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Creamy Chipotle Sauce

This easy chipotle sauce is one of my favorite condiments! It's a delicious dipping sauce or topping for tacos, veggie burgers, and bowls.

gluten free / vegan-option — Jump to recipe

chipotle sauce

This chipotle sauce will punch up any meal! It’s smoky, creamy, tangy, and easy to make with simple ingredients. I started making the recipe to put on the cauliflower tacos in my first cookbook, and now I love it on everything from burrito bowls to breakfast tacos to hearty salads. If you try it, I think you’ll fall for it too!

I say this all the time, but I truly believe that the key to a great veggie meal (or any meal, really) is a great sauce. This creamy chipotle sauce is one of the best—it adds SO much flavor to whatever you’re eating. Keep reading to learn how to make it (and yes, there’s a vegan version!).

Chipotle mayo recipe ingredients

How to Make the Best Chipotle Sauce

What’s the secret to making a great chipotle mayo? Canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. They have an amazing smoky, spicy flavor that makes them one of my go-to ingredients in savory recipes. If you’ve never used chipotles in adobo, don’t worry—they’re not hard to find. Most grocery stores carry them in the Mexican aisle. After you make this recipe, use your leftover chipotles in BBQ jackfruit sliders, black bean soup, or tofu sofritas!

In this recipe, I balance the heat of the chipotles with sweetness from honey, richness from Greek yogurt and mayonnaise, and brightness from lime to make an addictive sauce. Garlic adds savory bite, and a little olive oil loosens the sauce.

It’s easy to make—just pulse the ingredients in a food processor until smooth and creamy!

Find the complete recipe with measurements below.

 Variations

  • Make it vegan. Use vegan mayo in place of the yogurt and regular mayonnaise. Replace the honey with maple syrup.
  • No yogurt? No problem. Replace it with sour cream. You could also sub in additional mayo to make a chipotle aioli.

Dipping sweet potato fries in chipotle sauce

How to Use Chipotle Sauce

Ok, you’ve made your chipotle sauce. Now what do you do with it?

You have so many tasty options! Here are a few ideas to get you started:

  • Use it as a dipping sauce. Its smoky flavor is fantastic with sweet potato fries, air fryer French fries, air fryer cauliflower, and more! It even tastes great on tortilla chips.
  • Put it on a sandwich or veggie burger. I love it on this veggie burger and this black bean burger.
  • Drizzle it over a grain bowl. Try it on your next burrito bowl!
  • Or pair it with tacos or burritos. I love it on these mango tacos and these cauliflower tacos. It’s also yummy with a breakfast burrito or these vegan burritos.

How do you like to use homemade chipotle sauce? Let me know in the comments!

Leftover chipotle sauce keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Chipotle sauce recipe

More Homemade Sauces

If you loved this chipotle sauce recipe, try making these easy sauces next:

  • Chipotle Ranch Dressing
  • Cilantro Lime Crema
  • Spicy Mayo
  • Remoulade Sauce
  • Avocado Sauce
  • Tzatziki Sauce
  • Homemade BBQ Sauce

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Creamy Chipotle Sauce

rate this recipe:
4.97 from 59 votes
Prep Time: 5 minutes mins
Total Time: 5 minutes mins
Serves 4
Save Recipe Print Recipe
This easy chipotle sauce is a great condiment to keep on hand! Use it to spice up dishes like tacos, sandwiches, and burrito bowls. It's a delicious dipping sauce too. Find a vegan variation in the notes below.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup whole milk Greek yogurt
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise, Sir Kensington’s is best here
  • 1 chipotle pepper from a can of chipotles in adobo sauce
  • 1 garlic clove, peeled
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
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Instructions

  • In a food processor, place the yogurt, mayo, chipotle pepper, garlic, lime juice, olive oil, and honey. Add a generous pinch of salt and several grinds of pepper and blend until smooth. Season to taste with more salt and pepper.

Notes

Vegan option: use ¾ cup vegan mayo instead of the yogurt and regular mayo. This recipe was tested with Sir Kensington's Fabanaise. Use maple syrup in place of the honey.

 

 

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94 comments

Previous Comments
4.97 from 59 votes (26 ratings without comment)

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Rate this recipe (after making it)




  1. Rosie
    06.05.2025

    3 stars
    As a Mexican I can say it’s a bit bland. My whole family & I thought it needed more flavor! It’s a good recipe for non Latinos. Thank you for your effort!

    Reply ↓
  2. Elyse
    05.22.2025

    5 stars
    Made it exactly as is. My boyfriend and I loved it, next time I’m going to double the recipe.

    Reply ↓
  3. Rebecca
    05.13.2025

    5 stars
    Amazing! Have been making a batch weekly and using for various dishes. Thank you!

    Reply ↓
  4. david
    04.15.2025

    I was looking for a sauce for me fish tacos, I definitely found it. The smokey and slightly hot sauce is fantastic.

    Reply ↓
    • Jeanine Donofrio
      04.17.2025

      I’m so glad you loved it!

      Reply ↓
  5. Jaime
    03.03.2025

    5 stars
    It was a hit. My husband loved it too!

    Reply ↓
  6. Kiana Sutter
    02.04.2025

    5 stars
    This sauce is too good! Will definitely be using for other dishes!!

    Reply ↓
  7. Emma Schrader
    01.16.2025

    5 stars
    This sauce is perfection! I love chipotle flavor but can’t do anything too spicy. This sauce was the right level of flavor. Will definitely be making again!

    Reply ↓
    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      01.17.2025

      Hi Emma, I’m so glad you loved the sauce!

      Reply ↓
  8. Tracy
    12.30.2024

    5 stars
    All I can say is YUM!! Followed exactly but maybe added a few more chipotle peppers for more heat. Delicious!!

    Reply ↓
  9. JoAnna
    12.02.2024

    5 stars
    I made this with homemade vegan mayo (silken tofu, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, salt) and it is exquisite!

    Reply ↓
  10. Maggie
    10.20.2024

    Could this be added to make a cream sauce for a warm pasta dish?

    Reply ↓
    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      11.01.2024

      Hi Maggie, this sauce wouldn’t be my first pick to use on pasta. I’d recommend adding a canned chipotle pepper to our vegan cheese recipe to use on pasta instead.

      Reply ↓
  11. reee
    09.27.2024

    5 stars
    rizz

    Reply ↓
  12. Victoria
    09.11.2024

    5 stars
    Delicious! Had with (kinda) crispy zucchini black bean tacos from gimme some oven and fresh masienda blue & white corn tortillas. Very excited for leftover sauce possibilities!

    Reply ↓
  13. Kristin van
    07.28.2024

    5 stars
    Love this stuff! Beats out Bang Bang sauce for shrimp, hands down. Also great substitute for dip with roasted fingerling potatoes, steamed beets, and carrots. Thank you so much for sharing it.

    Reply ↓
    • Phoebe Moore (L&L Recipe Developer)
      08.01.2024

      Hi Kristin, I’m so glad you love the sauce!

      Reply ↓
  14. Carol
    07.14.2024

    5 stars
    Delicious and versatile. Best with the chipotle, but siracha works in a pinch.

    Reply ↓
  15. Keely Ann
    07.01.2024

    5 stars
    Made this with cottage cheese instead of yogurt for high protein!!

    Reply ↓
    • Carol
      07.14.2024

      Love this idea.

      Reply ↓
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