Homemade Chipotle Sauce

This smoky, creamy, and tangy Chipotle Sauce is so easy to make in just a few minutes. Made with canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and sour cream (or Greek yogurt), it's delicious spooned over fish tacos, shrimp tacos, chicken, burgers and so much more. It also works great as a dip.

Looking for more easy condiment recipes? Try my Garlic Aioli next!

About This Recipe

Chipotle sauce is one of my favorite condiments for adding a boost of flavor to tacos, burgers, sandwiches, or simply dipping fries into. Maybe it's because I love Mexican food, but I can put this stuff on just about anything- it has the perfect balance of smoky, tangy, and creamy flavors. This sauce comes together so easily with just a handful of humble ingredients, so you can whip it up quickly whenever you need a bit of spice in your life!

When I tested this recipe, I found the best way to make it was in a small food processor. I have the 3.5 cup KitchenAid food processor, which is a life saver for making small batch sauces like this. You can also use a blender, but its hard to get things moving when there is only about 1.5 cups worth of ingredients. If you do use a blender, I recommend doubling the recipe so it blends more easily.

Once made, the chipotle sauce lasts for about a week in the fridge. In my opinion, it tastes best after resting for at least one hour in the fridge to let all the flavors mingle. I also find it thickens a bit as it cools down.

Key Ingredients

Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: This is the secret to all that smoky, spicy flavor! You can find them in small cans in the Mexican aisle of most grocery stores. Don't forget to add some of the adobo sauce along with the chipotle peppers- it has so much flavor.

Sour cream: This gives creaminess and tanginess to the sauce. I prefer using full-fat sour cream to give the sauce a thicker texture, but you can use low-fat sour cream as well. For a healthier option, you can also use equal parts Greek yogurt.

Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise brings a certain richness to the sauce that sour cream alone does not provide.

Lime juice: Brightens the flavor and makes all the flavors pop. I highly recommend using freshly squeezed juice for the freshest flavor. Lemon juice or apple cider vinegar would work well in a pinch.

Seasonings: All you need are garlic powder, salt, and black pepper- the chipotle peppers bring most of the flavor.

Instructions

STEP 1: Add the chipotle peppers (along with some of the sauce), sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper to a food processor. Blend until smooth. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to one week in the fridge.