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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I’m trying to lose weight but LOVE this dressing. Can you recommend a substitute for oil that might work or an oil/water ratio that could? Thanks!
Hi Jessica, I’ve never tried it, but you could try using 1/2 cup of oil and 1/4 cup of water. Keep in mind that it may impact the texture of the dressing a bit. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it with this tweak!
Absolute Brilliance! Thanks for a great recipe.
I don’t know if I’m doing something wrong, but I’ve tried this recipe twice with the exact measurements and ingredients and it is nothing like chipotles honey vinaigrette at the restaurant. HELP
Hi Melody, That’s really strange! Are you using a good-quality vinegar?
Amazing!!!! I used grape seed oil in place of vegetable oil. The color was lighter (almost looked creamier) than chipotle’s but tastes almost identical. I will do do maybe 2 1/2 TBS of honey next time – was a tad too sweet. I ended up adding a spoonful of the adobo sauce too. Will be making over and over. Thank you!!!!
I just ate the best Chipotle I’ve ever had because of this vinaigrette. My son and I both prefer this to the Chipotle original. I followed others’ advice and did 1 t salt, and I also added 1 instead of 2 peppers since it is easier to add than remove heat. When I make it again I will use 2 peppers. Being out of vinaigrette is becoming more the norm than the exception at our local C, and this saved dinner last night. Thanks for posting this, Jenn.
What’s the shelf life if I wanted to make a bigger batch and keep some on hand? Thank you!
Hi Hannah, it will last nicely in the fridge for up to 5 days. 🙂
It’s not a bad sauce just no where near or better than the original. Disappointed honestly.
As many have said before me, I think this is better than the original. It’s spicer, which I love and super simple to make.
A tip if any one is interested – once I open the can of peppers, I portion out 2 peppers each to small sandwich bags, then I pop those bags into a freezer ziplock bag along with a copy of the recipe. That way, I can just pull out a baggie at a time as needed. AND I have the recipe right there in case I need a refresher on the ingredients and amounts.
Wonderful recipe! I did not have chiles in adobo so I used a small can of green chilis and chili powder to taste. Will try with the adobo when I have that on hand. Thanks so much!
I’ve made this ever since I found the recipe.. definitely delicious
Making pork bbq and I need a dressing for coleslaw. Would this work? Haven’t had Chipotle’s
Hi Lynn, Have you seen this coleslaw recipe? I think it would go perfectly with pulled pork!
Oh I am soooooooo happy I found this recipe. It’s perfect. I only added 1 teaspoon like a few reviews mentioned and I used sunflower oil. Thank you so much for creating this.