I think that this copycat Chipotle chicken burrito recipe is even better than the real deal! I rolled up tender marinated chicken in a flour tortilla with fajita veggies, seasoned black beans, and cilantro lime rice to create my favorite fast-food burrito right at home. And since I’m in charge, the guac isn’t extra!
Listen, I love Chipotle. I won’t lie. However… ever since I started making these copycat chicken burritos at home, I haven’t craved the chain restaurant like I used to! The biggest factor for me isn’t even the flavor (which is better than the real deal), it’s the budget. I can make a whole batch of homemade burritos for a fraction of the cost. When your kids love Chipotle as much as mine, it pays to be able to make it yourself!
What’s in This Chipotle Chicken Burrito Recipe?
- Chicken: I prefer to use lean boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but thighs also work. In a pinch, shredded rotisserie chicken also works well.
- Spices: Chipotle chili powder, ground cumin, dried oregano, salt, and pepper enhance the flavor of these burritos at every step.
- Garlic: Enhances the savory flavor of the chicken.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Adds a touch of balancing acidity to the chicken.
- Olive Oil: Helps the spices stick to the chicken and veggies and prevents the rice from sticking together.
- Bell Peppers: I used green bell peppers, but any color works to add an earthy crunch.
- Red Onion: Adds a touch of sweetness to the burritos.
- Black Beans: Add creaminess. I used canned to make things easy.
- Lime Juice: Fresh lime juice adds brightness and acidity to the beans and rice.
- Rice: I used white rice, but brown also works. You can save some time and use a bag of microwaveable white rice if you’d like. Just mix in the lime juice and cilantro once it’s heated up.
- Cilantro: Fresh cilantro adds freshness and color to the rice.
- Tortillas: Make sure to use burrito-sized flour tortillas for easy stuffing and rolling.
Note: This recipe is one of those few exceptions on our site that has more than 10 ingredients. We try to keep things VERY easy around here, and limiting ingredients and time spent is one of our favorite ways. That being said, this recipe is too delicious to leave out of our recipe box! It’s an exception that is so flavorful and worth the extra ingredients if you have the time and resources to make it.
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How to Store and Reheat
You can make these babies in advance! Chipotle chicken burritos will last tightly covered for up to 3 days in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating in the microwave.
Notes and Tips
- I recommend marinating the chicken for at least 30 minutes, although I usually prep it the night before.
- Drain the black beans well to avoid soggy tortillas.
- You can also omit the tortillas entirely and portion this up into containers to make burrito bowls— great for meal prep.
Top Reader Review
“Chipotle who? I have not been there in over 4 years since I’ve discovered this recipe. Talk about nailing it! It taste so much better especially knowing it’s homemade. My family requests this so much, I can open my own Chipotle. Thank you for this bomb.com recipe. Love your recipes and looking forward to dinner at your house” – Khay
Copycat Chipotle Chicken Burritos Recipe
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ tablespoon chipotle chili powder (can sub regular chili powder)
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
For the Fajita Vegetables
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 bell peppers any color; sliced
- ½ red onion sliced
- ¼ teaspoon dried oregano
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Beans
- 14.5 ounces canned black beans drained (1 can)
- ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (from ½ lime)
For the Cilantro Lime Rice
- 1 cup dry white rice or brown rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1 lime)
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
For Assembly
- 8 burrito-sized flour tortillas
- Salsa optional
- Sour cream optional
- Monterey jack cheese optional
- Guacamole optional
Instructions
- In a bowl or sealable plastic bag, combine the chicken, chili powder, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, garlic, and vinegar. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or as long as overnight.1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, ½ tablespoon chipotle chili powder, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken pieces for 8-10 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan.2 tablespoon olive oil
- To the same pan, add in the olive oil, peppers, onion, oregano, and salt. Sauté for 5-6 minutes until softened and caramelized. Set aside.1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 bell peppers, ½ red onion, ¼ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Add the beans, chili powder, cumin, and lime juice to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the beans for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt if needed. Set aside.14.5 ounces canned black beans, ½ teaspoon chipotle chili powder, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- Prepare the rice according to package directions. Once cooked, stir in the olive oil, lime juice, and cilantro.1 cup dry white rice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Place the tortillas between damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds to make them soft and pliable. Place each tortilla on large squares of tin foil. Place portions of the chicken, rice, veggies, beans, and any extra fixings in the middle of the tortilla.8 burrito-sized flour tortillas, Salsa, Sour cream, Monterey jack cheese, Guacamole
- For each burrito, bring the bottom half of the tortilla up over the pile of fillings and tuck the bottom edge under the pile. Fold each side of the tortilla into the middle and roll up the burrito so it’s seam side down and in the middle of the tin foil. Package up the burrito in the tin foil. Enjoy!`
Notes
How to Make Chipotle Chicken Burritos Step by Step
Marinate the Chicken: In a bowl or sealable plastic bag, combine 1½ pounds of chopped chicken breasts, ½ tablespoon of chili powder, 1 teaspoon of cumin, ½ teaspoon of dried oregano, 1 teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, 2 minced cloves of garlic, and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
Cook the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté the chicken pieces for 8-10 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan.
Cook the Veggies: To the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 sliced bell peppers, ½ of a sliced red onion, ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano, and ½ teaspoon of kosher salt. Sauté for 5-6 minutes, until softened and caramelized.
Season the Beans: Add 14.5 ounces (1 can) of drained black beans, ½ teaspoon of chili powder, ½ teaspoon of cumin, and 1 tablespoon of lime juice to a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the beans for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and add salt if needed.
Cook the Rice: Prepare 1 cup of dry white rice according to the package directions. Once cooked, stir in 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of lime juice, and ¼ cup of chopped fresh cilantro.
Stuff the Burritos: Place 8 burrito-sized flour tortillas between damp paper towels and microwave for 30 seconds to make them soft and pliable. Place each tortilla on large squares of tin foil. Place portions of the chicken, rice, veggies, beans, and any extra fixings in the middle of the tortilla.
Roll the Burritos: For each burrito, bring the bottom half of the tortilla up over the pile of fillings and tuck the bottom edge under the pile. Fold each side of the tortilla into the middle and roll up the burrito so it’s seam side down and in the middle of the tin foil. Package up the burrito in the tin foil.
It takes 20-30 minutes to make rice. Why is that Step 5 here? Seems like if you did it as Step 2, it would be ready when everything else is, or pretty close, anyway.
Modify to your liking!
Delish and worked out great for my meal prep. I left out the cilantro because to me it’s yucky but it was still good with regular white rice. Thanks for a great recipe
Thanks for letting us know, Terri!
bean step, 1/2 Chile powder, is that tbs or tsp?
1/2 teaspoon!
Great recipe. I used rotisserie chicken and sautéed the red onions for 4 minutes before I put in the peppers as I like my peppers fresh! Will definitely make again! Yum and thank you!
I’m so happy to hear you loved it, Fran!
It was all delicious! The beans, the green peppers and onions, the chicken and rice! Yum I cooked the rice and the chicken in the pressure cooker (separately of course) as my chicken breasts were frozen followed the recipe for seasoning them exactly. Added 1 cup to my chicken breasts which I had three of cook time was on Hi for 10 mins with 10 mins natural release. Rice cook time was Hi for 6 mins with 10 mins natural release. My family Loved everything and I will definitely be making again!
I’m so happy to hear you loved it!
Chipotle who? I have not been there in over 4 years since I’ve discovered this recipe. Talk about nailing it! It taste so much better especially knowing it’s homemade. My family requests this so much, I can open my own Chipotle. Thank you for this bomb.com recipe. Love your recipes and looking forward to dinner at your house
Thanks so much for your kind words! I’m so happy to hear you love this recipe!!
Can I grill the chicken? Would it taste the same.
Yes, you can grill the chicken. It will just have a bit of that smokey char taste in addition!
This is now a staple meal in my house! My teens ask for it all the time! LOVE!!!!
I’m so happy to hear you all love this recipe, Jennifer!
This was awesome! Thank you! My 15 year old son said he’d take this over Chipotle any day – that’s high praise (especially from a teen!)!
We love to hear that, Laura!!
yum yum!