Copycat Recipe: Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette
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This copycat Chipotle honey vinaigrette is smoky, sweet, tangy, and just like the original—perfect for drizzling over salads, grilled meats, or whatever you’re craving.
I love Chipotle’s chipotle honey vinaigrette so I came up with this copycat version by fiddling around with the ingredients listed on the Chipotle website. It tastes almost identical to the original. Toss it with romaine lettuce, beans, corn, avocado, grilled meats—or all of the above!
And if you’re a big Chipotle fan, you’ll also love my copycat Chipotle chicken, cilantro-lime rice and fresh corn salsa. Once you try it all together, you might not miss the takeout version at all.
“DELISH!!! Exactly the same as the restaurant. I’ve made it at least 6 times…always have it in my fridge. It’s good on everything!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette
- Red wine vinegar: Adds the tangy kick that balances the sweetness of the honey and richness of the oil.
- Honey: A touch of sweetness goes a long way here—it rounds out the flavors and gives the vinaigrette some depth.
- Vegetable oil: The neutral base that ties it all together.
- Dried oregano & cumin: For that earthy, unmistakably Chipotle-style flavor.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce: The key to that smoky heat—don’t skip them. You’ll find them in small cans in the Latin section of most grocery stores.
- Garlic: Adds a savory flavor without overpowering.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette
Step 1: Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or small food processor.
Step 2: Blend. Pulse or blend until evenly combined. The vinaigrette will keep nicely for up to 5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. Just give it a good shake before using to recombine any separated ingredients.
Pro tip: Leftover chipotle peppers in adobo freeze beautifully. Spoon them into an ice cube tray (or drop tablespoon-sized portions onto a parchment-lined baking sheet), freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. You’ll be glad to have them on hand for next time.
More Salad Dressings You May Like
Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 small garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or mini food processor and process until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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So good! I used it as a salad dressing and as a dip for veggies. I liked it with 1 chipotle – just a touch spicy. Will make again.
Absolutely LOVE this recipe! No substitutions necessary. I love Chipotle’s and when I found the copycat version I thought no way will it taste close. Well, now when I go to Chipotle (way less often than before), I honestly think I like this homemade version better. I make my burrito bowls with it (rice, beans, corn, tomatoes, sour cream, cheese, lettuce) and cannot get enough of it. Thank you for an outstanding recipe!
Same here, I don’t go to Chipotle’s much anymore. They charge way too much for their food. I can make it 25% of their cost & price, then I have free leftovers at home. Also, they are getting CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP because they try VERY HARD not to put anything in your bowls now (especially Chicken). So, we quit going, and we used to be regular customers.
Absolutely delicious! It is exactly like Chipotle (maybe better)! Perfect balance of ingredients. Bravo and thanks for sharing!!
Fantastic Vinaigrette. I saute/grill boneless skinless Chicken Thighs. Shred or slice. Add to Tortillas with Romaine Lettuce, Sliced Radish, Roasted Red Peppers, Olives, and Habanero Jack Cheese. The dressing is so tasty with all the veggies. Tastes so good with Corn Tortillas. Excellent ,easy Lunch/Dinner. Thanks Jen. Another keeper saved to favorites.
Delicious! Just like chipotles maybe even better!
Absolutely delicious!! Thanks for sharing.
Update for vegans. I made this fantastic dressing again for my vegan daughter on Mothers Day. I was out of Agave and she suggested pure maple syrup. Home run! The whole family loved it, from the youngest to me. You could not taste the maple syrup, just pure goodness.
NeeNee
I cook for several Vegan folks. Can I sub sugar or Agave for the honey?
Hi NeeNee, I haven’t used anything but honey here, but I suspect that agave should work. I’d love to hear how it turns out with this tweak!
I can recommend Agave nectar for vegans. I cook for my food pantry volunteers, soup in the winter, salad in summer. I made a Mexican type pasta salad today (think corn, black beans, celery, onions, tomatoes, small pasta) and used this super duper dressing with Agave instead of honey. Big hit! Thank you Jenn, for adding another great dressing to my repertoire. This will be great on salad, chicken, salmon whatever. Yum, yum, yum!
This dressing is so unbelievably delicious!
I am obsessed with making homemade salad dressings and I stumbled upon this recipe when looking to dress my salad that I was serving with my taco soup. OMG this is soooooo good! One of the best recipes that I have found! This will be one of my new go-to recipes!
Jenn ~ I Love this recipe ~ my family can’t believe I really made it ~ this is my go too recipe!!