Chi Chi's Copycat Recipes
81Chi Chi's Mexican Restaurant
Chi Chi's copycat recipes are very difficult to locate. Chi Chi's was a very popular Mexican restaurant chain for almost thirty years. Due to an outbreak of Hepatitis A in a Chi Chi's located in Pennsylvania, Chi Chi's was forced to close its restaurants in 2004.
Many people miss Chi Chi's delicious Mexican recipes, from the fresh garden salsa to the seafood enchiladas to the Mexican fried ice cream at Chi Chi's. But don't despair. If you miss these secret Chi Chi's recipes, we have copycat recipe versions of them here along with Chi Chi's sweet corn cakes, Chi Chi's salsa, chimichangas, and more.
Chi Chi's Appetizer Copycat Recipes
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Chicken Nachos Grande Recipe Just Like Chi Chi's
Thanks to a request by Tommy B,. I dug out this copycat recipe from my own collection. Here is the recipe clone for Chi Chi's Chicken Nachos Grande:
Chicken Nachos Grande Ingredients:
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/4 cup water
2-3 tablespoons lime juice, your preference
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 teaspoons white vinegar
1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke (optional, but recommended)
Pressed garlic clove (Can just finely mince the garlic if you don't own a garlic press)
optional salt and pepper, to taste
8-10 corn tortilla chips
1 cup salsa
2 cups Mexican blend shredded cheese
1/4 cup chopped green onion (or yellow onion, if you prefer)
1 or 2 red or green jalapeno peppers, your preference, seeded and sliced into 8-10 pieces
Optional:
Any or all of the following for toppings- extra salsa, cheese, diced jalapenos, onions, sour cream, guacamole, shredded lettuce
Mix the water, lime juice, oil, vinegar, garlic, salt, pepper, and optional liquid smoke. Pour into a resealable plastic bag or a glass bowl. Add the chicken. Marinate in the refrigerator overnight, or for at least 3 hours.
After marinating, grill the chicken on either an outdoor or indoor grill. If using a charcoal grill, there is no need for the liquid smoke. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the chicken is no longer pink. Cut up the chicken into bite sized pieces, or shred.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Spread about 1 or 2 tablespoons of salsa on each tortilla chip. Top each tortilla chip with the shredded chicken, then cheese, onions, and a slice of jalapeno.
Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Top with optional sour cream, salsa, shredded lettuce, and/or guacamole.
Kitchen Appliances for Mexican Cooking
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Imusa Victoria Cast Iron Tortilla Press, 6.5 Inch
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Norpro Cast Aluminum Tortilla Press
Price: $13.95
List Price: $17.99 |
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Molcajete - Authentic Mexican Mortar and Pestle
Price: $35.00
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Nonstick Tortilla Bowl Makers, Set of 2
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Miscellaneous Chi Chi's Copycat Recipes
- Pico de Gallo Chi Chi's Recipe Clone
- Chi Chi's Tropical Drink Recipe
Be careful- this is very smooth and tends to sneak up on you. - Copycat Version of Chi Chi's Sweet Corn Cakes
Sweet cornbread that goes great with Mexican food - Chi Chi's Margarita Marinade
Great on chicken, beef, pork, and steaks - Chi Chi's Diablo Sauce Copycat Recipe
- Chi Chi's Chicken Tortilla Soup Copycat Recipe
Other Mexican Restaurant and Mexican Recipes You May Like
Chi Chi's Main Dish Copy Cat Recipes
- Copycat Version of Chi Chi's Chicken Fajitas
- Baked Chicken Chimichanga Chi Chi's Copycat Recipe
- Copycat Recipe- Chi's Chi's Old West Oven Fried Chicken
- Chi Chi's Steak and Mushroom Quesadillas Recipe Clone
- Chi Chi's Pork Tenderloin With Bourbon Sauce Recipe Clone
- Chi Chi's Cancun Enchiladas Copycat Recipe
Great seafood enchiladas - Chi Chi's Cancun Seafood Enchiladas Copycat Recipe #2
Copycat Restaurant Recipes by Category
- Restaurant Buffalo Wings and Copycat Hot Wings Recipes
- Copycat Restaurant Salad Dressing Recipes
- Spinach Artichoke Dip Recipes
Large collection of many Spinach Artichoke Dip recipes, including copycat restaurant recipes
Recommended Mexican Cookbook
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1,000 Mexican Recipes
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Chi Chi's Fresh Garden Salsa Recipe Clone
Ingredients for Chi Chi's Salsa
- 2 pounds fresh roma tomatoes
- 1 bunch of fresh cilantro
- 1 bunch green onions
- 1 onion
- 2 limes or 1/4 cup of lime juice
- 2 serrano peppers (If you substitute jalapenos, add about 5 drops of Tabasco sauce)
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 tablespoons cumin
- 1 tablespoon each: salt, garlic powder, oregano, chili powder
- 1 teaspoon each: sugar and fresh ground black pepper
Chop up the tomatoes, both onions, and cilantro. Put almost half of the tomatoes into a blender with the lime juice, peppers, garlic, and rest of the spices. Blend until thick, but not watery. Add this mixture to the rest of the ingredients in a serving bowl. Put in the refrigerator for a few hours to allow the flavors to develop.
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Chi Chi's Copycat Dessert Recipes
Easy and Popular Mixed Drink Recipes
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Chi Chi's Copycat Comments
Hi, cgull8m!
The last time I researched it, Chi Chi's is still closed for business. I will look into it, though. Thanks for the heads up. Thanks for the nice comment.
Here's a difficult one for you. We loved the house dressing for the salads and nobody has the recipe for it and I've searched hours looking for a copy of it to no avail. Do you have a copy of that recipe? It reminds me of a white french dressing.
Norgedotter,
I have collected lots of copycat recipes and copycat recipe links over the years. I haven't gone through all of them. I will look through my list and see if I can find it. Thanks for visiting.
Back in the '80's Chi Chi's was my favorite resturant to visit. My favorite dish is what I need help figuring out they carried. It was shreded chicken on a flat bed of nachos with melted cheese on top of the nacho's. Then on top with individual jalepeno's on top. Man that was tyhe best! It was served as an appitizer I believe. Can anyone PLEASE help me with what this was named and the recipe. I sure would appriciate it!
Thank You,
Tommy B.
Tommy B.
Hi, thanks for visiting. I remember the dish that you are describing, but for the life of me I can't recall the name. I don't have all of my copycat recipes posted. I'll look through them and see what I can find.
It's funny but I grew up in Phoenix, AZ and we did not have Chi Chi's restaurants but my Spanish teacher grew up somewhere they did. So we were all sharing our favorite mexican food dish and where we ate it and she told us about a dish and said she had gotten it at Chi Chi's. We all burst out laughing because of Chi Chi being a dirty slang term and that was all we knew it as, she apparently did not know the connection. I have never eaten at this place but I wanted to share my story.
Michael,
I had heard the story of the meaning behind Chi Chi's, and agree that a restaurant named Chi Chi's is quite funny, actually. I don't know if the owners were aware of its meaning, but it surely seems as if it was a conscious choice for the Mexican restaurant's name. The owners really seemed to have a sense of humor from the way that Chi Chi's restaurants were operated. The employees had a pretty good time compared to other restaurants, I'm told. Thanks for the background!
No problem, Angela. Thanks for sharing the recipes some of them sound very intriguing. It is always nice to hear that some places believe it important to have fun and always a shame when those places close.
Yeah, it is a shame that Chi Chi's closed. I hope you enjoy the recipes if you try them.
Tommy B,
I found the recipe you were looking for in my own personal copycat collection of recipes. It's called Chicken Nachos Grande, and I have added it here for you. Sorry it took so long. I have been very busy with both business and personal issues. Hope you enjoy this as much as the original Nachos from Chi Chi's restaurant!
I also would like to know the dressing and how to make it that they added to the top of their taco salad. It was delicious.
Barb,
I'm on it, but so far no luck. But I'm still hunting.
What a great site. A recipe that I would love to have is for the salsa verde that was on the soft tacos. I was very smooth and I believe it had avocado in it. This was my favourite meal at Chi Chi's.
Brenda
Hello and thank you so much for the recipe for the chicken nacho appetizer. I have one more recipe I'm hoping you will have to share. The other recipe I loved was the cancun. Oh man that was my favorite meal from the Chi Chi's menu. Do you have this one by any chance? Thanks in advance.
Tommy B.
my favorite dish from Chi Chi's was the seafood chimichanga do you have the reipe for that and the sauce that went over it was aweseome gosh i miss that place please they are thinking of reopening
Chi Chi's was the best! Thanks for this site. My favorite was the Outrageous Burrito. I would really love the recipe.
Thanks so much for the comments, everyone. Due to some personal issues, I've not been able to update my HubPages for awhile. But I'll try to add some new Chi Chi's recipes soon. I'll search for the Chi Chi's requests in particular.
I used to enjoy a meal at ChiChi's call Chicken Superma Enchilada's it had a white sauce. I would love toknow how to make that - and the Seafood CanCun. Would love it if you could help! Thanks..
Meghan, Thanks for the request. I'll see if I can find these.
The link for Chicken Fajitas is not working
i would love to have the recipe for for chicken nacho appetizer thank you my email is littlepeaches155@yahoo.com
i would love to have the recipe for chicken nachos appetizer from chi chi's resturant thank you littlepeaches155@yahoo.com i can't seem to find it
Hi Angela great page!
You gotta help me find out how to make the beef burrito. That is my favorite food ever. I can't figure out how to make the sauce they put on their burrito's, it was to die for. PLEASE HELP!
so chi chis was my all time fav. restaurant! when it closed i was confused! but hey life must go on. so i do see some of the recipes on here that i remember but not near as much as they had! i dont see much beef or carne? i would love to see more recipes posted. i had alot of favorites from there that i dont see
Please post how to make the burrito sauce! Thanks!
Thanks for all of the Chi Chi's requests, everyone. I am trying to locate new copycat Chi Chi's recipes, but haven't found any yet. I will keep the page updated as I do. And keep asking for particular requests and I will look specifically for those recipes.
When Chi Chi's opened they had a soft taco with spanish rice or something similar on the plate also, but the taco was folded and had to use a fork to eat it. It had some white sauce over it and it came in beef or chicken. I LOVED it but they stopped serving it after awhile. Does anyone remember it and what the ingredients were. I'd be forever greatful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'll give it a try and search for it, creelsharon.
When I worked fo chi-chi's in the early 90's the house dressing was sour cream and mild taco seasoning
Does anyone know the greenish sauce that ChiChi's used to put on the Chimichangas? It almost tasted like it had avocado in it...and it was served hot not cold. thanks!
Angela,
Thanks for all of the great copycat recipes. I worked at Chi Chi's in the 90's and loved their food. I was wondering if you knew the recipe for their chicken suprema enchiladas? Thanks.
Thanks for the recipe for chi chi's garden salsa. By any chance do you have the mexican fried rice and the steak fajita recipes.
the link to the chicken fajitas seems to be expired. can you fix it? these were my FAVORITE!!! after the garden fresh salsa that is! THANKS SO MUCH for that recipe!!!!
Hi, I just LOVED the enchiladas tampico. anyone have the recipe, please email to filson91303@gmail.com. Would be greatly appreciated
The taco creelsharon mentioned was also my favorite and they continued to make it for me after it was removed from the menu. It was called a soft taco enchilada style and covered the plate. It had choice of chicken or ground beef, some rice and was folded over and covered with a white cheese sauce. It was the best! I have tried to recreate, but haven't managed so far. I did find a recipe for these but they did not have the diablo sauce with pork that is in that particular recipe.
Any ideas?
anyone know how they made nachos grande?i do not know how they cooked it,it had beef and beans on top,yum,my favorite!!!!
Take down my photo, Angela.
I used to be able to buy Chi Chi's packaged Fiesta seasonings at the grocery store. But it's no longer available. And the packaged taco meat seasonings that are available now just aren't that good. Can anyone give me a good recipe for taco meat.
Thanks
anyone know a BBQ sause that is similiar to the one they used.
i want to try to do the twice grilled buritos like i used to get there, but i can't find a bbq sause the works
When i was little my mom used to take me and my sister all the time. I used to LOVE thier Cheese and Beef pizza from the kids menu. I've tried to recreate it from memory but to no avail. If you could find that for me, I'd be eternally grateful and you would help me relive a memorable childhood experience! Thanks~
I was wondering if anyone knew or could point me in the right direction on how to find the recepie to the CHICKEN MEXICAN PIZZA off of the kids menu from Chi Chi's. I loved it so much and thinking about it makes my mouth water!! Any help would be great!
thanks :)
would love to have the recipe for chicken Enchilladas Suprema
Can't duplicate it no matter how hard I try
I used to wait tables at Chi Chi's when I was in college. I loved it. I especially loved the Cancun and the very famous Texas Nachos appetizer.
I loved Chi Chi's alot. Does anybody know,because I just can't remember if the Cancun was the dinner with the king snowcrab?
I loved the twice grilled BBQ burrito. Would love to find that recipie!
I asked a waitress once and believe she said that the greenish white sauce was a green chili sauce. You can find cans of it in the store but they're pretty strong. I cut it with cream or half and half (maybe 2/3 sauce to 1/3 of the other-or 1/2 and 1/2 depending on how strong it is). We still have some stores that sell the Chi Chi's Restaurante Seasoning (I think that's the name of it) so I brown ground beef, use the seasoning, wrap it with mild cheddar in a corn tortilla, top with the green chili sauce and bake it. Not quite as good as they did it but it works when I'm craving it.
Does anyone happen to know what the white powdery stuff was they sprinkled on the enchiladas? That stuff was great!
MY WHOLE FAMILY LOVED CHI CHI'S BEEF CHIMICHANGA'S AND MISS THEM SO MUCH WE KEEP TRYING TO RECREATE THEM BUT HAVEN'T HAD MUCH LUCK YET. PLEASE HELP!!!
I miss Chi Chi's I grew up eating there when I was a kid in Ohio.Now I live in Alabama and the closes thing to Chi Chi's is the salsa they sell in the store. Anyway I wonder if anyone can help me find the recipe for my favorite Chi Chi's dessert it was a triangle pastry covered in powdered sugar and you dipped in chocolate,strawberry,or rasberry sauce. I can't remember the name.
My Mom used to work there are raves about it. She has talked about the seafood salad. if you have the recipe for it that would be awesome! She said it came in a deep fried tortilla with a sweet and sour dressing on it. Any help?! Thanks so much!
That photo of the restaurant looks exactly like one my friend took. You wouldn't use hers without giving a photo credit, though, right?
So in addition to stealing recipes, you steal photos. Nice. I hope you don't go around stealing things when people invite you into their homes too. You suck.
i like this site. I qasm looking for seafood salad. Does anyone have the recipe?
I worked at CHi Chi's for 2 1/2 yrs and I LOVED it!!! I still remember everything about the place including the food. I did everything there, host, served, bartended, trained, I even fried chips when they needed me to. I think I still have specs and ingredients for the food and drinks. Above there is a question about what is in the house dressing. Let them know that it is sour cream and taco seasoning mixed. I have been wanting to have a CHi Chi's party and make all the food and drinks. If you need and help w/ recipes I can try to help. Send me an email. Blubelle11@yahoo.com
To Missy P.
I used to work at Chi Chi's in the early 90's. The triangle desserts were called sopapillas, and they are just the Pepperidge Farm flake pastry that is sold in grocery store freezers. All you do is cut it into shape if you want, and drop it frozen into a fryer. Voila'!
Hi all, does anyone have the recipe for ChiChi's Mexican Spring Rolls with Raspberry relish? This was my favorite appetizer and I haven't found it anywhere. I just want it for home. Thanks for everything.
My husband and I used to love Chi Chi's.....very upset that they closed them down. Anyway.....you wouldn't happen to have the recipes for the "El Grande Burro" and the "Super Burro" would you?? Those were our favourites and we used to order them whenever we went in.....In fact, it got to the point that our favourite waitress that we always went to just put in the order when she saw the hostess walking us to her section. :-)
Thanks
Cindy
I am looking on how to make Chi Chi's fiesta restaurante seasoning that thye sold in stores do you have that one?
To mom,
you need a pizza spatula up the buns with hot sauce
To all,
Sorry I had to bash that loser, but on a positive I worked at Chi-Chi's in Oxford Valley, PA on and off for like 10 years. I had every job in the place including Apps, Line Cook, Grill, Prep, etc. We had a blast there. And... I'm trying all these copy cat recipes to let you know how "authentic" they taste to me (as a young man who ate there probably 10 or more meals a week). I have an amazing Beef Burrito with Diablo sauce I'll post soon (which is just like the original). You all are really doing a good thing...let's be specific, its not stealing, its preserving - one of the greatest restaurants ever!
I would love the recipe for their Texas nachos if anyone has that - those were my favorite! They also used to have a small stand in a mall where you could order their nachos - the meat was awesome, and it came with the con queso poured over it. Does anyone have this recipe, as well? Thanks!
TWICE GRILLED BBQ Burrito Recipe Please! My mouth is watering just thinking about it! LOL
Waiting on the beef burrito with diablo sauce recipe -- any idea when that might be posted? It was my favorite when I worked at Chi-Chi's!
Great site! My mom and I use to eat at Chi Chi's every Friday--20 years ago!! I think we got the Nachos Grande but what I recall is that the nachos weren't "normal looking". In other words the chip part didn't curl up---everything was flat. I think it was served on a risen tray and had a jalapeno on each chip? Ring any bells with anyone? THANKS!!
You can buy the chi chi's taco seasoning at hormel foods online. I buy it buy the case. I would also like to know if anyone has a recipe for Texas Nacho's.
I worked at the rockville ( wintergreen plaza ) and later at the Timonium site and would like to touch base with anyone in the early 80's time period.The girls from Towson were sooo hot !! Our cocktail waitresses and hostesses were dolls.
I have been racking my brain for the name of the pork green chili sauce that Chi Chi's served with their chimiquitos appetizer. The chimiquitos were served on a bed of lettuce along with salsa, guacamole, chili con queso, sour cream, shredded cheese and this pork green chili sauce that had a specific name. Can anybody recall the name??? Thanks!!!
Does anyone have the recipe for Chi Chi's corn cake? That was my favorite thing from there. I miss that place so much and have been dying to find that recipe for years.
I have been craving a beef burro from Chi Chi's for so long!!!! Anyone have a clone recipe for that??? I would LOVE if you could help out. Also, we used to get a dish of just the refried beans and cheese with the chips and it was amazing! I've tried the canned ChiChi's beans from the store but it isn't the same. Anyone know how they did their beans to recreate this? Thanks for any help!
I used to work at one in blue springs. the green pork dish was called green chili, and it was very good.
I recall that before your meal, the waiter would bring in some nachos to enjoy before your meal and there were (2) types of dip, the regular salsa dip and the other dip was called Calipso dressing or dip. I would like to obtain the recipe for the Calipso dip, if anybody can help me out I really would enjoy that treat.
"Extra" hot sauce
Remember Chi Chi's extra hot sause....green in color and served cold, but was sufficently hot? Who has that reciepe? or where can I buy it?
I used to go crazy for the chicken taco salad. I would really love it if you could post a copycat recipe for this. I've tried several at different restaurants and NONE of them even come close! Thanks!
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My daughter loved eating at Chi Chi's when we lived in PA. She still talks about it after 10 years. I would love to surprise her with the recipe for Tampico Enchiladas. Does anyone have the recipe? Thanks so much.
anyone can tell me how to make tha green chili and el grande burro chi chi's use to make that was my favorite from there,please help,thank you.
LOOKING FOR POLO MAGNIFICO RECIPE CHI CHI'S IT WAS DELICIOUS
I have a friend who is looking for a Chi Chi's recipe. She says it is a corn dish that was served with the chimichanga. Any ideas?
My favorite place for my birthday meal as a teenager in the 80's. Loved the beef enchalada's. anyone have a recipe for those?
what memories
Enjoy ...
I'm looking for the recipe for their Nachos Grande. Anyone? Thanks!!!
Chi-Chi's was the best chain Mexican restaurant ever! I worked in one in Orlando Florida, and Indianapolis Indiana. I am glad it is still possible to find the salsa and cheese dip (in the USA). Now if we could just get it in Moscow...Mexican food is the best!!!
does anyone remember the sopapia's (pardon my spelling....lol) but the strawberry and chocolate sause to dip them into was the best....i need the dessert recipe
Chi Chi's was me and the wifes favorite place to eat. We always went there on our anniversary, because it was one of our first places we went out to while we were dating. The dish we had was El Grande Burro. That was the best. If only I could taste it now. As for the chips and salsa they brought out before the meal, one was mild the other was a little spicier. You can purchase the mild version of the salsa at the groceries, called Chi Chi's original recipe salsa. They also have Chi Chi's corn chips but somehow those don't seem the same. If you can find the recipe for the El Grande Burro please post it. Thank you
cgull8m says:
2 years ago
I loved Chi Chi's, didn't they fix the problem and start again. Thanks for the great recipes will check it out. The food their was the best and quality Mexican food. Thanks.