Spicy copycat grilled chicken is charred, tender and is great on burrito bowls, burritos, or salads. This home-made version tastes 1000x better for a fraction of the price! 
I made this delicious Qdoba style chicken in preparation for my Qdoba chicken burrito bowls yesterday and we LOVED it. It’s very similar to chipotle’s grilled chicken but a bit spicier. To make the chicken super flavorful, I suggest allowing it to marinate in the fridge for up to 24 hours but if you’re in a rush, cooking it right away will also work. To get the nice charred outside, heat the pan for at least 2-3 minutes. This will char the outside quickly and seal the chicken from the outside in order to keep the juice from leaking out which results in tender chicken.
I like to have a batch of chicken marinating in the fridge or freezer and cook as needed. It’s great on rice alone, in sandwiches, salads, burrito bowls, or in a tortilla as a burrito! The full burrito bowl recipe please hop over to this post.
Qdoba Copycat Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded thin
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce from a small can of Chipotle peppers
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Combine chicken garlic, olive oil, adobo sauce and seasoning in a large bowl (or ziplock bag), cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or up to 2 days.
- Preheat about 1 tablespoon oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook, turning occasionally, until completely cooked through, about 6-7 minutes per side.
- Remove the chicken ontop large cutting board and allow to rest for at least 5-10 minutes then Slice or chop. Serve in a burrito, in a salad, or on its own!
Notes
Juice from one fresh orange and one fresh lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 clove garlic minced
Laura
I have used this recipe several times and never have adobo sauce, but use about a TB of Chipotle powder instead. Oh my goodness, it is sooo good! (And spiiiicy) FAMILY favorite and I can’t wait to share it with friends tonight! Thank you!
Laura
Oh and I only use about 3/4 tsp salt instead of full tsp.
Layla
Thanks for the feedback, so happy you and your family like the recipe!
Lacrisha
I just made this tonight for dinner and my god! This was so good and I think it’s a little qdoba chicken. I will be making this again for sure!
Yvette connellan
Where Is the oLder recipe that called for the Juice of one lime, one tange and a tablespoon of tomato paste? I loved that one, but cant seem to find it now. Could you please post it in a link ot i the comments below? Thank you! Ill have to try this oNe out too though!
Layla
I’m sorry about that Yvette, We re-tested the recipe and updated it this week based on user’s feedback. Here is the older recipe, I will also add it to the recipe note as well for future reference.
2 lbs. chicken breasts
Juice from one fresh orange and one fresh lime
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. chili powder
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 clove garlic minced
Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl or ziplock bag and marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or up to 48 hours. Heat a heavy-duty pan (you can also grill the chicken) on medium/high heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Place chicken in pan and cook for 4-5 minutes per side. [br][br]Turn off the heat and allow the chicken to rest in the pan before cutting. After the chicken has rested for at least 5 minutes dice into bite-size pieces. Use in burrito bowls or tortilla.
YvetTe
No woRries!! I actually was able to remember iT based off of your new recipe. Thank you for putting it Im the recipe notes too though! Its still my favorIte way to marinate chicken. Ill be truing the new MariNade next time!