My teenage son—and my daughter, if we're being honest—love themselves some Chipotle.
About 90% of the time, if you ask either of them if they want to go grab a bite to eat, "Chipotle" is the answer.
I'm not quite as enthusiastic.
Sure, the food is good. But by the time you get a burrito or bowl, chips, and a drink, you're pushing $17. I mean, come on. When did a fast-food meal—and yes, it is fast food—become nearly $20 per person?
Since they request it so often, I figured I'd see if I could duplicate it at home.
For about $17, I can feed the entire family with fresh ingredients, no preservatives, and usually have some pretty yummy leftovers for lunch the next day.
So that's what I did.
I made chipotle chicken and served it as bowls over cilantro-lime rice with black beans, homemade guacamole, salsa, and shredded cheese.
When we sat down at the table, everyone started eating so fast I felt like I was watching a litter of Golden Retriever puppies at feeding time.
I'll take that as a positive review.
The nice thing about the chicken is you don't have to make bowls. Throw it into tacos or burritos, put it over a salad, or just serve the chicken breasts alongside some vegetables.
Make a little extra and you've got lunch handled for the next day too.
And, apparently, I've now eliminated at least one excuse for spending $70 at Chipotle.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
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½ medium red onion, diced
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4 garlic cloves
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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3–4 tablespoons chipotles in adobo (or just the adobo sauce)
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1 tablespoon chili powder
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1½ teaspoons ground cumin
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1 teaspoon dried oregano
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1 teaspoon black pepper
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2 teaspoons salt
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¼ cup water
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2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts
Instructions
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Add the onion, garlic, olive oil, chipotles in adobo, chili powder, cumin, oregano, black pepper, salt, and water to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth.
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Place the chicken in a large zip-top bag or bowl. Pour the marinade over the chicken and toss until well coated.
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Marinate overnight for the best flavor, or for at least a few hours if dinner can't wait.
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Grill over medium-high heat until the chicken is cooked through and lightly charred, flipping as needed.
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Let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice or chop and serve.
For the Bowls
Start with a bed of cilantro-lime rice, then add the chipotle chicken, black beans, homemade guacamole, salsa, and shredded cheese.
Or make it your own. Tacos, burritos, salads...whatever keeps the teenagers from asking you to drive them to Chipotle.
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