Chipotle Mayo is a smoky and rich sauce consisting of mayo, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, garlic powder, and lime. The chipotle peppers provide smoky spice while the adobo sauce and garlic powder add a savory earthiness. This homemade sauce only takes a few minutes to make and adds a flavorful accent to almost any dish.
Chipotle Mayo is a creamy and savory sauce that can be used as a marinade, condiment, dipping sauce, or dressing. It is also sometimes called Mexican secret sauce. This spicy mayo recipe comes from our Cheese Quesadilla with Pan Roasted Vegetables recipe, which features golden toasted tortillas, melted cheese, and tasty roasted vegetables.
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The spicy mayo adds a smoky dimension to the meal and can be drizzled over the quesadillas or used as a dipping sauce. However, it can be used to add flavor to any dish. Enjoy this gluten and dairy free sauce as a condiment for Pesto Swiss and Turkey Skillet Sliders or black bean burgers; as a dipping sauce for Furikake and Lemon Shishito Peppers, Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan, or sweet potato/french fries; or toss it with Pan-Roasted Potatoes with Herbs for a flavorful side.
About Chipotle Mayo
- Taste - The combination of ingredients create a spicy, smoky, and slightly sweet sauce.
- Texture - The sauce is thick and creamy.
- Effort - All you need to do is blend the ingredients!
- Time - It takes just a few minutes to assemble and blend the ingredients.
Ingredients
- Mayonnaise - Mayo is the base for the chipotle lime sauce.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce - Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce add a spicy, smoky, tangy element to the chipotle sauce.
- Fresh lime juice - Lime juice adds a bright and zesty flavor to the chipotle lime sauce.
- Garlic powder - adds a hint of the classic and pungent aroma
- Kosher salt - brings all the flavors together
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
- Blend ingredients - Add mayo, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, adobo sauce, kosher salt, and lime juice to a blender or food processor. Once the ingredients are added, pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Garnish and serve - Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with lime and ciltrano (optional) then serve with your preferred dish.
Hint: If you are making this with a dish like our cheese quesadilla, you can blend the ingredients for the chipotle sauce while the vegetables cook to save time.
Substitutions
- Kewpie Mayo - Use kewpie mayo instead of regular mayo for a tangier and thicker chipotle sauce.
- Lemon - Add a dash of lemon zest or lemon juice instead of lime juice to add a bright and lemony flavor to the sauce.
- Sour Cream - Replace ½ cup mayonnaise with sour cream for a lighter and slightly sour sauce.
- Vegan - Replace mayonnaise with vegan mayonnaise to make this recipe vegan.
Variations
- Spicy - Add a little hot sauce or red chili flakes to imbue heat to the sauce.
- Honey - A little bit of honey will provide sweetness to balance the savoriness of this dressing.
- Cilantro - Add a little parsley as garnish for a tangy citrus aroma.
- Smoky - Add smoked paprika or chipotle powder to accentuate the smoky flavors of the Chipotle Mayo.
FAQ
The ingredients are usually available at Japanese markets, like Mitsuwa or Nijiya, or some common chain grocery stores. You can also buy some of the ingredients online including the bottled yuzu juice.
Most of the ingredients in this chipotle mayo sauce are fairly healthy. Chipotles have been linked to reducing heart attacks and strokes and aiding in weight loss. The only ingredient that is unhealthy is mayonnaise, which is high in fat. In order to reduce the amount of fat, you can use low fat mayo.
This sauce is mildly spicy and even slightly sweet.
They are essentially the same. The only difference is that aioli often includes garlic while mayo does not. However, we include garlic in our chipotle mayo recipe because it is delicious.
Equipment
To make this easy chipotle mayo recipe, you will only need a food processor or blender. If you don't have a food processor, I highly recommend adding it to your kitchen essentials.
To explore more kitchen items to make your kitchen complete, head to my shop: Kat’s Kitchen Essentials.
How to Store Leftovers
Store Chipotle Mayo sauce in the refrigerator in an air-tight container, such as a mason jar. Good for up to 3 days. Before using, stir it softly until it reaches its original consistency.
Top Tips
- Use a baking spatula to scrape all of the sauce from the bowl and eliminate food waste.
- For fresh sauce, do not leave the sauce out at room temperature for an extended period of time.
Did You Like This Recipe?
If you loved this chipotle mayonnaise recipe, please rate and comment below! For more healthy condiment and sauce recipes, check out:
- Spicy Kewpie Mayo (Sauce for Poke, Sushi, and More)
- Healthy Greek Yogurt Ranch Dressing
- 5 Minute Kale Walnut Pesto
- 5 Minute Basil Pesto
- Yuzu Ponzu Sauce
How to Make Spicy Chipotle Mayo Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- ½ tablespoon adobo sauce
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- Juice from 1 lime
Instructions
- Blend ingredients - Add mayo, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, adobo sauce, kosher salt, garlic powder, and lime juice to a blender or food processor. Pulse until the mixture is smooth and creamy.1 cup Mayonnaise, 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, ½ tablespoon adobo sauce, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, Juice from 1 lime, ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Garnish and serve - Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with lime and ciltrano (optional) then serve with your preferred dish.
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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