15 Chipotle Copycat Recipes That You Can Make at Home (2024)

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15 Chipotle Copycat Recipes That You Can Make at Home (1)Allison T.S. RobicelliUpdated: Jan. 22, 2024

    Skip the line! You can have a made-from-scratch burrito or bowl at home with our copycat Chipotle recipes.

    Slow-Cooker Barbacoa

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    My husband adores this barbacoa, which is beef roast simmered in lime juice, chipotle and cumin. He would eat it one a week if I would make it that often! We have it over rice with cilantro and a spritz of lime. —Aundrea McCormick, Denver, Colorado

    Chipotle Chicken Copycat

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    15 Chipotle Copycat Recipes That You Can Make at Home (2)

    LAUREN HABERMEHL FOR TASTE HOME

    Chipotle chicken is tender, juicy and perfectly seasoned to complement all the burrito fixings in those gigantic flour tortillas. Making this copycat Chipotle chicken recipe at home couldn’t be easier; the key is marinating your chicken overnight in a spicy, smoky blend of herbs, spices and aromatics.

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    Chipotle Queso Blanco Copycat

    Ooey-gooey cheesy queso is great in bowls, burritos—even straight out of the cup! This copycat recipe tastes just like Chipotle’s queso blanco, but if you want your queso to look more similar, use shredded white cheddar instead of yellow.

    Editor’s Tip: The famous Chipotle queso blanco is especially popular and personally, keeps us coming back for more. It’s creamy, cheesy, andperfectly spicy. The only downside? It will set you back a few bucks to add queso to your order.

    Chipotle Guacamole Copycat

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    Lauren Habermehl for Taste of Home

    Chipotle’s guacamole is legendary—and for good reason. The secret? Its freshness! Though many dips tend to improve the longer they sit, guacamole tastes best shortly after it’s made, so the flavor of fresh avocado shines through the rest of the ingredients. Eating it right away also keeps guacamole from browning.

    Chipotle Tomatillo-Green Chili Salsa Copycat

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    Tomatillos may look like green tomatoes, but they’re not the same thing. Instead, tomatillos are small, round and firm with a dense interior. When raw, tomatillos have a bright, extremely tart flavor that’s somewhat reminiscent of limes. When roasted, tomatillos lose that acidic edge and become a little sweeter. They’re the perfect addition to salsa.

    Chipotle Rice Copycat

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    Have you ever dreamed of going to Chipotle and eating nothing but a big, heaping bowl of fluffy cilantro-lime rice? Well, you can make that dream come true in your very own home with this simple five-ingredient recipe.

    Chipotle Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa Copycat

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    If possible, try to find fresh or frozen sweet white corn for the most authentic Chipotle corn salsa. It’s what the restaurant uses in its recipe. However, if all you can find is yellow corn, this salsa will still be spectacularly delicious.

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    Chipotle Fresh Tomato Salsa Copycat

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    You only need five ingredients (plus salt and pepper) to make this vibrant salsa, which livens up just about everything it’s paired with. Although this fresh tomato salsa is delicious the day it’s made, it gets even better the longer it sits—double the recipe so you can snack on salsa and veggies or chips all week.

    Chipotle Tomatillo-Red Chili Salsa Copycat

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    This recipe isn’t an exact replica of Chipotle’s fiery red salsa, but it’s a great “close enough” option if you don’t have access to fresh tomatillos. If you like your salsa extra spicy, don’t hold back when adding the hot sauce!

    Chipotle Carnitas Copycat

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    Carnitas is arguably one of the most popular meats at Chipotle. Though there’s no shortage of winning options on the menu, it was the irresistible slow-roasted spiced pork that put Chipotle on the map when it opened its first location in Denver, Colorado, in 1993.

    Chipotle Steak Tacos Copycat

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    Taste of Home

    Fire up the grill to make these Chipotle-inspired flank steak tacos, topped with a simple fresh salsa made explosive with fresh lime juice. For even more delicious acidity, serve these tacos with pickled red onions.

    Chipotle Chicken Tacos Copycat with Avocado Salsa

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    As good as these chicken tacos are, the real star of this copycat recipe is the easy-to-make avocado salsa, which you’ll want to eat straight out of the bowl. Let your guests choose between crispy corn tortillas or soft flour tortillas, just like you would at Chipotle.

    Chipotle Cheese Quesadillas Copycat

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    If you don’t want to worry about ordering a quesadilla ahead of time for pickup at Chipotle, you can make quesadillas at home instead. This is a basic, easy quesadilla recipe everyone should know how to make, and once you do, you can start experimenting with all sorts of additional fillings.

    Chipotle Veggie Burrito Copycat

    Perfect for meatless Mondays, no one will miss the meat when you dish up these satisfying burritos bursting with a fresh filling. Double the recipe, and you can eat the leftovers for Taco Tuesday! Include guacamole for an even closer copycat recipe.

    Chipotle Steak Salad Copycat

    This vibrant flank steak salad is easy and quick to prepare, tastes delicious and is a healthy dinner all on one plate. For a non-Chipotle-inspired take, toss this salad with blue cheese dressing instead of the recommended vinaigrette, or maybe a drizzle of homemade steak sauce. Learn how to make a copycat of Chipotle vinaigrette.

    Originally Published: January 13, 2018

    15 Chipotle Copycat Recipes That You Can Make at Home (16)

    Allison T.S. Robicelli

    Allison is a James Beard-nominated cookbook author, recipe developer and food writer. As a former professional chef, Allison is the go-to writer at Taste of Home for putting cooking tools to the test and sharing what’s worth adding to your home kitchen. A few of the things she’s personally reviewed at Taste of Home include HexClad cookware, All-Clad cookware and the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore cookware set. Formerly the chef-owner of Robicelli’s Bakery in Brooklyn, she currently resides in Baltimore, Maryland, with her kids, cats, pots and pans.

    15 Chipotle Copycat Recipes That You Can Make at Home (2024)

    FAQs

    How many ingredients does Chipotle use? ›

    53 of them, to be exact. Every single item you can build and order at Chipotle is made from a selection of only 53 total ingredients, all of which are prepared fresh. So what are the 53 real ingredients that come together to create the flavorful favorites you love at Chipotle?

    How does Chipotle make their ingredients? ›

    The steak is partially cooked and gets a final sear on the grill. The mild salsa (pico de gallo), corn salsa, and guacamole get made fresh every day. Onions, cilantro, and jalapeños are diced fresh by hand every day for making the salsas and guac. Cilantro is also cut by hand for the cilantro lime rice.

    What kind of chicken do they use at Chipotle? ›

    Chicken thighs are a lot more juicy and the cut that Chipotle uses! However, you can also make this with breast meat. To save time on a busy day, marinade it the day before or the morning of so all you have to do is cook it when it's time to eat.

    Does Chipotle use chicken breast or thighs? ›

    How to Cook Chipotle Chicken. If you've ever been to the restaurant, you know Chipotle grills their boneless, skinless chicken thighs on a flat-top grill. Slice or dice and use for burritos, tacos, bowls, salads, everything!

    How to make Chipotle from scratch? ›

    Instructions
    1. Lay the peppers in your smoker in one layer, ideally not touching. ...
    2. Smoke the peppers at least 6 hours, but I prefer all day, like 16 hours. ...
    3. If you want, you can pull the jalapenos at any time after 6 hours and finish them in a dehydrator set on low heat. ...
    4. Store them in a bag at room temperature.
    Sep 4, 2023

    Does Chipotle have 53 ingredients? ›

    Chipotle also lists the 53 ingredients used to make every item on the menu, committing to “preparing real food made with real ingredients.” They describe each ingredient and list the menu items it appears in.

    What is the main ingredient in Chipotle? ›

    Our namesake ingredient, the chipotle chili pepper is a dried and smoked jalapeño produced using the age-old craft of smoking them over pecan wood for several days. These intensely smoky, spicy peppers are the foundation for much of the food we serve - from our chicken, steak, and Barbacoa to our beans and vinaigrette.

    What cheese does Chipotle use? ›

    Originally Answered: What cheese does Chipotle use? In most of their dishes, Chipotle Mexican Grill uses a shredded blend of two kinds of cheese: White cheddar cheese and Monterey Jack cheese. On their menu, the cheese blend is referred to as "shredded cheese," and it is used in burritos, tacos, and salads.

    What oil does Chipotle use? ›

    Rice bran oil is our primary cooking oil at Chipotle.

    What kind of seasoning does Chipotle use? ›

    That smoky, spicy flavor in Chipotle's chicken comes from two primary ingredients: Dried ancho chiles and adobo sauce. To create this flavor, you can: Buy Ancho Chile powder – Depending on how much you want to buy, we recommend McCormick Gourmet Ancho Chile Pepper and Amazing Ancho Chile Powder.

    What brand sour cream does Chipotle use? ›

    I worked there for 5 years, its actually Daisy sour cream. We are supposed to beat the bag of sour cream before putting it in a pan, some people do it to much and it gets too liquidy.

    What type of rice does Chipotle use? ›

    Around here, all you need to know is that we use long-grain white rice. We have always been committed to preparing real food made with real ingredients. You know, the kind you can recognize and pronounce.

    Who is Chipotle owned by? ›

    Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. was founded by Steve Ells in 1993. As of 2024, Brian Niccol is the company's Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer. The top shareholders of Chipotle include Montgomery Moran, Steve Ells, Vanguard Group, and BlackRock.

    Does Chipotle have 2 types of chicken? ›

    Stage-Gate Test Forecasts Winning Recipe

    Chipotle's classic chicken offering, Adobo Chicken, has long been the company's top-selling protein. Pollo Asado joins Adobo Chicken on the line for a limited time, offering guests a fresh way to enjoy their favorite protein at Chipotle.

    Which Chipotle meat is pork? ›

    *** We do not use eggs, except at locations where breakfast is available, as ingredients in our food. 1. FOR THOSE WHO AVOID PORK: Our carnitas are made with pork.

    Does Chipotle use all natural ingredients? ›

    Chipotle prepares its food using real, whole ingredients, and is the only national restaurant brand that prepares its food using no added colors, flavors or other industrial additives typically found in fast food. Chipotle opened with a single restaurant in Denver in 1993 and now operates more than 2,300 restaurants.

    Does Chipotle use processed ingredients? ›

    Chipotle is one of the healthier fast-food joints: they use fresh ingredients with no processed or artificial additives.

    How many avocados does Chipotle use? ›

    Each of Chipotle's 2,000-plus restaurants goes through approximately five cases of avocados a day, amounting to more than 44,000 pounds of avocados in each restaurant annually.

    Does Chipotle use frozen ingredients? ›

    The eatery uses fresh produce and meats, rather than frozen ingredients, like most other fast food chains.

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