final is of a ziplock baggie with Chipotle marinade and raw chicken in baggie with written directions to Grill Chipotle chicken for 4-6 minutes per side.

4. Heat grill to medium-high heat, allow to heat up for 5-10 minutes. Then reduce to medium heat and grill chicken for 5-6 minutes per side, until cooked through.

Pro Tip

Always allow chicken to rest on a plate covered for 5 minutes before chopping into bite sized pieces.

Four process shots for Chipotle Chicken: Left to right, top to bottom. Pulling chicken breast from marinade with tongs; 2. pouring marinade over top of grilling chicken; 3 grilled chicken breasts on grill with fire below; 4 chopped chipotle chicken in white dish with wooden spoon. Recipe via thefreshcooky.com

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl Variations

  • Replace Chipotle chili powder with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (also called chipotle chiles). Replace with two tablespoons of adobo sauce (see notes) and two tablespoons of ancho chile powder or 1 ounce of dried ancho chiles, soaked, omit the vinegar. Add chili peppers and other marinade ingredients to a food processor, combine, and use the marinade as planned.
  • Instead of grilling outside, use a grill pan or air fry!
  • Try making some Cilantro Lime Brown Rice instead

Make-Ahead Freezer Instructions

Can I freeze the chicken in the marinade? Absolutely! In fact, I encourage it, make a mess once, eat two or three times I always say! As I mentioned above, this recipe is on repeat in our home, so I typically have one in the freezer ready to go.

Simply place your pounded chicken in a freezer ziplock baggie (you might want to write on it before you place your food in the baggie, no mystery meats here), pour the marinade over the chicken, squish to distribute marinade, squeeze as much air out as you can and freeze flat.

Ziplock baggie with writing that says, "Chipotle Chicken, Grill 4-6 minutes per side" filled with chipotle chicken marinade and raw chicken breasts. Recipe on thefreshcooky.com

To prepare from frozen, allow to thaw in the refrigerator overnight (or on the counter for a couple of hours if you are comfortable with that). Squish the marinade around during the thawing process to ensure it’s touching all of the chicken. Then grill as above.

How to Store a Homemade Chipotle Bowl

Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-5 days. The marinated chicken will keep refrigerated up to 3 days in the fridge, frozen for up to 3 months.

Recipe adapted from Dinner Then Dessert

Chipotle Chicken Burrito Bowl FAQs

Is Chipotle Chicken Spicy?

Not in an overwhelming way. I am a professed spice wimp, so if I can eat, anyone can eat it! The flavors are pleasing and so delicious!

What kind of cheese does Chipotle use?

Chipotle uses a blend of milder Monterey Jack cheese and sharper white cheddar cheese, my favorite on our copycat Chipotle chicken, but you can use any cheese.

What’s healthier, Viva Chicken or Chipotle?

According to my research, both options are healthy. Chipotle grills its chicken while Viva uses a Peruvian rotisserie. Both are lean and use clean ingredients, so take your pick! Viva Chicken is a fast-growing chain, primarily located in North and South Carolina, with a new location in St. George, Utah.

Pinterest Image with the fresh cooky watermark and website. Image of a cast iron gratin baker with cilantro lime rice, chipotle chicken, avocado chunks, black beans, salsa, sour cream, lettuce shreds and a sprinkles of cilantro with tortilla chips in the background.

That’s it! How will you use your Copycat Chipotle Chicken? In tacos, enchiladas, on a salad, in a bowl, in eggs (my oldest makes his omelet with it every time we make this recipe), on nachos, or in quesadillas!

While you are thinking about it, Pin the recipe to your favorite board using the pin below! Then be sure to print the handy-dandy recipe below!

Pin for easy Chipotle chicken recipe copycat, with image of chopped chicken in bowl with cilantro lime rice and toppings.

More great Mexican-inspired recipes:

  • Crack Salsa Chicken
  • Hibiscus Margarita
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Colorado Pork Green Chile
  • Cadillac Margarita
  • Spanish Mexican Rice
  • Hibiscus Mojito
  • Chile Relleno Casserole
  • Chicken Enchiladas
  • Baked Chicken Quesadillas
  • 4-ingredient Margarita
  • Skinny Margarita

For our family, this is the perfect meal; it’s also great for meal prep!

Like this recipe?

Don’t forget to give it a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star rating and leave a comment below the recipe!

Recipe Card
A copycat bowl full of Chipotle chicken, cilantro lime rice and toppings.

Copycat Chipotle Chicken

5 from 14 readers
Author: Kathleen Pope
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes
Marinade Time: 6 hours hours
Total Time: 6 hours hours 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 6 -8 servings
Print Pin SaveSaved!
Craving a Chipotle Chicken burrito bowlsor just looking for a chicken recipe with amazing flavor? Now you can make this copycat Chipotle Chicken recipe at home, this recipe is on repeat in our home! In fact, I double the recipe and freeze one for later.

Video

Equipment

  • Wusthof Santoku knife 5 inch; Black
  • Frontier Ground Bottle, Chipotle, 2.15 Ounce

Ingredients 
US Customary – Metric

  • 2.5 – 3 pounds chicken breasts boneless, skinless or boneless thighs or combination
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon chipotle jalapeno powder
  • 1 teaspoon regular chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ¼ cup distilled white vinegar
  • 4-6 cloves garlic minced
  • 4 tablespoons vegetable oil I used Avocado Oil and Grapeseed Oil]
  • 2-3 tablespoons water
  • ยฝ lime Optional

Optional Toppings and Bowl Ingredients

  • cilantro lime rice
  • salsa
  • guacamole
  • chopped tomatoes
  • shredded lettuce
  • tortilla chips
  • shredded cheese
  • sour cream
Get Recipe Ingredients

Instructions

  • Pound chicken using mallet until even thickness, about a half inch thick. Tip | place chicken in freezer ziplock baggie or between two sheets of plastic wrap before pounding.
    2.5 – 3 pounds chicken breasts
  • In a small mixing bowl, add all spices, garlic, oil, vinegar and water together, mixing well.
    1 teaspoon kosher salt, ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon chipotle jalapeno powder, 1 teaspoon regular chili powder, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, ¼ cup distilled white vinegar, 4-6 cloves garlic, 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, 2-3 tablespoons water, ยฝ lime
  • Pour over chicken placed in freezer bags or in baking dish, lifting and moving to make sure all chicken is covered in marinade. Best if marinated for 6 hours, but tastes decent at 3-4 hours too. If marinating in dish, be sure to occasionally turn the chicken.
  • Heat grill to medium heat and grill for 5-6 minutes per side until cooked through, if grilling thighs, and they are thin, reduce time to 3-5 minutes per side. Remove from grill, allow to rest 5 minutes covered before chopping into bite sized pieces.
  • Serve in burritos, bowls, salads, enchiladas or just serve over rice for dinner. Add your favorite toppings.
    cilantro lime rice, salsa, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, tortilla chips, shredded cheese, sour cream
Last step! Leave a RatingRate this recipe here. This helps other readers and helps support this website.

Notes

The original recipe from Dinner Then Dessert calls to add chopped chicken into a medium high heat pan with 2 tablespoons oil to heat and crisp after chopping. I have done it both ways, my family doesn’t notice a difference, so I omit this step.

Variations & Substitutions

  • Replace Chipotle chili powder and chili powder, you can use chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (also called chipotle chiles) , replace with 2 tablespoons adobo sauce (see notes) and 2 tablespoons ancho chile powder or 1 ounce dried ancho chiles, soaked, omit the vinegar. Add chili peppers and other marinade ingredients to a food processor, combine and use marinade as planned.
  • Instead of grilling outside, use a grill pan.
  • Make my Cilantro Lime Rice to go with it!
Nutritional information is only for the chicken, add all of your toppings and rice into your own nutritional calculator for final numbers. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 307kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 40g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 619mg | Potassium: 739mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.2g | Vitamin A: 268IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 27mg | Iron: 1mg
A copycat bowl full of Chipotle chicken, cilantro lime rice and toppings.
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Hello, Sunshine!

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Kathleen Pope

Meet Kathleen

Recipe Innovator | Food Photographer | Food Writer

Hi, Iโ€™m Kathleen Pope. Here at The Fresh Cooky you will find easy, mostly from-scratch, trusted recipes for all occasions. From speedy dinners to tasty desserts, with easy step-by-step instructions. I am here to help teach you how to make mouthwatering recipes without spending hours in the kitchen.

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  1. Lisa Bond

    Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 7:20 am

    5 stars
    This was fantastic! We had company and I needed something quick & easy, so I threw some frozen chicken tenderloins in a ziplock bag with this and everyone loved it (and asked for the recipe, too).

    I like it spicy, so I doubled the recipe & added red pepper flakes & a finely-diced jalapeรฑo pepper. FANTASTIC.

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Wed, Nov 13, 2024 at 10:14 am

      That sounds perfect Lisa, thank you for your kind comment!! Love your twist on it!

      Reply
  2. Grace

    Fri, Dec 30, 2022 at 10:48 am

    5 stars
    I have made this recipe several times and its absolutely amazing for burritos โ€ฆ. I butterfly my chicken breast versus pounding them.

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Fri, Dec 30, 2022 at 11:04 am

      Thank you Grace!! Butterflying is way easier than pounding! Great idea!

      Reply
  3. Grace

    Thu, Nov 17, 2022 at 7:56 pm

    5 stars
    Absolutely delicious and will be my new go to for chicken burritos or tacos.

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Thu, Nov 17, 2022 at 8:08 pm

      Thank you Grace! That made my day! Itโ€™s my boys FAVORITE meal!

      Reply
  4. Claudia Lamascolo

    Sat, Apr 30, 2022 at 4:48 am

    5 stars
    This is really a spot on flavor for chipotle chicken we were amazing and will make this recipe often!

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Mon, May 2, 2022 at 11:56 am

      Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Ieva

    Sat, Apr 30, 2022 at 3:13 am

    5 stars
    Loved this bowl! Never had the original dish so cannot comment on how similar it is, but it is really tasty for sure! Perfect combination of all my favourite things! Will definitely be making it again!

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Mon, May 2, 2022 at 11:57 am

      So glad you enjoyed it, it has amazing flavor!

      Reply
  6. Anita

    Fri, Apr 29, 2022 at 8:32 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! Instead of a grill, I just use my very well seasoned cast iron skillet to cook the chicken.

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Mon, May 2, 2022 at 11:57 am

      Perfect! You can use a grill pan too if you had one!

      Reply
  7. Kris

    Fri, Apr 29, 2022 at 8:24 pm

    5 stars
    Better than the original! SO good!

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Mon, May 2, 2022 at 11:57 am

      Thanks so much!

      Reply
  8. Cynthia

    Fri, Apr 29, 2022 at 7:54 pm

    5 stars
    Super easy and so flavorful! I served it with some cilantro rice – perfect combo!

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen Pope

      Mon, May 2, 2022 at 11:59 am

      Love it Cynthia!

      Reply
  9. Becky

    Fri, Jun 5, 2020 at 3:43 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is my current go-to! It’s easy, healthy, and tastes just like Chipotle Restaurant!

    Reply
  10. Becky

    Wed, Jun 3, 2020 at 5:26 pm

    Love this recipe! Making a double batch tonight! Thanks Kathleen!

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen

      Thu, Jun 4, 2020 at 11:52 am

      YAY! Thank you for sharing that Becky, I make double batches weekly, starting to think we should move so we can raise chickens! Have a great day! Kathleen

      Reply
  11. Amy Nash

    Wed, Apr 22, 2020 at 2:10 pm

    5 stars
    I haven’t really been wanting to pick up takeout these days, just to err on the side of caution, so I’ve been making ALL the things at home myself. This really satisfied a craving I was having!

    Reply
  12. Deb Clark

    Sat, Apr 11, 2020 at 7:25 pm

    5 stars
    We love Chipotle and this is just like that only better! Five stars – excellent meal!

    Reply
  13. Julie Menghini

    Wed, Apr 8, 2020 at 2:03 pm

    5 stars
    I had every thing that I needed for this recipe! I loved how easy it is.Marinating the chicken makes such a difference! This is going to be a regular in our house.

    Reply
  14. Jennifer Stewart

    Tue, Apr 7, 2020 at 6:07 pm

    5 stars

    Reply
  15. Jennifer Stewart

    Tue, Apr 7, 2020 at 12:06 pm

    Made this for lunch yesterday and made a big batch so we ended up eating it for dinner too!

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen

      Tue, Apr 7, 2020 at 1:21 pm

      HOORAY! Love hearing this!

      Reply
  16. Sandra Shaffer

    Tue, Apr 7, 2020 at 5:02 pm

    5 stars
    Fabulous! The marinate gives this dish a perfect amount of flavor. I made my bowl with salad and my husband had his as written.

    Reply
  17. LetsCurry

    Mon, Apr 6, 2020 at 4:40 pm

    Kathleen

    I’m smiling at the prefixing of the name of this recipe in you calling it as Copycat? Thank you for keeping positive amidst this downtime. My girls will love this recipe and I’m going to put them along to make this for a week day dinner. Thank you!

    Stay safe ????

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen

      Mon, Apr 6, 2020 at 7:49 pm

      Hello! So glad you are doing well and I am glad that you might enjoy this with your girls! You be safe as well! Kathleen

      Reply
  18. Tasia ~ two sugar bugs

    Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 11:45 pm

    This chipotle chicken sounds right up my family’s taste buds!! Definitely pinning!!

    Reply
  19. Debi

    Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 7:21 am

    My family loves their food, and since we aren’t going out at all, now I can make this at home. Thanks so much for the recipe.

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen

      Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 10:28 am

      thanks Debi, AND I hope you love it!

      Reply
  20. Lynn Spencer

    Fri, Apr 3, 2020 at 5:20 am

    Thanks for filling my menu plan for the next week! My guys will love this for dinner. Take care, my friend.

    Reply
    • KathleenKathleen

      Sun, Apr 5, 2020 at 10:29 am

      Haha! Hopefully you will too! Glad I could help! Be well my friend!

      Reply

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Kathleen Pope

Meet Kathleen

Hey there! I'm Kathleen Pope, a proud wife, mom of two awesome college boys, and recipe nerd. Welcome to my world of easy recipes with a healthy twist! Join thousands who trust The Fresh Cooky as their go-to recipe source. Let's cook up some magic!

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