Chipotle Mexican Grill lists ingredients for their menu items here, including the ten ingredients that make up their lauded Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette. For some reason though they don’t list exact measurements 🙂
Don’t they know that there are legions of Chipotle fans out there who would give up all other forms of food in exchange for Chipotle every meal?
Luckily though you can follow a few simple tricks and make your own copycat version of their delicious Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette, and who knows, it might even surpass the one you’re used to.
Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette Recipe
A great starting point for a homemade salad dressing is a 3:1 oil to vinegar ratio. This is an industry standard and will ensure that the vinegar doesn’t overpower the dressing.
I used olive oil but you’ve got quite a bit of leeway in the oil choice. Keep in mind that you are getting gobs of flavor from the honey and chipotles, so you don’t necessarily need the oil to contribute any additional flavor. In other words, a neutral flavored oil is a good starting point.
But oil and vinegar aside, it’s really these beauties that make the dressing a keeper:
If you are new to chipotles in adobo here is a good page with some details on working with them. They are essentially dried jalapenos swimming in a tangy, smoky adobo sauce and they can be used in a wide range of dishes. I’m in the habit of scraping out the seeds but you can consider this optional.
Okay, keeping in mind a 3:1 oil to vinegar ratio, here’s what our starting measurements look like:
1.5 cups oil
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup honey
3-4 chipotles in adobo
1 tablespoon adobo sauce
4 garlic cloves
1 teaspoon oregano (I used Mexican oregano but regular is fine)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
freshly cracked black pepper
squeeze of lime
splash of water
Add ingredients to a blender or food processor and give it a good whirl.
And now take a taste to check on the heat and sweetness. I was happy using 1/4 cup of honey but some of you might want a little more. You can also add additional adobo sauce or another chipotle if you want more heat. Some of the heat will get covered up by the sweetness so you might need more than you think. I used 4 chipotles for this batch.
You’re left with a sweet, smoky vinaigrette that will work wonders on salads, veggies, and even fingers. So good!
I mean…if it’s hard to stop licking the spoon that’s a good sign right?
This batch is designed to fit in a pint-sized Mason jar and will make 2+ cups of sweet, smoky deliciousness.
This should keep in the fridge for at least a few days. Having it on standby is probably the quickest way to get more greens in your diet.
Which leads to an important question…
Who needs Chipotle when there is a chef like you in the house?!!
Buen Provecho.
Here's an easy recipe to mimic the awesome Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette from Chipotle Mexican Grill. It has a sweet, smoky flavor that'll make your salad sing!
- 1.5 cups oil (olive or any neutral oil)
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 3-4 chipotles in adobo
- 1 tablespoon adobo sauce
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon salt
- freshly cracked pepper
- squeeze of lime
- splash of water
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Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor.
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Taste for heat and sweetness, adding additional chipotles and honey if you want.
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Serve immediately. Store in an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for at least a few days.
I used olive oil but neutral flavored oils will work well here too.
I'm in the habit of scraping out the seeds of the chipotles but that is optional.
Don't forget to take a taste after blending to check on the heat and sweetness levels.
Adapted from Chipotle Mexican Grill's ingredient list.
Our most recent recipe is Slow Cooker Pork Carnitas.
That vinaigrette looks and sounds absolutely mouthwatering, I’m gonna have to try it! Thanks for sharing, Patrick! 🙂
Turns out I had all ingredients in the house so I just made a small batch to go on my leftover grilled chicken for lunch. It tastes phenomenal! Definitely a keeper, many thanks! 🙂
Oh awesome, glad you had all the ingredients on hand to whip up a batch. Amazing how easy it is to make right? Thanks much for the feedback Nicole 🙂
Cheers Nicole, hope it treats you well 🙂
I’m so obsessed with Chipotle’s vinaigrette and this looks just like it. I cannot wait to recreate it at home. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Kelly! You will love it 🙂
Just made it but won’t use it until tonight. Really awesome. I’m a bit of a chipotle en adobo addict so this is right up my alley. I can think of number of ways to use it. BTW I found chipotle sauce without whole peppers, La Morena brand. Haven’t opened it yet. Anyway, great recipe and thanks Patrick.
Awesome, thanks much for the feedback Dave! Wow I’ve never seen that Morena chipotle sauce before, I wonder if it’s the actual adobo sauce they are soaking the chipotles in or if they modify a bit. Will keep an eye out for it as I am constantly using spoonfuls of adobo sauce from the chipotle cans.
Got it at a ‘Mi Pueblo'(Mexican grocery chain store) in Watsonville. I hope it’s just pureed and strained. I like Embassa better than La Morena. If they had both brands of sauce with no chilis I would buy Embassa. I still haven’t opened it, but when I do I’ll feedback.
Okay good to know, thanks much Dave.
I found this recipe was little bitter! Not sure what it would be! maybe the cumin!!?
Wow sorry to hear this Terry and a bit of a dilemma for me as I’ve never had bitter undertones in this dressing. You mention the cumin but I think the only way that’s adding bitter flavor is if it’s turned rancid. You could make a version without the spices and taste test to see if it makes a difference.
The other thing I would question is the oil as there is 1.5 cups of it in this recipe — did you use a flavored oil by chance?
I made this the other night and it is DELICIOUS – almost identical to the actual chipotle dressing. I had it in the fridge overnight and it congealed like a lot…..My fridge might be a little colder than it should be….if i left it out at room temp before using it again, would it be okay?
Hi Kristin, thanks much for the feedback! I’ve had this happen sometimes too — it’s the olive oil solidifying at cold temps. I usually just pull it out of the fridge, let it warm up on the counter and then give it a good shake.
I always store it in the fridge, I don’t think I’d feel comfortable storing it otherwise, especially living in warm weather…
One other thing to keep in mind…oils have varying freezing temps, and even different brands of olive oil can have different freezing temps, so it’s possible that by trying a different evoo it won’t congeal as much. Here’s a link to chart that shows freezing temps for various oils:
http://www.veganbaking.net/articles/tools/fat-and-oil-melt-point-temperatures
Okay hope this helps a bit. Cheers.
Just like Chipotle restaurant’s dressing! I used avocado oil and white wine vinegar and it turned out great. Made a half batch which was still enough for numerous salads! Adds flavor to a salad better than most dressings. Thank you Patrick!
Thanks much for the feedback LoJo, I’m a huge fan of this dressing!