Chipotle Sauce
on Apr 03, 2024
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Smoky, sweet, salty, and creamy—this homemade Chipotle Sauce has it all! It adds just enough spice to tacos, nachos, pizza, salads, or whatever you choose to drizzle it on. The best part? It comes together in a single mixing bowl in a matter of minutes.
Whether you need a tasty sauce in a pinch or are trying to save some money on your grocery bill, this homemade creamy chipotle sauce is for you! It can be made with ingredients you likely already have on hand and is so much cheaper and tastier than the store-bought equivalent.
Greek yogurt is mixed with adobo sauce, olive oil, and some spices to create a smoky and creamy chipotle sauce that pairs well with all your favorite Mexican dishes. Trust me, you’ll soon find yourself spooning this chipotle sauce on everything from tacos to pizza to eggs—it’s just that good!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Pairs well with everything—pasta, eggs, chicken, beef, you name it!
- Can be whipped up in a single bowl in a matter of minutes.
- Adds some extra smoky and sweet flavor to your favorite Mexican dishes.
- Stores well! This sauce will last for up to a week in the fridge.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce—A canned mixture of chipotle peppers and a blend of tomato, vinegar, and spices known as adobo sauce. For this recipe, you’ll only need the adobo sauce.
- Greek Yogurt—I prefer to use whole milk Greek yogurt, but really any kind of plain yogurt will add creaminess and body to this spicy sauce.
- Olive Oil—Thins out the sauce to the perfect drizzly consistency.
- Garlic Powder—Granulated dried garlic will add a punch of extra flavor to this savory sauce.
- Salt—Helps to bring out the sweet and smoky flavors naturally found in the adobo sauce.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Creamy Chipotle Sauce
Step #1. Open your can of chipotle peppers and use a fork to carefully remove the peppers and discard them. Save the adobo sauce. To a medium-sized mixing bowl, add the adobo sauce, Greek yogurt, salt, and garlic powder.
Step #2. Gently mix the ingredients together until a smooth and homogenous sauce forms. Serve with your favorite Mexican dishes and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
This homemade creamy chipotle sauce isn’t the spiciest condiment out there, but it does have a bit of a kick. I find that smoked and dried chipotle peppers tend to be a little bit spicier than a fresh jalapeno. However, since you’re only using the adobo sauce and not the actual peppers in this recipe, the finished sauce will be a bit milder than typical store-bought chipotle sauce.
Chipotle peppers are actually just a dried and smoked version of a jalapeno! Throughout the aging and smoking process, the flavor the pepper changes significantly. Fresh jalapeños tend to be bright and mild whereas chipotle peppers are smoky, spicy, and slightly sweet.
My homemade chipotle sauce is good on everything! I always keep a tub of this creamy Mexican-inspired sauce in my fridge to drizzle over tacos, enchiladas, nachos, breakfast burritos, pizza, salads, and more. I find that the smoky, garlicky flavors in this chipotle sauce pair well with almost any savory dish.
How to Store Homemade Chipotle Sauce
One of my favorite things about this chipotle sauce recipe is that it can be made in a big batch and kept in the fridge for up to a week! I like to transfer my finished sauce to a squeezy bottle for easy drizzling, but you could also store it in an airtight container. When you’re ready to use your chipotle sauce, simply give it a good shake or stir before adding it to your favorite dishes.
Popular Substitutions and Variations
Want to make your chipotle sauce a bit more intense? Throw in one or two of the peppers that come in the adobo sauce! If you choose to do this, I recommend mixing your sauce in the blender instead of by hand. This will ensure that the peppers are thoroughly broken down.
The Greek yogurt in this recipe makes your finished sauce thick and creamy without adding too many extra calories or grams of fat. If this isn’t something you’re worried about, you can swap out part or all of the Greek yogurt for sour cream or mayonnaise.
Want to add a little pizzaz to this easy chipotle sauce? Use fresh minced garlic instead of dried and add a few handfuls of chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. This will give your finished sauce some extra freshness and color variation.
Expert Tips
- Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl frequently as you make your sauce. This will ensure that all the ingredients combine evenly.
- Don’t want to throw away perfectly good chipotle chili peppers? Put them in an airtight container and store them in the fridge to use in other dishes later. I like to add a chopped chipotle pepper or two to my Cajun and Mexican dishes to add some smokiness and heat!
More Condiment Recipes To Consider
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Chick-fil-A Sauce
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Chicken Marinade
Condiments, Marinades, & Spreads
Chili Seasoning
Condiments, Marinades, & Spreads
Tahini Dressing
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Chipotle Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 7 ounces chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, 1 small can
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
Instructions
- Remove the peppers from your can of adobo sauce and save them for another recipe (we aren't using the peppers, just the sauce they came in. They freeze great!).
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, use a fork or spoon to fold together the yogurt, adobo sauce, salt, garlic powder, and olive oil until homogenous
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- The salt helps bring out the flavor of the adobo sauce. For some extra pepper flavor you can add a teaspoon of chipotle chili seasoning.
- You can store your sauce in the fridge for up to a week. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or transfer it to an airtight container.
- You can use this sauce on tacos, in pasta, drizzled on eggs, etc.
- If you have fresh garlic then you can use 2 cloves of freshly minced garlic instead of garlic powder.
