5-Minute Chipotle Vinaigrette

Name: 5-Minute Chipotle Vinaigrette
Prep time: 1 min
Total time: 5 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: ¼ cup chipotle peppers in adobo, diced; 1 garlic clove, diced; 2 tbsp honey; ½ tsp salt; ½ tsp pepper; ½ tsp dried oregano; ¼ cup red wine vinegar; ¼ cup water; ½ cup oil (I recommend a neutral oil like avocado or canola)

by Salima Benkhalti on Apr 11, 2024 (updated May 14, 2024)

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

Jump to Recipe·Leave a Review

This creamy smooth Chipotle Vinaigrette recipe is inspired by Chipotle Mexican Grill’s famous dressing. It comes together in just 5 minutes and has an even silkier, emulsified texture when made at home with fresh ingredients and an immersion blender.

I’m totally addicted to this Chipotle Vinaigrette. It’s one of those sauces you’re going to want to have in your fridge at all times. If you’re anything like me, you’ll be planning meals around this sauce and looking for any excuse to use it.

Thankfully, it’s good on just about anything savory and super easy to make.

Everything gets tossed into a jar (or into the blender) and blends together in a matter of minutes with a truly magical consistency. This dressing is known for it’s perfectly balanced smoky sweet flavor profile, thanks to a blend of chipotle peppers in adobo, honey and vinegar.

It’s no wonder Chipotle Mexican Grill has people ordering salads over burritos, just to get their hands on a serving of this stuff!

Once you’ve got an entire jar in your fridge, you can use it wherever you want. I recommend trying it on these grilled veggies (instead of the herb vinaigrette), grilled chicken, and even on a simple green salad.

And if you’re into homemade dressings, be sure to try my favorite tahini dressing and this equally addicting cilantro lime sauce.

What You’ll Need

Chipotle peppers in adobo: Dicing these before measuring helps to ensure you use the right amount. It also makes the dressing come together even faster.
Garlic: You can skip this ingredient if you’re not a garlic fan. Skipping it also means your dressing can last in the fridge a few days longer.
Honey: This ingredient is really important in balancing the smokey, spicy, flavors of the chipotle peppers. If you don’t eat honey, you can use maple syrup or agave.
Salt
Pepper
Dried oregano: You can also use fresh oregano if that’s what you have.
Red wine vinegar: I really recommend using this specific kind of vinegar, there’s a fruity element to it that adds a lot to this dressing.
Water: Arguably one of the most important ingredients in all of my favorite dressings! This is essentially in achieving that silky smooth texture we want.
Oil: I recommend a neutral oil like avocado or canola.

Find the full ingredient list with exact quantities in the recipe card below.

Step by Step Instructions

ingredients to make chipotle vinaigrette in a jar — **Combine all ingredients in a wide mouthed jar or blender.** Add the diced chipotle peppers, diced garlic, honey, salt, pepper, oregano, vinegar, water, and oil to your blender.

an immersion blender blending vinaigrette — **Combine all ingredients in a wide mouthed jar or blender.** Add the diced chipotle peppers, diced garlic, honey, salt, pepper, oregano, vinegar, water, and oil to your blender.

Blender Options: If you’re not in the mood to get out the blender, you can easily make this chipotle vinaigrette with an immersion blender. Just combine all ingredients in a wide mouthed jar and blend until creamy & smooth.

Chipotle Peppers in Adobo

These canned peppers are the magic ingredient that gives this dressing that addicting smokey and slightly spicy flavor. They’re made from dried jalapeno chiles that are soaked in a tomato-based sauce.

It’s most common to find whole chipotle peppers in adobo. Here are some notes:

Why dice them? This step helps to ensure you’re using just the right amount of this powerful ingredient. It also results in a smoother dressing, that comes together faster.
Some stores will carry these diced in the can.
This ingredient cannot be substituted in this recipe.

If you can’t find them whole or diced, some stores have a canned ‘chipotle sauce‘ that will also work. It’s basically the same thing, in blended form. Just make sure you’re not using a chipotle sauce with a ton of other flavors and ingredients.

Where to Use Chipotle Vinaigrette

If you do the impossible and find yourself with leftovers of this dressing, here are some ideas on how to use it:

Use in any kind of salad, like this 15-minute chickpea salad or ensalada verde.
Take a note out of Chipotle’s book and serve with a Mexican inspired salad loaded with corn, beans, lettuce, rice, and whatever else you’re into (pictured below)!
Drizzle it over tacos, tostadas, or burritos.
Serve with fresh, roasted, or grilled veggies!
Enjoy with chicken or steak straight off the grill.

And speaking of grilled meats… here are some more grilled recipes I love drizzling this stuff on:

Tips for A Creamy Smooth Vinaigrette

Don’t skip the water: This ingredient may seem unimportant, but it’s the key to getting that smooth and creamy texture.
Keep blending until all of the solids are liquid! No chunks of chipotle pepper or garlic left behind.
If your dressing separates while storing in the fridge, a good shake should return everything to it’s original form.

Special Equipment

While many of my favorite dressing recipes can be made with just a bowl and a whisk, this one really does require a blender or immersion blender to achieve that signature silky smooth texture.