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This Copycat Chipotle Steak is smoky, zesty, a little spicy, and so good tucked into burritos, bowls, tacos, and salads. The steak is marinated in chipotle peppers, lime juice, garlic, onion, and spices, then cooked until juicy and chopped into tender bite-size pieces. It is everything I love about Chipotle steak, but made right at home.
5 Star Ratings ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“This was a huge hit with my family of four! I made this steak recipe using 2.5 lbs of top sirloin for steak salad bowls. There was plenty of marinade for the meat and the best part is our whole meal cost us less than a quarter of what we pay at Chipotle. I served the steak over a bed of romaine, with black beans, a bit of brown rice, cheese, sour cream, and homemade guac. The steak flavor was perfect and my kids are still raving about how delicious it was!” – Ashley
Why I Love This Steak
I love being able to make Chipotle at home, especially when I can load up on steak and not feel like I have to be stingy with it. This recipe gives you juicy, flavorful steak with that smoky chipotle flavor, and it is perfect for meal prep. I like making a batch at the beginning of the week and using it for copycat Chipotle Steak Bowls, salads, tacos, and quick lunches.
The marinade does most of the work here. The chipotle peppers in adobo add smoky heat, the lime juice brightens everything up, and the garlic, onion, cumin, and oregano give the steak that flavor you expect from a good Chipotle-style bowl. Add black beans, rice, cheese, corn salsa, guacamole, and sour cream and you have a high-protein meal that tastes like takeout, but costs so much less.
🩷 Kelsey
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Top sirloin steak: I like top sirloin because it is easy to find, cooks well in a skillet, and stays tender when marinated.
- Neutral oil: Canola oil or avocado oil works well for cooking the steak because both can handle higher heat.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: This is what gives the steak its smoky, spicy Chipotle flavor.
- Spices: Cumin, dried oregano, salt, and pepper add warm, savory flavor to the marinade.
- Red onion: Blending onion into the marinade gives the steak a little sweetness and depth.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic adds the best flavor and blends right into the marinade.
- Lime juice: Fresh lime juice brightens the marinade and helps balance the smoky chipotle peppers.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Steak options: Top sirloin is my favorite for this recipe, but flank steak, skirt steak, flat iron steak, or round steak can also work well.
- For more spice: Use the whole can of chipotle peppers in adobo instead of half the can.
- For less spice: Use more adobo sauce and fewer whole peppers.
- Oil options: Avocado oil, canola oil, olive oil, or rice bran oil all work.
- Oregano: Mexican oregano is great if you have it, but regular dried oregano works too.
- Adobo sauce substitute: In a pinch, mix tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, chipotle powder, cumin, oregano, garlic powder, and a little salt.
- Protein swap: This same marinade is also good on chicken or pork.
How to Make Chipotle Steak
- Blend the marinade. Add the chipotle peppers in adobo, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, red onion, garlic, and lime juice to a blender. Blend until the mixture is smooth and saucy.
- Marinate the steak. Place the steak in a resealable bag or lidded container and pour the marinade over the top. Turn the steak until it is well coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 12 hours for more flavor.
- Bring the steak closer to room temperature. Take the steak out of the fridge about 30 minutes before cooking. This helps it cook more evenly.
- Cook the steak. Heat oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the steak and cook, flipping once, until it reaches your preferred doneness. Cook in batches if your skillet is crowded.
- Rest the steak. Move the cooked steak to a cutting board and cover it loosely with foil. Let it rest for about 10 minutes so the juices can settle back into the meat.
- Chop and serve. Slice the steak against the grain, then chop it into bite-size pieces. Serve it in burrito bowls, tacos, salads, or burritos.
Recipe Tips
- Do not skip the marinade: Even 30 minutes helps, but a longer marinating time gives the steak more flavor.
- Use a hot skillet: A hot cast iron skillet gives the steak a nice sear.
- Do not overcrowd the pan: If the skillet is too full, the steak will steam instead of sear.
- Let it rest before cutting: This keeps the steak juicy.
- Slice against the grain: This makes a big difference in tenderness.
- Use a meat thermometer: It is the easiest way to avoid overcooking the steak.
- Season to taste after cooking: A little extra salt at the end can really bring out the flavor.
Frequently Asked Questions
Top sirloin is a great choice because it is affordable, easy to find, and tender when marinated. You can also use flank steak, skirt steak, flat iron steak, or round steak.
Chipotle uses different cuts of beef, including round cuts and sirloin-style cuts. That is one reason the texture can vary when you order it at the restaurant. Making it at home lets you choose the cut you like best.
It has a smoky, savory, citrusy flavor with a little heat from the chipotle peppers. The lime juice gives it a bright flavor, and the cumin, oregano, garlic, and onion make it taste full and hearty.
It has medium heat, but you can control it. Use fewer chipotle peppers for a milder steak, or add the whole can if you want it spicier.
You can marinate it for as little as 30 minutes, but I like it even more when it has several hours to soak up the flavor. You can marinate it up to 12 hours.
Yes, but I would not go much longer than 12 hours because the lime juice can start to affect the texture of the meat.
Use a meat thermometer for the best results. Medium-rare is about 130 to 135 degrees F, medium is about 135 to 145 degrees F, and medium-well is about 145 to 155 degrees F.
It may be overcooked, sliced with the grain, or made with a tougher cut of meat. Letting it rest and slicing against the grain both help keep it tender.
Yes! Preheat the grill, oil the grates, and cook the steak over high heat until it reaches your preferred doneness. Let it rest before slicing and chopping.
Yes, this marinade is great on chicken or pork too. Just adjust the cooking time based on the protein you use.
Make Ahead and Storage
This steak is great for meal prep. You can blend the marinade a day ahead of time and keep it covered in the fridge until you are ready to use it. You can also marinate the steak up to 12 hours before cooking.
Store leftover steak in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. For best results, reheat it in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. You can also microwave it, but the skillet keeps the texture better.
Pairing Ideas
I love serving this Chipotle Steak in our Chipotle Steak Bowls with Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice, Black Beans, Pico de Gallo, Chipotle Corn Salsa, shredded cheese, sour cream, Guacamole, and a squeeze of fresh lime. It also makes a great steak salad with romaine, avocado, black beans, brown rice, and your favorite creamy dressing.
More Copycat Recipes
This Copycat Chipotle Steak is one of my favorite ways to make a restaurant-style meal at home without spending takeout prices. The steak is smoky, tender, full of flavor, and easy to use in so many meals. Try it in a burrito bowl first, then save the leftovers for tacos or salads during the week.
Have you tried this Chipotle Steak recipe? I’d love to hear what you think! Leave a comment and rating below, and let me know how you served it. 💛
Chipotle Steak
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds top sirloin steak
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil, like canola or avocado
Marinade
- 4 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (about half of a 7-ounce can)
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- ½ red onion,, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled
- juice of 2 limes
Instructions
- All all marinade ingredients to a blender. Blend until it reaches a saucy consistency.
- Add steak and marinade to a resealable plastic bag or lidded container and shake around until the steak is coated. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.
- Heat oil in a cast iron skillet to medium-high heat. Depending on the size of your skillet, you may have to cook in batches. Add the steak and cook until the internal temperature reaches 140℉, flipping once.
- Move the steak to a cutting board and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.
- Chop steak into bite-size pieces.
- Serve in bowls, tacos, salads, or burritos!
Notes
- For spicier steak, add the whole can of chipotle peppers in adobo to the marinade.
- For milder steak, use fewer peppers and more of the adobo sauce.
- Let the steak rest before cutting so it stays juicy.
- Slice the steak against the grain for the most tender bite.
- Use a meat thermometer so the steak does not overcook.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Reheat leftovers in a skillet for the best texture.
- This marinade also works well with chicken or pork.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This was a huge hit with my family of four! I made this steak recipe using 2.5 lbs of top sirloin for steak salad bowls. There was plenty of marinade for the meat and the best part is our whole meal cost us less than a quarter of what we pay at Chipotle. I served the steak over a bed of romaine, with black beans, a bit of brown rice, cheese, sour cream, and homemade guac. The steak flavor was perfect and my kids are still raving about how delicious it was!
I’m so happy this recipe was a success for you! We appreciate you letting us know how you liked it and your 5-star review. Thank you so much!