Qdoba Copycat Chicken
Qdoba Copycat Chicken is an easy way to have this restaurant favorite at home.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in half long ways
- 2 tbsp Minced garlic
- 4 tbsp Olive oil
- 2 tbsp Adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers
- 1 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Black pepper
- 1 Chipotle pepper, diced Optional for added spice
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients except the sliced chicken in a medium sized bowl. Stir to combine.
- Add the chicken piece by piece to the marinade, making sure each piece is coated. Let marinade for at least 30 minutes, up to 6 hours. I marinated my chicken for 2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Heat ½ tbsp of canola oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken in the skillet and fry for 3-6 minutes per side. Do not crowd the pan, you may need to work in batches.
- Check the internal temperature of the chicken and note how blackened the chicken is becoming. The marinade will burn a little in the oil, creating a beautiful blackened exterior, but if the exterior is getting too black and the chicken is more than 20 degrees less than 165F, remove it from the skillet to a baking sheet and put it in the oven for 5-10 more minutes, or until it reaches 165F. Repeat until all of the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve the chicken as a whole piece, or chop it into bite size pieces and serve as part of a rice bowl, salad, or quesadilla.