Copycat Recipe: Chipotle Mexican Grill’s Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette
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This chipotle honey vinaigrette tastes just like the original.
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! By the way, if you’re a big Chipotle fan, you’ll love this Chipotle-inspired cilantro-lime rice.
“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: Provides acidity and tanginess, balancing the sweetness of the honey and the richness of the oil.
- Honey: Adds sweetness and depth of flavor, enhancing the overall taste of the vinaigrette.
- Vegetable Oil: Helps create a smooth and emulsified texture, ensuring the vinaigrette coats ingredients evenly.
- Dried Oregano: Infuses herbal notes to the dressing’s flavor profile.
- Salt and Pepper: Enhance flavor and season the vinaigrette.
- Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: Bring smoky heat and complexity, replicating the signature flavor of Chipotle’s vinaigrette. You can find them in the Latin section of most supermarkets.
- Garlic: Provides aromatic depth and savory undertones.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette
Simply combine all of the ingredients in a blender or mini food processor.
And process until smooth. Enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Sure! It 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.
Yes, you can definitely freeze leftover chipotle peppers in adobo. Portion them into small amounts, freeze in ice cube trays, transfer to a freezer-safe container once solid, and thaw as needed for future use. If you don’t have an ice cube tray, simply spread the chipotle peppers and adobo sauce in tablespoon-sized portions on a baking sheet lined with parchment, freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for storage.
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Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette
This chipotle honey vinaigrette tastes just like the original.
Ingredients
- 6 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- ½ teaspoon 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
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- Serving size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 173
- Fat: 17 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 6 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 0g
- Sodium: 172 mg
- Cholesterol: 4 mg
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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If you are a fan of Chipotle’s salad dressing, as I am, you must try this. I keep it in the refrigerator, and I broil sliced onions and green peppers and add them to my salad for the perfect salad bowl.
Amazing!
Amazing recipe!!! Taste very close to Chipotle’s Vinaigrette dressing.
Delish!
This stuff is amazing!!! Thank you so much for this recipe!
Wow! This vinaigrette is delicious and very easy to make. I didn’t have red wine vinegar and added rice vinegar instead. It worked deliciously as well!
Love it!
how long is this good for in the refrigerator???
Hi Bruce, It keeps well in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.
This is one of the best salad dressings I’ve ever had. Delicious and easy!
There’s a Mexican restaurant in Visalia, California that had this amazingly delicious “chop-chop” salad. I wanted to recreate it at home, so I looked for a recipe for a similar “chipotle vinaigrette”. I found this recipe, and it was spot on! I love it!
I am a fan, Jenn!
I’ve been living in Australia for almost 10 years (I’m originally from the Bay Area in California) and I’ve been finding myself using your website a lot recently. All of your recipes I’ve tried have totally hit the spot for all my “American” food cravings (THANK YOU). Funny enough, I have only been to a Chipotle once and did not have this dressing but when I saw your recipe I had to make it, as it’s got those beautifully smoky chilies in it. I’m not a huge fan of sweet dressings, I prefer more of an acidic flavor, so I halved the honey and threw in an extra tablespoon vinegar for good measure. Wow!!! This is DELICIOUS!! It can be hard to get chipotles here in Melbourne but I’m seeing them more and more. I will make sure to stock up next time I see them so I will always have the ingredients for this. Thank you again for making me that little bit less homesick and thank you for sharing your treasures with us!!
It came out perfect. I like mines with a little more heat so I added an additional pepper. Its was so simple to make. It goes perfect with my homemade southwest salads. This recipe is a keeper!.
Can I sub out the vegetable oil for olive oil or similar?
Hi Rainee, I prefer vegetable oil for this dressing as it’s more neutral tasting than olive oil, but a number of readers have used olive oil and have been happy with the results. Hope you enjoy!
IM OBSESSED! Made some yesterday and I had so much salad I used it all. Had to make more tonight and have steak salad for dinner. I seriously can’t get enough!!!!!
THIS IS AMAZING!! It tastes exactly like chipotle’s vinaigrette, and it’s so simple to make! Wow!
Tried it, loved it! Used it on a salad with romaine, pork carnitas, seasoned rice and beans and grilled peppers, onion and garlic.
This recipe is 5 star worthy! I love Chipotle’s dressing – will not eat my bowl or salad without it. I made this and now I’ll never have to go without it again! I also used Grapeseed oil instead of the vegetable. The oil’s flavor was undetectable and the dressing tasted great! Thank you so much for sharing this. It’s delicious and will remain in my rotation of recipes for years to come!
absolutely perfect! only used one pepper and used grapeseed oil. could not taste the oil and the heat was perfect on my fresh green salad! thanks for sharing the recipe!
Made this last night for a homemade salad bowl with chicken, black beans, corn and cheddar cheese. I tossed iceberg and white cabbage that I shredded fine in the food processor in this dressing and added the other ingredients right in top. Wife loved it! Would make again, thanks!
I loveeeeeddddd this recipe! The step by step instructions, the pictures, the taste. I went to a chipotle that was out of dressing and was determined to eat my chicken bowl WITH chipotles dressing. It was very inexpensive and fast. No prepping necessary. I’d give this recipe 6 stars if I could. Thanks so much!
This is a great dressing! I typically use this on a southwest salad I make of roasted corn, black beans, tomatoes, green chiles, and chicken. I mix up the dressing and add it to my salad mix and store it all mixed together for when I want it. I then add scoops of the veggie/chicken/dressing on top of the salad. Always a crowd pleaser for gatherings you are traveling to, or a great easy prep lunch.
This is by far my favorite receipe on this website. No substitutions needed…it’s perfect as is. It’s an incredibly close copy-cat to the dressing at the Chipotle Restaurant. It’s very spicy but not too much. The can of chipotle peppers usually has 6 – 8 peppers so I usually freeze the leftovers in plastic baggies for future use…2 per baggie as that’s how many the recipe calls for. No worries about freezer burn. You’ll make this often enough for that not to happen! Such a simple but delicious recipe. Aside from the chipotle peppers, you should have all the other ingredients on hand. Highly recommended.
This is without a doubt the best salad dressing!!
I have used this for a variety of salads in addition to a mexican one and it has been delicious each time. I have also shared this recipe with family and friends.
thanks
It’s delicious. I used safflower oil and some of the Adobe sauce from the peppers for a little more kick. Awesome! Took some to work and it was a big hit
I used this to dress a kale quinoa corn sweet potato salad and also use it as a marinade for chicken thighs. My husband requests chicken in this marinade once a week. I like that it’s made with pantry ingredients.
I love this recipe and make it often for our Mexican night. It always makes more than we can use in a week. Can we freeze half of it to use at another time? Thanks!
Hi Liza, Glad you like the dressing! I honestly don’t know how this would freeze, so I can’t say for sure. If you do freeze it, I’d love to hear how it is when you defrost it! (And, you’ve probably considered this, but feel free to halve the recipe if you’re finding you have too much left over.)
The dressing froze beautifully 🙂
I make this dressing often and use it to drizzle on my lunch bowls. The bowls usually consist of brown rice and several types of organic veggies. Although I grew up on Mexican food and love spicy dishes, using two Chipolte Peppers in the dressing boosted the heat a little too much for my taste .Use one pepper and you will still taste the Chipolte flavor without being overpowered by it.
Tastes exactly like the Chipotle salad dressing. I now make this for every taco night. Thank you Jenn!
One thing i have say the best Chipotle dressing i ever had.
Thanj you.
Sharon ,
Germany.🇩🇪
Can you use olive oil in place of the vegetable oil?
Hi Lori, Personally, I prefer vegetable oil for this dressing as it’s more neutral tasting than olive oil, but a number of readers have used olive oil and have been happy with the results.
Hi Jenn,
I love this and ALL your recipes!! …but was wondering if there was a way to come up with this other amazing steak topper from one of our local restaurants here,…. “Angus Beef top sirloin marinated in chipotle Tabasco and roasted garlic, with goat cheese butter” They say it is a marinade on their website but it actually comes as a dolup on top of the steak. To me it just seems like they cooked the steak and put a dolup of this chipolte goat cheese topper on top and that’s it.
Any chance you have any ideas on how this could be concocted?
Hi Jenn, That sounds delicious. Have you tried blending a canned chipotle chili pepper with goat cheese in a food processor? If you have a photo you could send me, I might be able to see better what it is.
How do I get a thicker consistency (less watery)?
Hi Tyler, Not sure if you used a food processor or a blender, but a blender will definitely give you a thicker finished product. I wouldn’t recommend any real changes to the recipe other than that. Hope that helps!
Hi! I made this and it was delicious! The brand of peppers I got was “Embassa” from Safeway, and had about 6 peppers so I made a big batch with the whole can. For anyone else planning on doing this I would definitely NOT recommend putting the remaining sauce in. It changes the flavor a bit, I think, and makes the sauce so much spicier. Aside from our burning lips, we loved it and can’t wait to have it again!
I loved this recipe. I used it in my own take on Chipotle’s burrito bowl here: https://heyujasblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/tried-and-true-recipe-2/. -Jas
I just made this twice now, and will be making it again for my family this Sunday! Followed recipe as is and it was perfect!! I also made the other Chipotle-related recipes to make my salad bowls and all were superb as well! Thank you for sharing this, I am officially a fan of your blog and will be trying other recipes soon.
Super great!!! Love love love this!!!
Delish! Would you have any suggestion on how the dressing might be lightened up? Thank you!
Hi Jessica, you could cut back on the oil a bit. I noticed in the comments that one reader did that and was still happy with the results. Hope that helps!
This is awesome!! Chipotle is pretty stingy with their dressing (you have to remember to ask for it when ordering a salad at the store near us). I’m so glad I can make it myself now. I tried it today and it was perfect. Thank you!!!
Holy cow I could drink this! I used canola oil and apple cider vinegar because that’s what I had on hand, but followed everything else exactly. This is spot on. I have chicken breast marinating in it as I type.
Just wanted to stop by and tell you I love this recipe. I crave salads just so I can eat it. It is so good! I made it as written the first time and have since played around with different oils (grapeseed, avocado) and vinegars (half red wine and half apple cider). It all comes out delicious.
The Chipotle salad dressing is on point! Taste exactly like the one you get at Chipotle restaurants, one of my most favorite dressings that now I can make at home? Thank you for sharing!
I give it a 5 star!
Hi, I’m excited to make this recipe as Chipotle’s vinaigrette is my absolute favorite! I ask for extras to take home and use it on chicken, meats, veggies, everything! Anyway, I was wondering – can I substitute olive oil or grapeseed oil instead of the vegetable oil? Would appreciate your reply!
It’s a good copy recipe. The Actual dressing however doesn’t have garlic in it. Instead all wet ingredients (adobo paste, oil, water and vinegar) are mixed. Then fresh oregano and black pepper are stirrred in.
This is honestly the closest copy cat recipe that I have ever seen though! I think it’s brilliant!
This dressing is better than Chipotle.
I’m always concerned that the copycat recipe wouldn’t taste as good as the real thing. But this one is spot on!!
Wow … this is delicious. Tastes just like the dressing at Chipotle. I used 2 chipotle peppers. I thought it was tangy but not overly spicy. Thank you for the recipe. It’s a keeper. My family loved it.
Thank you for the recipe…it tastes just like Chipotle. Awesome!! I would definitely pass this on
Another Hit! I am starting to get into the salad mason jar groove. It’s a great idea for my three tween/teen sons to grab a mason jar for an afternoon snack. It also avoids the nightly “I don’t want peppers/cucumbers/tomatoes in my salad.”
Jenn have you considered making an Amazon list for what you endorse? For instance, I need new knives and have no idea which ones to buy to get the best bang for my buck. Or which ones I definitely need. I have often thought to buy a product, because I have seen it in your step-by-step pictorials. You have built an exciting brand that emphasizes quality calories. I have learned from you that I don’t have to ban all sugar and junk food from my kids, but rather choose my recipes. Thank you for that. My focus now is to add wholesome foods, not to just deny food.
Hi Elizabeth, So glad you enjoyed the dressing and thank you for your feedback. I actually do have an Amazon list; it’s just hard to find. I will work on that! Here’s the link.
I forgot to add that I did a fourth of the vinegar. I didn’t want it to be too vinegary and not be able to adjust. This is a keeper. I had all of the ingredients on-hand, and it took just a few minutes to make.
This recipe is wonderful!!! I added a bit more honey plus xanthan gum (for thickness). Thank you for sharing!!!
Update: I only used xanthan gum the first time. I have made this dressing several times now – usually when Chipotle has run out of theirs, and I don’t need xanthan gum.
I also make this dressing to go on lightly fried wings that I bake. They are really good the next day!
I LOVE THIS STUFF!
This is the 1st time I made this and I could drink it! It is so good! The only change I made was cutting back on the salt to 1/2 tsp or so. I don’t know what the original Chipolte dressing tastes like but it doesn’t matter because this tastes great!
Omigosh, this recipe is even better than the restaurant’s dressing!