Chipotle's copycat recipes (2024)

FAQs

How to make Chipotle from scratch? ›

Does Chipotle use chicken breast or thighs? The original Chipotle chicken recipe uses thigh meat, not breasts as we do in this recipe. Keep in mind, however, that the restaurant makes it in large quantities and well in advance, not just before serving as we're doing here.

A chipotle (/tʃɪˈpoʊtleɪ/, /tʃɪˈpɒtleɪ/, chi-POHT-lay, chi-POT-lay; Spanish: [tʃiˈpotle]), or chilpotle, is a smoke-dried ripe jalapeño chili pepper used for seasoning. It is a chili used primarily in Mexican and Mexican-inspired cuisines, such as Tex-Mex and Southwestern United States dishes.

Chipotle chicken is smoky, spicy and a bit tangy from the lime juice. The chipotle pepper is complemented by the warm, earthy, slightly bitter citrus notes of cumin, smoky sweetness from the smoked paprika and aromatic garlic and onion powders. The zesty lime juice cuts through the robust richness.

What Are Chipotle Peppers? Chipotle peppers are dried smoked jalapeno peppers. They have an underlying sweetness with bitter and smoky notes. These chiles measure 2,500-10,000 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), so they deliver medium heat and smoky-sweet flavor.

Top Substitute for Chipotle Powder: Smoked Paprika

Use the paprika in about the same quantity you would with chipotle and add a pinch of cayenne (or three for spice lovers) to complete the spice substitute.

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.

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.

Chipotle is one of the healthier fast-food joints: they use fresh ingredients with no processed or artificial additives. That's pretty impressive for a restaurant chain of their size. But even though Chipotle's ingredients are better than most, you can still rack up the calories on a typical order.

Lack of innovative food and variety is a significant weakness of Chipotle.

What cheese does Chipotle use? ›

The shredded white cheese that Chipotle uses is commonly known as Monterey Jack. It is a semi-hard cheese made from cow's milk that melts well when exposed to heat. Chipotle's Monterey Jack cheese is used to make quesadillas and queso dip, and it's happily added to any menu item when asked.

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. In fact, we've listed every single one of them right here.

Chipotle sauce is made from chipotles in adobo, spices, cilantro, lime juice, sour cream, and mayonnaise. All of these ingredients are blended together for a smooth, smoky, slightly spicy sauce your family will love!

Chipotle peppers are basically ripened jalapeño chiles that have been smoked and dried. They can be ground and used in many Mexican and Tex Mex cooking and are typically sold in a rich, smokey flavored adobo sauce.

Instead of using a particular cut for its steak as it does with its carne asada, Chipotle sources its steak from many different cuts of beef. These include the inside round, the outside round, the bottom and top rounds, and the eye of round, as well as sirloin, sirloin top, ball tip, and knuckle.

You don't have to have a special smoker grill to make Chipotle peppers at home: We have a large charcoal grill with a smoker box attached. But even with a kettle style charcoal grill or a gas grill you can still create the right smoky environment for DIY Chipotle Peppers.