Chipotle Sauce

The recipe is made with chipotle in adobo sauce, a popular Mexican and Southwestern ingredient consisting of smoked jalapeño peppers that are dried, rehydrated, and simmered in a rich adobo sauce.

Here, we show you how to make a creamy chipotle sauce at home with simple ingredients; we also give you a vegetarian and vegan option.

You can use chipotle sauce like mayonnaise or any other creamy dressing.

It's excellent on salads, grain bowls, and roasted and air-fried veggies.

It's also great as a dip, spread in a sandwich, or drizzled on tacos and wraps.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Chipotles are smoked and dried jalapeños. They are preserved in a dark, tangy, spicy red chile sauce made from ground-dried chilies, herbs, and vinegar.

You can find chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in most US supermarkets. They are usually canned and sold in the Mexican food aisle.

You can also find them in Mexican grocery stores or online. If you don't live in the US, online is your best bet.

Can you replace chipotles in adobo sauce?

We tried, and the best way to do so is with Tabasco hot sauce (or cayenne pepper/chili peppers powder) + smoked paprika.

A few teaspoons of chipotle powder are also a good alternative.

Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise is the sauce's fatty component, creating that creamy and velvety texture.

You can use regular mayonnaise, store-bought vegan mayo, or our quick homemade vegan mayo.

Greek yogurt or Sourcream

We think a chipotle sauce recipe made with 100% mayo is too heavy and greasy, so we recommend cutting it with Greek yogurt or sour cream.

Both add a creaminess while keeping the chipotle sauce light and fresh.

If you are vegan, you can use a non-dairy Greek-style yogurt or a vegan sour cream (Tofutti, Follow Your Heart, Wayfare, Good Karma, etc.).

Lime juice

Fresh lime juice adds freshness and a hint of sweetness that goes well with the smokey and earthy flavor of the dried jalapeños.

Substitute lemon juice for lime.

Garlic

Start with half a clove and add more if you like. The sauce should not be overly garlicky.

Salt

We like to use sea salt or kosher salt, but you can use any other salt.

Other ingredients

Depending on your taste and eating habits, you might want to add a sweetener to balance the spicy and smokey flavors.

In this case, we recommend good-quality maple syrup. Sugar, honey, or agave syrup work too.

Ground cumin is another ingredient some people add to make their chipotle sauce more aromatic.

Blend chipotle in adobo, mayonnaise, Greek yogurt, lime juice, garlic, and salt until smooth and creamy.

Tip: We use two chipotle peppers to get to a medium-spice level. Add one chipotle pepper for a milder sauce and three to five chipotle peppers for a spicier sauce.

Scrape down the sides of the blender if necessary. Taste and adjust for salt, sweet, spicy, and acidic.

Use chipotle sauce as a dip, spread, or drizzle.

Anything Mexican-inspired works wonderfully with this condiment. Try tacos, nachos, tortilla chips, burrito bowls and wraps, black beans, avocado, and more.

For example, Nico loves it on top of its sliced avocado toast.

Louise loves it on air-fried or roasted sweet potato wedges or as a dip for sweet potato fries.

The sweet flavor of the sweet potatoes with the smokiness and tanginess of the sauce is just perfect.

In general, we both love it on veggies! Try it drizzled on or as a dip with air-fried, oven-baked, and grilled veggies. Some of our favorites are:

• Air fryer potatoes
• Air fryer zucchini
• Air fryer cauliflower
• Grilled zucchini
• Grilled eggplant

Other recipes that go well with chipotle sauce are:

• Black bean salad
• Vegan breakfast burrito
• Sweet potato hash
• Buddha bowl
• Roasted chickpeas or air fryer chickpeas
• Microwave sweet potato

Make ahead: You can make chipotle sauce as part of your meal prep routine, as it keeps well for several days.

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. We put it in a small mason jar.

Freezing: We don't recommend freezing chipotle sauce.

Are you looking for more sauce ideas? Take your pick at these recipes:

• Vegan pesto: perfect for a pasta salad, pesto pasta, salads, and grain bowls.
• Romesco sauce: a creamy, nutty, and peppery from Spain.
• Tahini sauce: Add some Middle Eastern creamy, dreamy flair to your salad and pasta salad.
• Cilantro Lime dressing is a bright, refreshing, herby dressing that works well with Mexican-inspired dishes.
• Chimichurri recipe: a tangy and herby Argentinian sauce with bold flavors.
• Marinara sauce: a classic Italian sauce with tomato, basil, and garlic.

For more condiment ideas, check out our dressing and sauces category page.