Copycat Recipe: Chipotle's Honey Vinaigrette - Once Upon A Chef

Maybe your like

22 Quick and Easy Recipes in 30 Minutes (or less) + 5 Chef Secrets To Make You A Better Cook!

Home Recipes Salads

This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.

This copycat Chipotle honey vinaigrette is smoky, sweet, tangy, and just like the original—perfect for drizzling over salads, grilled meats, or whatever you’re craving.

Glass jar of copycat Chipotle's chipotle honey vinaigrette.

I love Chipotle’s chipotle honey vinaigrette so I came up with this copycat version by fiddling around with the ingredients listed on the Chipotle website. It tastes almost identical to the original. Toss it with romaine lettuce, beans, corn, avocado, grilled meats—or all of the above!

And if you’re a big Chipotle fan, you’ll also love my copycat Chipotle chicken, cilantro-lime rice and fresh corn salsa. Once you try it all together, you might not miss the takeout version at all.

“DELISH!!! Exactly the same as the restaurant. I’ve made it at least 6 times…always have it in my fridge. It’s good on everything!”

What You’ll Need To Make Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

Red wine vinegar: Adds the tangy kick that balances the sweetness of the honey and richness of the oil.
Honey: A touch of sweetness goes a long way here—it rounds out the flavors and gives the vinaigrette some depth.
Vegetable oil: The neutral base that ties it all together.
Dried oregano & cumin: For that earthy, unmistakably Chipotle-style flavor.
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: The key to that smoky heat—don’t skip them. You’ll find them in small cans in the Latin section of most grocery stores.
Garlic: Adds a savory flavor without overpowering.
Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements

How To Make Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

Step 1: Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or small food processor.

Step 2: Blend. Pulse or blend until evenly combined. The vinaigrette will keep nicely for up to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Just give it a good shake before using to recombine any separated ingredients.

Pro tip: Leftover chipotle peppers in adobo freeze beautifully. Spoon them into an ice cube tray (or drop tablespoon-sized portions onto a parchment-lined baking sheet), freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. You’ll be glad to have them on hand for next time.

Glass jar of copycat Chipotle's chipotle honey vinaigrette.

More Salad Dressings You May Like

Green Goddess Dressing
Zesty Homemade Italian Dressing
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Vinaigrette

Recipe
Comments (390)
Add Comment

Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

By Jennifer Segal Inspired by Chipotle Mexican Grill's Honey Vinaigrette This chipotle honey vinaigrette tastes just like the original. Servings: 1 ¼ cups (10 2-tablespoon servings)Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ teaspoon dried oregano
⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
1½ teaspoons salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or mini food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information

Per serving (10 servings)Calories: 173kcalCarbohydrates: 6gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 4mgSodium: 172mgSugar: 6g Nutritional Data Disclaimer

This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.

See more recipes:

Dairy-Free
Make-Ahead
Salads
Sauces, Dressings & Spreads
Vegetarian
Mexican
Tex-Mex

Comments

Is this like the original or is it the spicier version they now use??
- — Stacy T on December 28, 2025
- Reply
- Hi Stacy, I haven’t had this dressing at Chipotle in quite some time, so I don’t know when they changed it. I developed this recipe in 2019 if that’s helpful.
  - — Jennifer Segal on December 29, 2025
  - Reply
So good! I used less salt but otherwise kept it the same and it is delicious in burritos and salads!
- — Emily on October 18, 2025
- Reply
Made this for the first time and it is fantastic! I didn’t change a thing.
- — Sarah H on October 7, 2025
- Reply
I wanted to love this but found it tasted way too much like the red wine vinegar. Next time, I will add only one or two tablespoons of it. I’ll also add a quick squeeze of mayo or ranch dressing to make it a little creamier.
- — Lisa on September 6, 2025
- Reply
This recipe is better than the version from the store. Don’t pulse, blend at a higher speed to integrate the garlic, peppers and seasoning with the wet ingredients. I used 1/2 the salt and love the smoky honey sweet taste.

Now I know why the store version separated, not blended well.
- — Steph on August 12, 2025
- Reply
Would olive oil work in lieu of vegetable oil here? Thank you!
- — S on August 4, 2025
- Reply
- I prefer vegetable oil for this dressing as it’s more neutral tasting than olive oil, but using olive oil is fine. Hope you enjoy!
  - — Jennifer Segal on August 4, 2025
  - Reply
- Try Avocado oil. No flavor and no nasty seed oil
  - — Dawn on October 30, 2025
  - Reply
This dressing is amazing! I grilled chicken and mixed it with power greens for a delicious grilled chicken salad! This is now my go to dressing. This would taste good on absolutely anything.
- — Margie on June 29, 2025
- Reply
I could drink this vinaigrette! It is the best. This is now on my regular list of homemade dressings. I used it on the copycat chipotle chicken bowl with fresh corn salsa, super greens, and guacamole. For the copycat chipotle chicken I used tofu torn into chunks then baked with the spice mixture from the recipe. It was outstanding. I’m going to make it with chicken next time. Although I am not “Vegan” I do try not to eat meat more than once a week. This tofu sub was wonderful. All your recipes are fantastic. Thank you !
- — Ann on June 24, 2025
- Reply
I am wondering if in place of recipes that use vinegar and honey if i can use some of my balsamic vinegar in place of the above. I have flavored ones and a white one. Seems the sweet and acidic properties of that would mimic the honey and vinegar.

Thanks and I love your recipes.
- — Julie Jackson on June 19, 2025
- Reply
- Hi Julie, technically balsamic vinegar will work in dressings that call for the combination of vinegar and honey, but two things… I think you’ll still need to add a bit of honey for sweetness, and the balsamic will alter the flavor of the dressings.
  - — Jennifer Segal on June 19, 2025
  - Reply
This recipe is outstanding! I thought it might have been too hot with 2 Chipotle peppers, so I started with one..I quickly added the second pepper. I used fresh oregano instead of dried. It’s amazing!
- — Randy K Nichols on May 27, 2025
- Reply

Add a Comment Cancel reply

Rate the recipe: 5 stars means you loved it, 1 star means you really disliked it Rate the recipe: 5 stars means you loved it, 1 star means you really disliked it

Your comment *

Your name *

Your email (will not be published) *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome - I'm Jennifer Segal - Classically Trained Chef, Cookbook Author & Busy Mom

Once upon a time, I went to culinary school and worked in fancy restaurants. Now, I’m cooking for my family and sharing all my tested & perfected recipes with you here! Read more…