A copycat of the deeeeelish dressing from Chipotle, this Honey Chipotle Dressing is fast, flavorful, and ready to rock any salad you pour it on!
I’m a sucker for a good vinaigrette.
Sometimes I keep things super simple with a classic combination of oil, vinegar, salt and pepper… while other times I shake things up and give it some flair!
This recipe is still gloriously easy to make but has the added oomph of smoky chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, a little fresh garlic, and a kiss of honey to balance the flavors.
YES! YES! 1000x YES!
It’s fantastic on taco salads, especially my Crispy Chickpea Taco Salad – love it so!
Let’s chat about the ingredients, shall we?
What’s in this Chipotle Vinaigrette?
This deeeeelish dressing can be made entirely with shelf-stable pantry staples, so keep these bad boys on hand and you can whip up this dressing whenever you’d like:
- red wine vinegar
- avocado oil
- honey
- salt + pepper
- dried oregano
- ground cumin
- chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- garlic
While apple cider vinegar, white wine vinegar, or champagne vinegar all work in a pinch, red wine vinegar is my favorite vinegar to use for this dressing.
You’ll frequently find avocado oil in my salad dressing recipes as well. Aside from always being on sale (woot!) it’s mild, smooth flavor compliments the other ingredients and tastes great.
The star of the show is the smoky flavor of the chipotle pepper and adobo sauce. You’ll find them in itty bitty cans in the international foods aisle typically and leftover peppers can be frozen in the sauce for later.
They’re fantastic in chilis, soups, sauces, dips, dressings and more!
Honey Chipotle Dressing
Ready to make some salad dressing? Let’s get our recipe on!
Honey Chipotle Dressing
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup avocado oil plus a little extra to taste if desired
- 3 TBSP red wine vinegar
- 1.5 TBSP honey
- ¾ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1 small/medium clove garlic , smashed and peeled
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients in a blender or small food processor and blend/process until smooth and emulsified.
- Dip a leaf of lettuce into the dressing to taste-test and adjust any ingredients to taste. For more chipotle flavor you can add a little extra adobo sauce or adjust the sweetness/tartness with the honey and vinegar, etc… Let your taste buds be your guide!
- OPTIONAL EXTRA: 1 TBSP fresh squeezed lime juice for a burst of citrus flavor.
Notes
Nutrition
If you get a chance to try this tasty honey chipotle dressing recipe, let me know!
Leave some love in the comment form below or tag your photos with @peasandcrayons on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creation!
Need to Use Up a Can of Chipotle Peppers? Here are Some More Tasty Recipes!
Hungry for more? Check out my round up of 15 Recipes for Leftover Chipotle Peppers and get your chipotle on!
My new favorite dressing!
This does taste just like the dressing from chipotle! Thank you!
Such an easy and delicious add to top off a salad! Definitely a winner.
So excited to try this: I love Chipotle’s salad dressing! I learned a great tip years ago: when you buy one of those little cans of chipotle peppers in adobo, blitz the whole can in a mini food processor and store it in a glass jar in the fridge. It keeps forever, and I love to swipe it on a tortilla when I’m making a quesadilla, or stir a spoonful into a bowl of soup.
BEST TIP EVER! Love this and I will totally be pureeing the whole can next time so I can throw spoonfuls of chipotle goodness in everything.