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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My daughter had me make this and I had no idea of what it was supposed to taste like. I added some to my salad and now I’m crazy about it!! I love the flavors and the little kick. I have this in my recipe book to share.
Thank you
What’s a healthy oil substitution?
Hi Lori, You can use grapeseed or avocado oil. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn! I used two canned chipotle peppers and the dressing was really spicy! Are some canned chipotles hotter/milder than others?
Thanks!!
Hi Jill, I don’t know if there’s variation in the heat depending on the brand of chipotle peppers you use, but there’s definitely variation in size so it could be that you used two larger peppers, which would have made the dressing spicier. Regardless, if you make this again, feel free use only 1 pepper to reduce the heat.
Fantastic dressing! Flavorful and spicy, but not too spicy. An often requested favorite of both my husband and son.
I’m so glad I found this recipe! The first time I tried it, I thought it was pretty decent but still missing something. I went to chipotles site and looked at the ingredient list. The one thing this recipe is missing compared to the original that makes a HUGE difference is cumin. I added a tsp of cumin and now it’s absolutely perfect!
Soooo good. I often crave the dressing from Chipotle and this was such a good recipe. And easy to make. I just added a pinch of pepper flakes to kick up the heat. I just discovered this recipe 2 weeks ago and I’ve already made it twice!
This turned out great! I have made it more than once and besides the spiciness (depends on actual peppers you get), it is consistent and has a similar flavor to the restaurant.
Let me state that I really dislike the taste of oil, so I made one change: I replaced the oil with 3/4c water and 3/4tbsp corn starch. This maintained the flavor similar to the restaurant, but removed the mouth coating left by the oil. I have had no problem with the dressing sticking to the salad when using this method.
Great vinegarette recipe. Next time I will use a little less vinegar and a tiny bit more honey. To cut calories I thinned with a little water and it turned out great. I will definitely make this again.
Amazing, like your other recipes!!
Hi Jenn! I can’t wait to try this recipe, but need some guidance. I puréed a can of chipotle in adobo to keep in my frig (for adding to sauces,eggs,etc.) Any thoughts on how much I could use in place of the whole chipotle peppers? Thanks so much!
Hi Kathy, this is a guesstimate, but I’d estimate that you could use about 2 teaspoons in place of each pepper. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the dressing!
Hi Kathy, I’m guessing about 1 tablespoon per pepper. Hope you enjoy!