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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I’ve made this recipe several times now. First time I made it as written. It was amazing. Lately because I don’t have the chipotles on hand I’ve been using chili powder and a little ketchup or tomato paste, and I’ve also been using olive oil for the health benefits. Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
I made this recipe with all the same ingredients and it just didn’t taste the same to me as Chipotle. It tastes way too vinegary. It just seems like it’s missing something. Any advice?
Hi Lily, Hmmm, this is not a very sharp dressing. Did you add all the oil and honey?
My husband and I LOVE this recipe. We sub olive oil and noticed that it congeals when placed in the fridge. Is there any reason it cannot be stored at room temp?
Hi Stephanie, Room temp is fine 🙂
Chipotle uses rice bran oil in everything which is the distinct taste that most people are missing from this recipe. And also the cumin. Other than that it’s great. I used rice bran oil not and the cumin and it is perfect.
How much cumin did you use?
A teaspoonful. I stored it on the counter not in the fridge.
How longdoes this keep in the fridge?
Hi Al, I would say about a week.
Canned chipotle pepper in adobo can be frozen. Freeze the extras – 2 peppers / ice cube tray and then next time you want to make the dressing – toss in a cube!!!
Fabulous recipe.
Wondering if Olive Oil would be a good substitution for Vegetable Oil?? Thanks
Hi Hope, I prefer vegetable or a neutral tasting oil for this dressing; olive oil might be too strong.
I used olive oil and it tasted great!
This dressing is absolutely delicious! I am trying to make our dressing for salads and stay away from store bought. This is great on thinly sliced spinach and cabbage salad with leftover BBQ’d chicken!
This dressing was delicious! I love Chipotle’s dressing and was excited to try it. From the minute I smelled it while blending my mouth started watering. I have made it multiple times with no substitutions. I used it with the black bean and corn salad on the website and have also used it for my regular salads at work. It is fantastic!
As a daily (sometimes two times a day) visitor to Chipotle – the only cheap/decent food place around my campus, I have grown pretty attached to their vinaigrette. This recipe is spot on! It tastes a little stronger than Chipotle’s since it in a smaller batch but it’s still delicious (and super easy to make too). Thanks so much for sharing!