The Best Homemade Chipotle Sauce Recipe

Have you ever had creamy chipotle sauce on top of a taco, burger, or in a wrap and thought to yourself that it was the best sauce ever and you wish you could make your own homemade sauce? Well I am here to tell you that once you make this sauce, you will use it on everything!

Few condiments can rival the irresistible and unique taste of this delicious sauce. Although it is a creamy sauce, it holds a smoky, spicy, and tangy flavor all at the same time. It definitely has become a staple ingredient in our house.

We use it as a condiment on burgers, sandwiches, and wraps. However, we also use it as a dipping sauce when we eat chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, onion rings, French fries, chicken wings and more!

While you can purchase a similar sauce at the grocery store, there is nothing better than making your own homemade sauce. With just a few simple ingredients you will be able to enjoy the sauce at a fraction of the cost!

Best of all, it takes only 5 minutes to prepare! That’s right! In the amount of time that it would take you to walk down the grocery aisle searching for the bottle among the other sauces, you could have to made and ready to eat!

Not to mention that you can customize the homemade chipotle sauce to exactly how you like it. If you like extra spicy foods you can add more peppers to give it a bigger kick.

On the contrary, if the store bought version is too spicy for your liking, you can adjust the homemade version to be slightly milder.

What Are Chipotle Peppers

Chipotle peppers are a type of chili pepper that is made by smoking and drying ripe jalapeño peppers. To create chipotle peppers, jalapeños are typically picked when they turn red and then dried and smoked for several days.

The smoking process gives chipotle peppers their distinctive smoky flavor and aroma. Chipotle peppers have a moderate level of heat, typically ranging from 2,500 to 8,500 Scoville Heat Units (SHU), which is comparable to a ripe jalapeño pepper.

However, the smoking process mellows out some of the heat, resulting in a more complex and rich flavor profile. In Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine, chipotle peppers are widely used to add smokiness and heat to various dishes.

They are commonly used in salsas, marinades, sauces (including this homemade chipotle sauce), and as a dry seasoning for meats, poultry, seafood, and vegetables. However, chipotle peppers are also often found in canned or jarred form, either in adobo sauce or dried and ground into a powder, making them convenient to use in a variety of recipes.

What is Adobo Sauce

Adobo sauce is a rich and flavorful sauce commonly used in Mexican cuisine. The sauce can vary in its specific ingredients however it typically consists of whole dried chili peppers, vinegar, garlic and spices.

The dried chilies used can vary, but common choices include ancho chilies, guajillo chilies, and of course chipotle peppers. To use these peppers they are chopped or blended into a smooth paste and then cooked with other ingredients to create a thick and savory sauce.

The sauce is often used as a marinade for meats, poultry, or seafood, or as a simmering sauce for stews and braised dishes. You will be amazed at how much flavor that the sauce provides to dishes like Barbacoa Beef.

However you can also use the homemade chipotle sauce as a condiment for sandwiches and wraps or even as a dipping sauce for meats, vegetables and potato chips!

How To Use Chipotle Sauce

Chipotle sauce is a versatile condiment that will add smoky and spicy flavors to a variety of dishes. Here are some of my favorite ways to use the homemade sauce:

As a sandwich, burger or wrap spread: Spread the thick sauce on sandwiches, burgers and wraps to add a smoky and spicy kick. It pairs well with grilled meats, poultry, or even vegetarian options like black bean burgers.

As a dipping sauce: Chipotle sauce makes a delicious dip for appetizers like chicken wings, chicken nuggets, steak bites, fries, or sliced veggies. You can also serve it alongside chips and pretzels for a great alternative to Homemade Chip Dip.

In tacos or burritos: Drizzle chipotle sauce over tacos or burritos for added flavor and heat. It works well with various fillings such as grilled chicken, beef, or fish.

As a marinade: Use chipotle sauce as a marinade for meats, poultry, or seafood. Coat your protein with the sauce and let it marinate for a few hours or overnight before grilling, baking, or sautéing.

The smoky flavor of the chipotle will infuse into the dish. Just be sure to discard the marinade once the meat has been removed.

Salad dressing option: Use the creamy homemade chipotle sauce to turn your boring salad into something spectacular. The added smoke flavor and spiciness will be a welcome addition on top of your greens.

In soups or stews: Stir chipotle sauce into soups or stews to provide more flavor. It works particularly well with tomato-based soups, chili, or bean stews, however I have also used in in my Loaded Potato Soup to spice up the flavor.

Homemade Chipotle Sauce Recipe

*Specific measurements and complete recipe instructions are located in a printable recipe card at the bottom of this article. However, be sure to continue to read the tips and tricks to making this recipe below.

INGREDIENTS

• 7 -7.5 ounces canned chipotles in adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley or cumin
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• Sea salt, to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

Place all of the ingredients inside a food processor and pulse on high until smooth. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice.

Transfer the mixture to container with a lid and store in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.

Serving Suggestions: Use as a condiment on burgers, hot dogs and sandwiches. Spread it on a tortilla to spice up a wrap or drizzle on top of your tacos. You can also use it as a dipping sauce for chicken nuggets, chicken tenders, shrimp, pretzels, chips and so much more!

Full fat varieties of both sour cream and mayonnaise make for creamier sauce. For a thinner sauce use fat free varieties.

Plant based sour cream and mayonnaise can also be used to make this homemade chipotle sauce recipe vegan friendly.

For a less spicier version use 1/2 of the can of chipotles. For those who like chipotle sauce with a lot of heat add a second can of chipotle peppers and/or increase the amount of cayenne pepper used.

No matter how you choose to use this delicious sauce, start with a small amount and gradually add more according to how smoky and spicy that you prefer your food.

Enjoy! Mary

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