Picture this: You’re dining out at a nice local Mexican restaurant. You get your meal and on the side is this lovely orange cream. You spoon a dollop onto your food and feel your taste buds elevated to a new level!
An authentic chipotle chili pepper sauce can add a nice level of heat and flavor to any dish. While you might never know the exact combination of spices that go into making your favorite family owned restaurant’s version, there are a number of good options when you try to learn how to make chipotle sauce at home. Check out our version below!
This recipe will cover just that, showing you how you can make your own spicy mayo sauce to help liven up your favorite dishes. It’s perfect for dipping chips, fish tacos, chicken fingers or just eating by the spoonful. Easy and quick to make and just bursting with incredible, smoky flavor, it won’t be long before you are hooked.
When you make it from scratch, you can avoid all of those mysterious ingredients that have you raising your eyebrows. Besides, I have yet to find a commercial chipotle sauce that can beat this homemade version!
What is a Chipotle Anyway?
Some like it hot! 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, soups, meat and more.
Step #1. Prepare Ingredients & Tools
- 1/4 cup chipotles in adobo sauce (2 to 3 chipotles + sauce)
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- 1 tsp. cumin powder
- Cilantro leaves (about ¼ cup)
- Salt and pepper, to taste (optional)
- Blender
Step #2. Blend All Ingredients
Pour all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Step #3. Serve & Enjoy!
Enjoy! The sauce should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
With your newfound skill, you should have no trouble making this spicy chipotle sauce from scratch whenever you feel like it. As simple as just tossing some things into a blender, you can crank out this attractive and spicy condiment for any occasion.
Whether it’s to compliment 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.
Mild, medium, or extra hot is just a few tweaks away. You could also enhance all the flavors by the simple addition of toasting and grinding your own spices or making your own mayonnaise.
What’s your favorite way to use chipotle sauce? Let us know in the comments and please share the recipe!
How to Make Chipotle Sauce
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chipotles in adobo sauce - 2 to 3 chipotles + 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 (optional)
Instructions
- Pour all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve and enjoy! The sauce should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Equipment
Notes
- This recipe makes about 2 cups of chipotle sauce.
- 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.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Frequently Asked Questions
It’s a Mexican cream-based sauce with mildly spicy chipotle peppers, which are just smoke-dried jalapeños.
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.
It has a strong smoky, spicy flavor with a hint of sweetness. It is toned down a little by the creaminess of the sauce.
Looking to further enhance your cooking skills? Check out…How to Grill Pizza