✔ Updated · new copycat recipe with step photos
This copycat Chipotle vinaigrette is the smoky, sweet and tangy honey dressing from the burrito line, blended at home in 5 minutes. I keep a jar in the fridge all week for salads, bowls and even as a quick chicken marinade.
How Do You Make Chipotle Vinaigrette? (Quick Answer)
Blend 1/3 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo plus 1 tablespoon adobo sauce, 1 garlic clove, 2 tablespoons water, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper until smooth. With the blender running, slowly pour in 2/3 cup neutral oil until creamy. It keeps up to 1 week in the fridge.
At a glance
The one tip that matters: Stream the oil in while the blender runs. Dump it in all at once and the dressing stays thin and splits in minutes.
Why You'll Love This Dressing
- Smoky, sweet and tangy with the gentle chipotle heat you know from the salad bowl.
- Five minutes, one blender and pantry ingredients, plus one small can of chipotles.
- Creamy without dairy because blending the oil in slowly makes a thick emulsion.
- You control the heat one pepper for mild, two for a proper kick.
- More than a salad dressing drizzle it on burrito bowls, tacos and grilled chicken.
What Makes This Taste Like Chipotle?
Chipotle's dressing is a honey vinaigrette with smoked chipotle peppers, and that combination is what I built this copycat around: smoke and heat from the peppers, sweetness from honey and a bright tang from red wine vinegar. A little cumin and oregano tie it to the rest of the bowl.
My test for any copycat is simple: does it taste like the original, and can a home cook make it reliably? This one passes both, as long as you blend the oil in slowly. The amounts are mine, since Chipotle doesn't publish a recipe.
Ingredient Notes
Exact amounts are in the recipe card below.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo: smoked, dried jalapeños in a tangy red sauce. One small can gives you enough for several batches.
- Red wine vinegar: bright and fruity, and the backbone of the dressing.
- Honey: balances the heat and helps the dressing thicken. Agave works for a vegan version.
- Neutral oil: rice bran, canola or sunflower. A mild oil lets the chipotle shine.
- Mexican oregano and cumin: small amounts, but they make it taste like the burrito line rather than a plain honey dressing.
Step-by-Step Photos
Here's how it comes together. Exact amounts, times and temperatures are in the recipe card below.
Tips for Success
- Stream the oil slowly. This is the whole trick. A slow stream with the blender running makes a creamy emulsion that holds together for days.
- Start with one chipotle. Canned chipotles vary a lot in heat. I blend one, taste, then add the second if my family wants more kick.
- Use a neutral oil. Rice bran, canola or sunflower keep the smoky chipotle front and center. Extra virgin olive oil can turn bitter when you blend it hard, and it firms up in the fridge.
- Red wine vinegar matters. It gives that bright, fruity tang. White vinegar is too sharp here, and cider vinegar tastes a little like apples.
- Let it sit 30 minutes. The flavor gets rounder as it rests, so I make it first, then prep the rest of the salad.
- Freeze the leftover chipotles. I freeze them one at a time on parchment, then keep them in a bag for the next batch of dressing or barbacoa.
Copycat Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette
10
servings5
minutes150
kcal5
minutesA copycat-style version of the chipotle honey vinaigrette from Chipotle: chipotle peppers in adobo, red wine vinegar, honey, garlic, cumin and oregano blended with a neutral oil into a smooth, smoky, sweet and tangy dressing. Makes about 1 1/4 cups.
Ingredients
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
1 to 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 tablespoon adobo sauce from the can
1 garlic clove, peeled
2 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2/3 cup neutral oil (rice bran, canola or sunflower)
Directions
- Put the red wine vinegar, honey, chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, garlic, water, oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper in a blender. Start with 1 chipotle if you like it mild.
- Blend for about 20 seconds until the peppers and garlic disappear completely and the mixture is smooth and brick red.
- With the blender running on low, pour in the oil in a slow, steady stream. Keep blending for another 15 seconds until the dressing turns creamy, slightly thick and rusty orange.
- Taste on a lettuce leaf and adjust: a pinch more salt, a teaspoon more honey, or the second chipotle for more heat. Pour into a glass jar.
- Use right away or chill. The dressing keeps in the fridge for up to 1 week; it may separate, so shake hard before serving.
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How to Use Chipotle Vinaigrette
For the full burrito bowl at home, pair it with my copycat Chipotle chicken and the rest of the Chipotle copycat recipes on our hub. Here's where else I use it:
- Romaine salads with black beans, corn salsa and pico de gallo
- A drizzle over burrito bowls and tacos
- A quick marinade for chicken thighs or shrimp
- Tossed with roasted sweet potatoes or grilled corn
- A dip for tortilla chips when the salsa runs out
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Chipotle's vinaigrette made of?
Chipotle's salad dressing is a chipotle honey vinaigrette. This copycat uses chipotle peppers in adobo, red wine vinegar, honey, garlic, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper and a neutral oil, blended until creamy.
Is Chipotle vinaigrette spicy?
It has a mild to medium smoky heat balanced by the honey. With 1 chipotle pepper my version is gentle; with 2 it has a noticeable kick.
How long does homemade chipotle vinaigrette last?
Up to 1 week in a sealed jar in the fridge. It may separate as it sits, so shake it hard or give it a quick blend before serving.
Can I make it without a blender?
Yes. Mince the chipotle and garlic as finely as you can, then shake everything in a jar with a tight lid for 30 seconds. It will be thinner and less creamy than the blended version.
Is it vegan or gluten free?
It is gluten free as long as your canned chipotles are, so check the label. It is not vegan because of the honey; swap in agave syrup for a vegan version.
Can I use chipotle vinaigrette as a marinade?
Yes. It makes a quick marinade for chicken or shrimp. Use about 1/2 cup per pound, marinate chicken 1 to 4 hours and shrimp 20 minutes, and cook chicken to 165°F and shrimp to 145°F. Throw away any marinade that touched raw meat.
Can I buy Chipotle's dressing on its own?
Many Chipotle restaurants will sell an extra side of the dressing, but it varies by location, so ask at yours. Making it at home gives you a full jar in about 5 minutes.
