This Chipotle garlic guajillo steak copycat is quick to make at home with the easiest ingredients. I use tender flank steak marinated in a bright, zesty sauce made from smoky chilies, garlic, and lime. Broiled and sliced up thin, it’s just waiting to be tucked inside a taco!

If you’re feeling adventurous and want to recreate another Chipotle favorite, consider making my awesome version of their delicious barbacoa beef or these fabulous copycat Chipotle sofritas.

 

Lately, my kids have been choosing Chipotle food over their refreshers at their favorite coffee spot, which happens to be right next to Chipotle, all because they love their steak tacos so much more. If you’ve had the garlic guajillo steak from Chipotle, and even if you haven’t, you’re going to want to try this copycat recipe ASAP. It tastes so much like the original (dare I say, better), with the juiciest broiled flank steak smothered in a bright, zingy sauce. 

Chipotle’s garlic guajillo steak is a tender seared steak marinated in a puree of bold, smoky guajillo peppers garlic, lime, and cilantro. The flavors are bright and zesty, and just spicy enough, and I had so much fun recreating this steak recipe at home. Just wait until you try it.

I spent an afternoon with my blender, pureeing the marinade with different ratios of smoky guajillo peppers to garlic, a bit of lime here, some fresh cilantro there, and I finally got it perfect. The meat gets super tender, and the spicy, zesty flavors are off the charts!

Why I Love This Guajillo Steak Recipe

• Bold, smoky flavor. Guajillo peppers have a bold and delicious sweet heat with just the right amount of spice. Combined in a garlicky marinade with fresh lime and herbs, I don’t think there’s a better way to season steak.
• Easy. Your blender takes care of the marinade, then you simply let the steak soak for a couple of hours before popping it under the broiler. All in all, there’s about 15 minutes of hands-on time. 
• Versatile. Garlic guajillo steak makes a bold, flavor-packed filling for tacos, or you can serve it over rice or a salad. Leftovers also store well and taste great in wraps and sandwiches!

Recipe Ingredients

You can imagine my excitement when I realized I could make this Chipotle copycat with just 6 ingredients. I had a bunch of limes and cilantro left over from making guacamole the other day, so I had everything I needed apart from the chilies, which I picked up at my nearest supermarket. 

• Guajillo Chilies – Guajillo peppers have a complex, slightly smoky sweet heat, with medium spiciness. They usually come dried. If you can’t find guajillo peppers in the international food aisle, you can try a specialty Mexican grocer, or order them online. In a pinch, you can substitute them with red chili peppers. You can also use another Mexican peppers, like Ancho chiles, or California chiles, which both have a milder heat.
• Garlic – Please use fresh garlic cloves. You’ll taste the difference. You can adapt the amount of garlic to taste.
• Lime Juice – Like the garlic, you’ll want to use freshly squeezed lime juice. For this marinade, you’ll need about 3-4 limes.
• Olive Oil – Choose a good quality olive oil, or another oil with a nice flavor, like avocado oil.
• Fresh Cilantro – Also called coriander. If you dislike cilantro, you can swap it out for another fresh herb, like parsley or basil.
• Flank Steak – This is my favorite steak for marinating! You can also use another thin-ish, boneless cut, like skirt steak or sirloin steak.

How to Make Garlic Guajillo Steak

This garlic guajillo steak needs to be marinated for a while, but the tender results are so worth it. I’d say, budget at least 1 hour for the meat to marinate, but ideally it should soak for the full 1 hour and 45 minutes asked for in the recipe. Let’s get this flavor party started!

1. Rehydrate the chilis. First, you’ll want to rehydrate the chilies in simmering water for about 30 minutes. Save about ½ cup of the water when you drain the chilies, to use as cooking liquid.
2. Make the marinade. Chuck your marinade ingredients into a blender, including the cooking liquid. Blend until you have a smooth puree.
3. Marinade the steak. Add your steak and marinade to a freezer bag. Give it a little massage, and then leave the steak to marinate in the fridge for about 1 hour and 45 minutes.
4. Broil. Once your steak is marinated, you’ll broil it in the middle of the oven for about 4 minutes per side. I usually cook mine until the internal temperature hits 135ºF on a meat thermometer, for medium-rare.
5. Rest. The most important step! Let your steak rest outside of the oven for 5-10 minutes before you slice it. This makes the meat super tender.

Serving Suggestions

We love juicy, tender guajillo steak strips tucked into soft tortillas for steak tacos, or nestled over white rice or fiesta rice. This steak is also one of my favorite things to add to a taco bowl or quinoa salad. And, since the meat takes a bit of time to marinate, it leaves plenty of time to whip up an easy side of Southwest egg rolls and copycat Elote to really bring the restaurant experience home.

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Store any leftover guajillo steak in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or freeze it for up to 2 months. Make sure it’s cooled completely before you store it. I like to roll leftovers up inside lavash bread with greens, onions, and red pepper relish for an easy steak wrap at lunch!

To reheat steak, cover it with foil and pop it in a 250ºF oven for 10-15 minutes. Sprinkle the steak with a little water or drizzle it with oil to help it stay moist on the reheat.

More Steak Recipes

• Honey Garlic Steak Bites
• Steak Fajitas
• New York Strip Steak
• Churrasco Steak
• Reverse Sear Steak