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Smoky, tangy, sweet and slightly spicy, this copycat Chipotle restaurant vinaigrette takes just 10 minutes to make, and is perfect to spoon over your salads, burrito bowls, tacos and any of your Mexican-inspired dinners.
I love drizzling it over my Mexican veggie lettuce wraps and my favorite cilantro lime chicken for an extra flavor punch.
I’ve been going to Chipotle for years, and I’m absolutely obsessed with their honey dressing. It’s so versatile and absolutely addictive, so of course, I HAD to try making it myself!
After a bit of trial and error the vinaigrette has tuned out just perfect! I’ve paired it with Chipotle crockpot pulled chicken tacos, my one pot taco Mexican pasta and even as a dipping sauce with some tortilla chips.
Quick Look: Copycat Chipotle Restaurant Vinaigrette
- ⏱ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 0 minute
- ⏳ Total Time: 10 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 10 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 217kcal
- 🍂 Flavor Profile: Sweet, tangy and slightly spicy.
- 👌 Difficulty: Very easy. Perfect to quickly whip up, like my apple cider vinegar dressing recipe.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Copycat Chipotle Restaurant Vinaigrette
- WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- KEY INGREDIENTS
- VARITATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS
- HOW TO MAKE CHIPOTLE RESTAURANT VINAIGRETTE:
- DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- SERVING IDEAS & SUGGESTIONS
- COPYCAT CHIPOTLE RESTAURANT VINAIGRETTE FAQs
- More Chipotle Recipes
- Copycat Chipotle Vinaigrette (Honey Dressing)
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- It’s ready in a flash. All you need is 10 minutes to make a jar full of this delicious vinaigrette,
- It captures the unique spicy flavor blend of chipotle peppers, honey, and vinegar to create an unbeatable smoky-sweet tang that low-key reminds me of my Chipotle chicken marinade.
- It’s customizable! You can dial up the spice to suit your taste buds, or add more honey if you want a bit more sweetness.
KEY INGREDIENTS
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Copycat Chipotle Restaurant Vinaigrette
- WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
- KEY INGREDIENTS
- VARITATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS
- HOW TO MAKE CHIPOTLE RESTAURANT VINAIGRETTE:
- DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- SERVING IDEAS & SUGGESTIONS
- COPYCAT CHIPOTLE RESTAURANT VINAIGRETTE FAQs
- More Chipotle Recipes
- Copycat Chipotle Vinaigrette (Honey Dressing)
- Olive oil: The base for the dressing. Use the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find.
- Vinegar + lime: Red wine vinegar and freshly squeezed lime juice.
- Honey: To balance out the acidity with a bit of sweetness. I like to use my homemade hot honey sometimes for an extra kick of heat.
- Chipotle peppers in adobo: The hero ingredient! They are what lend the vinaigrette that smoky heat. You should be able to find them at any food specialty store near you.
- Garlic: For that savory flavor. Garlic powder can work in a pinch, but the pungent raw garlic works wonderfully for this vinaigrette.
- Seasonings: I used a mix of cumin, black pepper and salt.
- Oregano: Dried oregano works best!
Check recipe card for quantities
VARITATIONS & SUBSTITUTIONS
- If you don’t have olive oil, you can use any neutral flavored vegetable oil instead- like I did when I made my homemade poppy seed dressing. The idea is to not have any strong flavors mask the flavors of the other ingredients.
- I swapped the honey for some maple syrup to make a vegan version of my homemade honey mustard dressing and it turned out great. You can try that swap here too.
HOW TO MAKE CHIPOTLE RESTAURANT VINAIGRETTE:
- Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender. Blend for 10-20 seconds at high speed.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend for 20 more seconds.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
DANA’S TIPS AND TRICKS:
- When blending in the olive oil, pour slowly to emulsify beautifully. I like to use a high speed blende with a narrow base, like the one I used to make my copycat Trader Joe’s green goddess dressing.
- Adjust the adobo sauce and seasonings to find your perfect flavor profile. It’s always a good idea to taste as you go.
- Always opt for fresh lime juice to really make the vinaigrette pop. You might be surprised at what a difference this makes.
- Use roasted garlic instead of raw garlic to lend an extra smoky flavor to the copycat Chipotle vinaigrette.
- Start with less Chipotle and add more as desired for that spicy kick.
- If it separates, no problem! That’s just what this dressing does. A quick shake brings it back together.
SERVING IDEAS & SUGGESTIONS
Spoon some of the Chipotle honey vinaigrette over you slow cooker Mexican shredded chicken tacos or grilled Mahi Mahi fish tacos, or pour it over you simple bowl of chicken salad to lend it a Mexican flavor kick. I almost always make it when I’m making my Doritos taco salad and love slathering it on my smothered beef burritos.
Sometimes, I also like to team it up with some nachos and appetizers- like I do with my copycat Taco Bell nacho sauce.
COPYCAT CHIPOTLE RESTAURANT VINAIGRETTE FAQs
Transfer the leftover vinaigrette to an airtight container or a glass jar and refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Chipotle peppers are the hero ingredient here, and an absolute must. If you can’t find them, try using Chipotle pepper seasoning instead.
You can try using apple cider vinegar if you want to, but red wine vinegar lends the most authentic flavor.
More Chipotle Recipes
If you tried this copycat Chipotle restaurant vinaigrette or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the comments. I love hearing from you! You can also follow me over on PINTEREST, INSTAGRAM OR FACEBOOK to find some more of our mouthwatering recipes!
Copycat Chipotle Vinaigrette (Honey Dressing)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 chipotle peppers in the adobo sauce
- 3 small garlic cloves
- juice of one lime fresh squeezed
- 1 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Combine all the ingredients except the olive oil in a blender.1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 chipotle peppers in the adobo sauce, 3 small garlic cloves, juice of one lime
- Blend for 10-20 seconds at high speed.
- Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend for 20 more seconds.1 cup olive oil
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
- When blending in the olive oil, pour slowly to emulsify beautifully.
- Start with less chipotle and add more as desired for that spicy kick.
- If it separates, no problem! That’s just what this dressing does. A quick shake brings it back together.
Nutrition
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