How To Make Chipotle Sauce - In The Kitch

Maybe your like

×In the Kitch » Recipes » CondimentsJump to Recipe

Chipotle sauce in blender and jar with text overlay that says 'how to make chipotle sauce'.

I am going to show you in a few simple steps--how to make your own chipotle sauce to liven up your favorite dishes. It's perfect for dipping into or adding to sandwiches, tacos and wraps. It's easy and quick to make and just bursting with incredible, smoky flavor!

Chipotle sauce in a jar on blue background, peppers in the background.

An authentic chipotle chili pepper sauce can add a nice level of heat and flavor to your favorite Mexican dish. You can slather it on any dish, really.

While you might never know the exact combination of spices that go into making your favorite family owned Mexican restaurant's version, there are a number of good options for the homemade stuff.

This spicy mayo sauce recipe, made from scratch, can help you avoid all of those mysterious ingredients that have you raising your eyebrows. Besides, I have yet to find a commercial chipotle hot sauce that can beat this homemade version!

Jump to:

What is a Chipotle Anyway?
Ingredients
Tweaks
Instructions
Ways to Use Chipotle Sauce
Chipotle Sauce FAQs
More Homemade Sauce Recipes to Consider
📋Recipe

What is a Chipotle Anyway?

Chipotle means 'smoked chili pepper'. Chipotle peppers are simply ripened jalapeños that have gone through a smoke-drying process. Preserving chipotles through smoke-drying was adopted by many civilizations, but began with Mesoamericans.

Chipotles are considered a staple in Mexican cuisine. These peppers boast medium heat and will add a depth of smoky flavor to salsa, sauces, stews (such as my bison stew recipe), soups, meat and more.

Ingredients

This recipe makes about 2 cups of chipotle sauce.

chipotles in adobo sauce (2 to 3 chipotles + the sauce)--They come in a can in the International aisle of the grocery store. I sometimes use homemade.
mayonnaise - I use full fat.
plain Greek yogurt - You can substitute the yogurt with sour cream.
cumin powder - Cumin is a popular seasoning for tacos, burritos and other Tex-Mex food and I absolutely love it in this sauce.
fresh cilantro leaves - If you don't like cilantro, feel free to leave it out. I wouldn't want you missing out on this sauce because of the cilantro.

*Check recipe card for ingredient amounts.

Tweaks

Whether it's to complement your home cooking or spice up some less-than-authentic fast food, this chipotle mayo sauce gets you where you need to go. One of the true beauties of this recipe, though, is how easy it is to adjust to your personal tastes:

Spice level. Mild, medium, or extra hot is just a few tweaks away: If you can handle the heat, add more chipotles in adobo sauce to your liking. If it is too spicy, add some more mayo and/or yogurt.
Choice of dairy. While this recipe uses Greek yogurt, you can choose to throw in some sour cream instead; sometimes I prefer it.
Add some zip. You can add some lime juice for some zip.

Instructions

Chipotle sauce ingredients in a blender on blue background.

Step #1. Add all of the ingredients to a blender.

Chipotle sauce in a blender on blue background.

Step #2. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Chipotle sauce pouring into a jar on blue background.

Step #3. Transfer to a jar, squeeze bottle or airtight container. Serve and enjoy!

Ways to Use Chipotle Sauce

Chipotle sauce can be used in many ways. I'll give you just a few ideas but you can get creative with it:

Dip it. Use it as a dip for chicken fingers, fries and veggie sticks.
Drizzle it. Drizzle it over rice bowls, tacos, salads, nachos and roasted vegetables.
Spoon it. Spoon it into wraps, sandwiches, burgers, burritos (such as a kimchi burrito), fajitas and quesadillas.

You can basically use this sauce any way that you would a basic mayo.

Chipotle Sauce FAQs

What is chipotle sauce?

It's a Mexican cream-based sauce with mildly spicy chipotle peppers, which are just smoke-dried jalapeños.

What is chipotle sauce made of?

It has a creamy base of either mayo, sour cream, Greek yogurt or a combination of these. Chipotles in adobo sauce are blended with the base as well as other optional ingredients like cilantro, lime juice and spices.

What does chipotle sauce taste like?

It has a strong smoky, spicy flavor with a hint of sweetness. It is toned down a little by the creaminess of the sauce.

How do you store homemade chipotle sauce?

The sauce should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Chipotle sauce in a jar with a spoon on white wooden background. Chipotle peppers on the side.

More Homemade Sauce Recipes to Consider

Simple Honey Dill Sauce
How to Make Jerk Sauce
Smoky Maple Burger Sauce
White BBQ Sauce

If you tried this recipe tutorial for How to Make Chipotle Sauce or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. And please share the recipe!

📋Recipe

Chipotle sauce pouring from blender into jar.

How to Make Chipotle Sauce

Joss Dyckson I am going to show you in a few simple steps--how to make your own chipotle sauce to liven up your favorite dishes. It's perfect for dipping into or adding to sandwiches, tacos and wraps. It's easy and quick to make and just bursting with incredible, smoky flavor! 5 from 1 vote Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved! Prep Time 5 minutes Total Time 5 minutes Course Condiment, SauceCuisine Mexican Servings 16 1 ounce servingsCalories 102 kcal

Ingredients US CustomaryMetric 1x2x3x

▢ ¼ cup chipotles in adobo sauce - 2 to 3 chipotles + the sauce
▢ 1 cup mayonnaise
▢ ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt - or sour cream
▢ 1 teaspoon cumin powder
▢ ¼ cup cilantro leaves
▢ salt and pepper - to taste

Instructions

Add all of the ingredients to a blender.
Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Transfer to a jar, squeeze bottle or airtight container. Serve and enjoy!

Equipment

▢ Blender

Notes

Storage. The sauce should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
Yield. This recipe makes about 2 cups of chipotle sauce.
Spiciness. If you can handle the heat, add more chipotles in adobo sauce to your liking.
Where to find chipotles. They come in a can in the International aisle of the grocery store or online.
To tone it down. If it is too spicy, add some more mayo and/or yogurt.
Cilantro. If you don't like cilantro, feel free to leave it out.
Lime juice. You can add some lime juice for some zip if desired.

Nutrition

Calories: 102kcalProtein: 1gFat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 95mgPotassium: 21mgVitamin A: 40IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 14mgIron: 0.2mg

Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.

Want to see our recipes in action?Subscribe to our channel on Youtube!