This is a list of 18 Chipotle copycat recipes that let you make homemade versions of their meals. And it'll help you save money compared to ordering from the standard app, which you are probably doing when you're in a hurry between soccer practice and piano lessons. These allow you to keep it quick and easy and get your family fed at home for half the cost.
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1) Chipotle-Style Cilantro-Lime Rice
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Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add rinsed rice and toast, stirring, until slightly translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Add water and salt. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to low. Cook 18 minutes without lifting the lid.
- Remove from heat and let sit, covered, 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.
- Stir in lime zest, lime juice, and cilantro. Taste and add more salt or lime if needed.
The base of most Chipotle meals is their cilantro lime rice, and it's actually very easy to make. You can even buy it in a pre-cooked rice package that you toss into the microwave.
That's definitely my go-to when I'm pinched for time. But if you have the time to do it yourself, you're just going to put some minute rice together, throw in some finely chopped cilantro and fresh lime juice, and you achieve that flavor.
2) Smoky Adobo Chicken (Chicken Tinga)
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken 3 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken, add onion and garlic, and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in chipotles, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, broth, vinegar, and spices.
- Return chicken to pan, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook 18–22 minutes until tender.
- Shred chicken with two forks in the sauce and simmer 3 more minutes to thicken.
- Taste and adjust salt. Serve in tortillas with toppings.
Chipotle's smoky adobo chicken or chicken tinga is very easy to make because it is just shredded chicken simply simmered in a smoky Chipotle tomato sauce. Once you have this made, it's very easy to throw it into tacos, burritos, or even just make it into a bowl the way that Chipotle does, with all of your standard toppings: lettuce, guacamole, salsa, cheese, and veggies.
3) Sofritas Tofu Crumble
Ingredients
Method
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium. Sauté onion until soft, 4–5 minutes.
- Add garlic and spices; cook 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in crushed tomatoes, chipotle, adobo sauce, soy sauce, and water.
- Add crumbled tofu and mix well. Press with spatula to break up and brown, 6–8 minutes.
- Cook until sauce thickens and tofu is slightly crisp on edges.
- Finish with lime juice and adjust salt.
This is my go-to for a quick, meatless dinner that actually satisfies. If you are looking for a plant-based bowl, this recipe is a great option.
Tofuture Original Tofu Press
Check Price4) Copycat Chipotle Barbacoa
Ingredients
Method
- Pat beef dry and season with salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano.
- Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high and brown beef on all sides, about 8 minutes.
- Add garlic, chipotle, vinegar, broth, and bay leaf; bring to a simmer.
- Cover and transfer to 300°F oven or reduce heat and simmer on stovetop for 2.5–3 hours until fork-tender.
- Shred beef with two forks, discard bay leaf, and return juices to taste; simmer 5 minutes to thicken.
Chipotle's barbacoa is fall-apart shredded beef that is just seasoned with classic Mexican spices. You want to cook your meat low and slow until it is that perfect, fork-tender, shreddable meat. To do this, you would throw a chuck-style roast into the crock pot, let it simmer all day, and then you are ready to shred it apart.
I like to throw in my seasonings as it's cooking so that the meat and the juices really soak up that flavor and bring this one to life. This is another meat that you can then make tacos with, burritos with, or just make that classic Chipotle-style bowl.
Umite Chef 5QT Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
Check Price5) Homemade Guajillo Steak Carnitas
Ingredients
Method
- Toast guajillos in a dry skillet 30–60 seconds until fragrant, then soak in hot water 15 minutes.
- Blend soaked chilies, garlic, orange juice, vinegar, cumin, oregano, and 1/2 cup broth until smooth.
- Season steak with 1 tsp salt. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high and brown steak in batches.
- Return all steak to skillet, pour sauce and remaining broth over meat, cover, and simmer 45 minutes until tender.
- Remove lid, increase heat, and cook 5–8 minutes to reduce sauce and crisp edges. Adjust salt.
Here is a very simple pork dish that will look like it takes a lot of effort. Seasoning your pork with guajillo chili gives you a mild, fruity heat instead of something that's really intense and that a lot of people can't handle.
You want to cook your pork until the edges are crispy, but you want the center to stay tender. That is exactly the texture that carnitas are known for. And if you want to switch this one up, you can use steak instead of the traditional pork that the recipe calls for.
6) Charred Poblano Pepper Salsa
Ingredients
Method
- Roast poblanos, onion, and garlic over a gas flame or under broiler, turning until charred on all sides, about 10–12 minutes.
- Place roasted vegetables in a bowl and cover for 10 minutes to steam, then peel skins off poblanos and remove seeds.
- Put poblanos, onion, garlic, cilantro, lime juice, salt, pepper, and oil in a blender.
- Pulse to a chunky texture, scraping sides once. Taste and adjust salt or lime.
- Chill at least 30 minutes before serving to let flavors settle.
This salsa is another one that is really easy to make. You want to choose mild poblano peppers and simply char them. You're going to blacken them to bring that smoky flavor to life in this salsa. Blend it up with some tomatoes and spices. This salsa is perfect for dipping and for topping bowls, and its charred look makes it visually appealing as well.
7) Copycat Chipotle Corn Salsa (Elote-Style)
Ingredients
Method
- Roast or sauté corn in a hot skillet until charred in spots, 6–8 minutes.
- Transfer corn to a bowl and add mayo, sour cream, lime juice, chili powder, and smoked paprika.
- Stir in cilantro and jalapeño, then taste and add salt as needed.
- Chill 10–15 minutes for flavors to meld. Serve warm or cold.
This elote-style salsa is simply a corn salsa where you are going to char your corn kernels and then add lime, chili, and cheese flavors to represent Mexican street corn. Making this a salsa makes it scoopable and very easy to throw onto tacos, burritos, or bowls.
8) Warm Pinto Beans with Bacon
Ingredients
Method
- Soak beans overnight or use quick-soak: cover with water, bring to boil 2 minutes, let sit 1 hour, then drain.
- Cook bacon in a large pot over medium heat until crisp; remove and drain on paper towels.
- Add onion to bacon fat and cook until soft, about 5 minutes; stir in garlic and cumin for 30 seconds.
- Add beans, water or broth, and bring to a simmer; reduce heat and cook gently until beans are tender, 1 to 1¼ hours.
- Stir in salt, pepper, and half the bacon; mash a few beans against the side for creaminess, simmer 5 more minutes.
- Taste and adjust seasoning; top with remaining bacon and cilantro before serving.
This one is a pretty straightforward dish. You just want to simmer your pinto beans to really thicken them up, and then the bacon adds a savory flavor that makes this really hearty and filling; it can serve as a side or be exactly what rounds out your burrito bowl.
9) Chipotle-Style Salsa Verde
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Ingredients
Method
- Roast tomatillos and jalapeños under broiler or on a hot skillet until charred and softened, about 6–8 minutes, turning once.
- Blend roasted veg with onion, garlic, cilantro, cumin, salt, lime juice, and water until slightly chunky.
- Taste and adjust salt or lime. Chill 30 minutes for best flavor or use right away.
This Chipotle-style salsa verde is the tomatillo-based green salsa that is really popular at Chipotle. It has a jalapeño kick to give it a little bit of spice, but it is still milder in comparison to other salsas.
It's the bright counterpart to red salsa, and it really brings some flavor to your Chipotle-style dishes. It is tangy and has a bright green heat that a lot of people just love and appreciate.
10) Chipotle’s Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
Ingredients
Method
- Roast tomatillos and jalapeño under broiler until charred, about 6–8 minutes, turning once.
- Transfer to a blender. Add cilantro, sour cream, mayo, garlic, lime juice, and salt.
- Blend until smooth, adding 2–3 tablespoons water for desired thickness.
- Taste and adjust salt or lime. Chill 30 minutes for best flavor.
My version of Chipotle's creamy tomatillo dressing is simply that same tangy tomatillo salsa blended into a creamy base. This quickly becomes that drizzle-on-everything sauce that ties a bowl together.
11) Fresh Pico de Gallo (Chipotle-Style)
Ingredients
Method
- Dice tomatoes and onion, then put them in a medium bowl.
- Chop jalapeño and cilantro; add to the bowl.
- Pour in lime juice, sprinkle salt and cumin, and stir gently.
- Taste and adjust salt or lime. Chill 10–15 minutes for best flavor.
Pico de Gallo is so simple to make, and it's very straightforward. Doing this one Chipotle-style, it simply has some extra spices thrown into it, but it's still simple and straightforward. It's made up of tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime. If you want to step the heat up a little bit on this, I also like to chop up some jalapeños very finely and toss em in.
12) Chipotle-Style Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Method
- Add cilantro, lime juice, vinegar, water, garlic, cumin, sugar, salt, and pepper to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until roughly chopped.
- Add oil and avocado (if using). Blend until smooth and emulsified.
- Taste and adjust salt or lime. Thin with a bit more water if too thick.
- Store in a jar in the fridge up to 5 days. Shake before using.
This version of Chipotle's style cilantro lime vinaigrette is a dressing that is built around the same flavor as the cilantro lime rice. It's perfect for salads or drizzling over a bowl instead of having any of that creamy dressing or thick salsa.
13) Adobo-Marinated Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
Method
- Mix adobo sauce, chopped peppers, oil, lime juice, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and garlic in a bowl.
- Add chicken, coat well, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours.
- Preheat grill or grill pan to medium-high and oil grates.
- Grill chicken 5–6 minutes per side until internal temp reaches 165°F.
- Rest chicken 5 minutes, then slice against the grain and serve.
To make this copycat version, you're going to use adobo, chili, garlic, and citrus to create a marinade that will keep your chicken very tender, then grill it to give it that perfect char and smoky flavor.
This one comes down more to a cooking method to achieve that smoky flavor than it does to the chicken itself. Once it's grilled, you will chop this up. This recipe doesn't call for you to shred your chicken.
14) Chipotle-Style Queso Blanco
Ingredients
Method
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and flour; cook 1 minute while stirring.
- Whisk in milk and half-and-half until smooth. Heat until simmering and slightly thickened.
- Reduce heat to low and add shredded cheese and cream cheese. Stir until fully melted and smooth.
- Season with salt and cayenne. Stir in pickled jalapeños and a little of their juice if using.
- Keep warm over very low heat, stir occasionally, and serve.
Queso Blanco is simply a white cheese that Chipotle added to its menu. This is perfect for scooping with chips or spooning over a bowl if you really want a super cheesy meal. This is the warm, white cheese-based dip that you want to incorporate.
15) Copycat Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
Ingredients
Method
- Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and whisk until smooth.
- Bring to a low simmer over medium heat, stirring often.
- Reduce heat to low and simmer 8–10 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Taste and add more vinegar or sugar if needed.
- Cool, then store in a jar in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
I like to use this sauce whenever I make tacos or when the kids want something to dip their food in. I usually make a double batch and stash half in the fridge so nobody realizes. It tastes smoky and tangy, and it’s really simple to make.
16) Fast Chipotle-Style Shrimp Skewers
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat broiler or grill to high and thread shrimp onto skewers.
- Whisk oil, lime juice, paprika, chili, cumin, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a bowl.
- Brush or toss shrimp with the marinade until well coated.
- Broil or grill 2–3 minutes per side until opaque and slightly charred.
- Let rest 2 minutes, then serve with lime wedges and rice or salad.
To make these Chipotle-style, it would just come down to how we season the shrimp. I also like to remind everyone to always soak wooden skewers, if that's what you're using, to prevent splintering. And I would serve this over a cilantro-lime rice because I think that would be flavorful.
17) Chipotle-Style Sofritas Burrito Bowls
Ingredients
Method
- Press tofu 20 minutes, then crumble with your hands into bite-sized pieces.
- Heat oil in a skillet over medium; cook onion 5 minutes until soft.
- Add garlic and spices; stir 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir in crumbled tofu and brown 6–8 minutes, stirring so it crisps.
- Mix chipotle, adobo, tomato sauce, and soy sauce; pour over tofu.
- Simmer 5 minutes until sauce thickens and coats tofu.
- Build bowls with rice, beans, sofritas, lettuce, salsa, and cheese.
These Chipotle-style Sofritas burrito bowls are a no-tortilla version of a burrito. This one is built around a spicy tofu crumble instead of meat, making it a great vegetarian option layered with rice, beans, and toppings the way your normal Chipotle-style bowl comes together.
18) Homemade Flour Tortillas for Burritos
Ingredients
Method
- Mix flour, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add oil and pour 3/4 cup warm water. Stir until a shaggy dough forms.
- Knead 2–3 minutes on a floured surface. Add a bit more water if too dry.
- Rest dough 15 minutes covered with a towel.
- Divide into 10 balls and roll thin with a rolling pin.
- Cook on a dry skillet over medium heat 45–60 seconds per side until light brown spots appear.
- Stack and wrap in a towel to keep warm.
Homemade flour tortillas for burritos are very easy to make from scratch instead of buying them. Though you might find it difficult to achieve that huge chipotle size and that thin of a tortilla when you make them at home. So that is something to keep in mind. Homemade tortillas, however, are fresher and have a softer texture than store-bought tortillas. So that is definitely why they are a go-to in our house.
