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
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
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- 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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11/10 would sauce again. 🤍
Hi Jenn:
My husband and I just love this dressing. We never had Chipotle’s version, but it really doesn’t matter. Those peppers in adobo have a wonderful taste and nice little kick. I cook a lot of Mexican and Asian cuisine. Think it will pair well with both. Thank you for sharing.
Why can it only be stored for 5 days?
Hi Amy, It may very well last longer than 5 days but I always err on the shorter side when telling people how long it will keep as I want to be conservative from a food safety standpoint.
So, is that about 2 T of the peppers in adobo?
I got back from the store to realize I had cheap cooking wine, NOT wine vinegar 🙄🙄🙄
I used champagne vinegar (all I had) and it luckily still tasted good…. I can’t wait to try it with all ingredients 😭
Glad it tasted good despite your ingredient swap! And, yes, the 2 peppers would be the equivalent of about 2 tablespoons.
LOVE this dressing! It’s delicious & even my husband will eat it & that’s saying a lot. For a shortcut, I buy a small can of the chipotle peppers in adobe sauce and blend the whole can up, then portion it into little wraps of Saran Wrap depending on the heat you will want- I do about 1 1/2T in each, then twist up and freeze for later. I can get about 7 starts this size & just pull one out when I’m going to make the dressing. Thaws very quickly and I’m not wasting any this way. I don’t use this ingredient for anything else so works perfect for me.
The ingredient list on the Chipotle site includes cumin, which is not in your recipe. Was that a purposeful omission? I’ve tried playing with adding cumin and it takes it to another delicious level. Thanks for this delicious recipe.
Hi, I assumed that the chipotle peppers in adobo likely had some cumin in the sauce, so I didn’t feel it was necessary to add more. Good to know that you think it helps elevate the flavor — I may have to try adding a touch next time I make it!
Fantastic! A forever Keeper!
Yay for having all the ingredients for this! Hubby is picking up chipotle and I wanted this to go with my tacos. It is so delicious and spot on, but even better vs the original! I froze the rest of the adobo peppers to make more future batches.
This is THEE best! I make my own ensalada bowl with this, along with a carnita roast & all the usual toppings you’d get buying a salad at Chipotle. My hubby will eat the meat, cheese & dressing in a warm burrito. Saves a LOT of $ & it’s the best!!!!! Do glad I found this recipe!! Note: I buy the can of adobes, puree them all & then freeze in 2T servings- pull out one when I’m making the dressing! I can get about 8 batches of dressing!
I added the juice from 1 lime, adds so much brightness to this recipe.