Best Copycat Chipotle Recipes
We all know how it is when that Chipotle craving hits. You'll do whatever it takes to get your fix, right? But what if I told you that you didn't actually have to ditch your pajamas and go wait in that long line to have a tasty burrito or bowl? You can make your own Chipotle favorites at home. They'll taste so much like the real thing, you might even consider deleting the app from your phone — but we both know you won't.
The thing about Chipotle is that each dish is a combination of several specialty foods, so you need more than one "secret" recipe to make every menu item. Lucky for you, I did the legwork on this one. I've collected the best Chipotle recipes out there, and with these under your belt, there's not much from your favorite burrito spot you can't duplicate. So get out your Tabasco sauce and put on your stretchy pants: you're about to go full-on Chipotle in your very own kitchen.
Chicken
Without the right meat, your burritos and bowls just aren't going to taste like the real thing, no matter how many other copycat items you stuff into your tortilla shell. The Brown Eyed Baker is coming to our rescue with her copycat Chipotle chicken recipe, that tastes (and looks!) just like what you get from your favorite Mexican chain. The secret to her recipe is the marinade. It needs at least an hour but doesn't really give you the full effect unless you've let it soak all day. She adds that though you can cook your chicken any way you like, sauteing in a cast-iron skillet is the best way to get the taste and texture you expect from Chipotle.
Barbacoa
Can't decide between your favorite Mexican spot and the local barbecue joint? Just stay home and make this copycat Chipotle barbacoa recipe from The Slow Roasted Italian. It's a Mexican barbecue that's the best of both worlds — and enough to make my mouth water in seconds. The beef is slow-cooked in an adobo sauce, so every bit is juicy and full of flavor. Use it on burritos or soft tacos ... or just grab a fork and dig in.
Carnitas
If you're a pork fan, you're not going to be disappointed. Chipotle makes some of the best carnitas you can find outside of a food truck, and now you can make them, too. This copycat carnitas recipe once again uses the slow cooker for tender meat that's packed with flavor. And it makes a ton, so you'll be eating burritos all week. If you'd rather not eat Mexican every day for a week, pack half of it up an airtight freezer bag, and you'll be halfway to homemade Chipotle the next time you get a hankering for something spicy.
Steak
Red meat lovers, rejoice! You can have your copycat recipe, too. The blogger over at Gimme Delicious Food makes a killer copycat steak burrito bowl, and the steak cooks in a lovely marinade. After letting your steak marinade in this stuff for a few hours, grill it up for just a couple minutes on each side, then let it rest before you chop it up to create your Chipotle favorites.
Sofritas
You don't have to be a meat eater to enjoy nearly everything from Chipotle. Sofritas, shredded and seasoned tofu, is the vegetarian "meat" of choice to add to any burrito, taco, or bowl. Pinch of Yum figured out how to duplicate it, and it looks pretty tasty — even to non-vegetarians.
Cilantro lime rice
Now that you have some of the best meat dishes down, it's time to master Chipotle's famous cilantro-lime rice. Let's face it — the rice makes up more than half of the giant burritos, so if you don't get it right, the flavor just won't work. You're also going to be pretty hard-pressed to make a burrito bowl with less-than-stellar rice, which is why this copycat recipe from The Slow Roasted Italian is so very handy. It's just as sticky (and flavorful) as they stuff they pack your dishes with at Chipotle, and to top it off, it's super easy to make.
Black beans
If you thought the people over at Chipotle just cracked open a big can of black beans and heated them up, you're wrong — but it's really not much more difficult than that. This recipe from Snack Girl proves you can have your own tasty black beans to add to your favorite Chipotle-style dish — or to serve as a simple side — in just a few minutes.
Fajita veggies
Chipotle's fajita veggies are super simple to make, but their flavor is anything but. The blogger over at Layers of Happiness figured out it's the addition of oregano that gives the restaurant's green peppers and red onions their signature flavor, so just a quick saute with the right seasonings will do the trick. And on top of that, adding in a pinch of cilantro takes these veggies to a whole new level.
Corn salsa
The corn salsa at Chipotle is nothing short of amazing. I ask for it (plus extra!) on every dish I order from the restaurant, but really, I just want to eat it with a spoon. Turns out, I can! Thanks to this recipe from Bright Green Door, I can make my favorite salsa anytime I like — and I will. It's a pretty easy recipe, and your food processor will do most of the work. Plus, it makes quite a bit, so be sure to pick up a bag of chips (or two) while you're buying the rest of the ingredients. You'll have a ton left after you've had your fill of burritos.
Fresh tomato salsa
One of the hardest decisions you make while in line at Chipotle is which of the delicious salsas to top your dish with. If you're a fan of the fresh tomato salsa, you're about to be really, really happy. Though Chipotle doesn't call it that, this mild salsa is basically pico de gallo, and the blogger over at Frugal Coupon Living has managed to create a pretty close duplicate. If you want to add a little more kick to yours, add an extra jalapeno or two — and don't remove the seeds.
Tomatillo red chili salsa
If you like it hot, this one's for you! There's no need for added Tabasco when you top your Chipotle favorite with tomatillo red chili salsa. This recipe from A Beach Home Companion takes a bit of work, but the flavor you'll get from the finished product makes it well worth your troubles. A word of advice: once you start chopping, do not touch your face!
Tomatillo green-chili salsa
If the red chili salsa is too hot for you, you might be a fan the tomatillo green chili salsa from Chipotle. It still gives your dish a kick of flavor but without making you break out in a sweat. This recipe from Chef de Home creates a tasty copycat, and the fiery taste comes from actual fire — fire-roasted veggies, that is. This recipe calls for grilling the tomatillos and peppers on an open flame, so have a fire extinguisher close by before you get started!
Guacamole
There's no need to go searching for a copycat guacamole recipe — Chipotle is giving the recipe away, right on its website! No more paying an extra $2 for that tasty guac. You can just make your own at home and add it to your homemade burritos or your to-go Chipotle. That's a major win, for sure! Their recipe is extremely simple, and we all know it's delicious. It's better to be safe than sorry, so just go ahead and double that recipe before you get started.
Putting it all together
Now that you know how to create all your favorite Chipotle ingredients, it's time to assemble them into the main attraction. Creating a taco is a no-brainer — just stack everything into a shell, right? But creating some of the other beloved menu items from Chipotle might take a bit more instruction.
Let's start with the burrito. You might think you can just stack everything you want into a giant tortilla, but if you have any hope of ever getting it rolled, you're going to want to do it the right way. Follow this tutorial to see how the experts get it done.
The bowls are simpler than the burritos — no tricky rolling required there — but they still require a specific formula to get the taste just right. Use this basic idea from What's Gaby Cooking to fill your bowl, but use our copycat ingredients to fill it up. The resulting dish will be as close to actual Chipotle flavor as you can get without standing in line yourself.