Chipotle Vinaigrette

FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content.

This Chipotle Vinaigrette is the most incredible dressing -- a touch spicy with a hint of sweetness and loads of flavor. We love whipping up a batch at the beginning of the week to dress salads, add some flair to roasted veggies, or to drizzle over chicken in a burrito bowl. So many ways to use this vinaigrette -- heck, it's so good you may even want to drink it!

Course Appetizer, condiment, Dip, Salad

Cuisine American, Mexican, Vegetarian

Keyword chipotle honey vinaigrette, chipotle vinaigrette, chipotle vinaigrette recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 78kcal

Author Chelsea Lords

Cost $1.32

Ingredients

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons olive oil (or vegetable/canola oil -- Note 1)
1/2 teaspoon each: ground cumin, dried oregano
1 clove coarsely chopped garlic
Fine sea salt & pepper
1 heaping tablespoon chipotle pepper with surrounding sauce (~1 pepper -- Note 2)
1 tablespoon lime juice, freshly squeezed, plus 1/2 tsp lime zest

US - Metric

Instructions

DRESSING: Add all the dressing ingredients to a small blender (We love this mini “Twister” jar for all sauces/dressing.) Season to taste with salt & pepper. (I add about 3/4 tsp fine sea salt & 1/4 tsp pepper, but add to your preference.) Blend until smooth, taste and adjust any flavors to personal preference.
STORAGE: Pour dressing into a jar, seal, and store in the fridge until ready to use. (The heat from the chipotle pepper will intensify as this dressing sits.) This dressing will stay good for a week (or even a couple days over). (See Note 3.)
Heads up: Leftover dressing will separate and may even solidify a bit. This is because olive oil solidifies at cold temperatures. Simply let the dressing stand at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes and then vigorously shake to re-combine. Then it's ready to use again!

Video

Notes

Note 1: Oil. Chipotle restaurants use rice bran oil, but I prefer to use extra-virgin olive oil for more flavor and nutritional reasons. That said, you can use rice bran, vegetable, or canola oil just fine here.

Note 2: Chipotles. Grab a can of chipotles in adobo (La Costeña brand is my fave) in the international aisle of the grocery store. Don't use the whole can -- just 1 heaping tablespoon (usually 1 pepper and the surrounding sauce) and save the rest for later. They freeze beautifully!

Here’s how to freeze them: Spoon out peppers with the surrounding sauce, 1/2-inch apart, on to a parchment-paper-lined pan. Place pan in freezer until peppers are frozen, ~1 hour. Once frozen, peel off tray, add to a freezer-safe bag, seal, and store in freezer up to 6 months.

Note 3: Storage: When storing the dressing, be sure to use a container that won't stain. Most plastic containers will turn red and may not come clean when washed. Those chili peppers have strong pigment! I recommend a glass container.

Chipotle Vinaigrette nutrition information is based on 2 tablespoons of the dressing.

Nutrition