Chipotle Southwest Sauce

Chipotles are smoked and dried jalapeño peppers. They are (unsurprisingly) smoky, hot, and mildly sweet. This Chipotle Southwest Sauce combines that smoke and spice with creamy mayonnaise, fresh cilantro, and tart lime juice for a sauce that wakes up any meal.

Jump to:

• What You'll Need
• How to Make
• Variations
• How to Store
• FAQ
• Expert Tips
• How to Make it a Meal
• More Recipes You'll Love
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Comments

I have the biggest chipotle lover in my life: anything chipotle he adores.

I had him test every iteration of this chipotle sauce and this was by far the winner. Each version was "good!" but when we arrived at this combination of flavors, he asked if he could keep the rest. Enough said.

This version of Chipotle Southwest Sauce is quite spicy. If you are serving this to young children or people who are sensitive, use only a small amount of chipotle powder and then work your way up.

This sauce comes together very quickly - even if you make your own mayo, it will take less than 15 minutes.

Store the sauce in the fridge and use on everything from grilled chicken, steak or shrimp to turkey sandwiches to eggs. You can use it as a dip for chips or fries or a sauce for quesadillas, burritos, or taquitos.

As long as you have some around, you'll continue to find ways to use this sauce!

What You'll Need

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• Mayonnaise You can use store-bought mayo here or try your hand at making your own. It takes less than ten minutes and tastes better than out of the jar. Try this recipe.
• Chipotle Powder You should be able to find chipotle powder in the spice section of your grocery store. If not, try heading to the ethnic food aisle and checking the Mexican section. Or swing by a Mexican market if you have one nearby.
• Mustard Powder I preferred the taste of this sauce when using mustard powder as opposed to actual mustard. It resulted in a bit spicier sauce rather than a tangier sauce.
• Garlic Powder The garlic powder gave the sauce a little bit more roundness instead of the kick of fresh garlic.
• Fresh Cilantro I would not substitute dried cilantro in this preparation. In fact, I don't think I've ever owned dried cilantro. If you want to replace fresh cilantro with a dried herb, I would always try coriander first!
• Fresh Lime You'll just need the one. If you can't find fresh limes, you can use bottled lime juice.
• Worcestershire Sauce I have marked that this recipe is gluten-free. Be sure to check the ingredients of your specific brand to be certain if this is a concern. If you wish to make the sauce vegetarian, try using this vegan version.
• Brown Sugar I tried this with white sugar, too, and prefer the hints of caramel and molasses from brown sugar.
• Kosher Salt I buy this 3-pack of Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt and it lasts for a very long time. It’s important to keep in mind that kosher salt will affect the flavor of your food differently—it is a different shape than table salt and sea salt, and delivers less “salty” flavor per teaspoon because it is less compact.

How to Make

Step One Chop the cilantro

Step Two Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl

Step Three Serve!

Variations

• Fresh Garlic If you want a little bit more spice, try using grated fresh garlic in place of the garlic powder.
• Lemon If you can't find fresh limes, try using lemon in its place.
• Vegetarian Worcestershire sauce is not traditionally vegetarian because it contains anchovy. Try using a vegetarian/vegan sauce like Annie's.
• Canned Chipotle Peppers You can use canned chipotle peppers in place of the chipotle powder I recommend here. Start with 1-2 chopped chipotle peppers and taste to see if you would like your sauce spicier.

How to Store

For best food safety practices, I would eat this sauce within 3-4 days and refrigerate after use. While most of the ingredients last for a long time, there is fresh cilantro to consider.

I prefer to store this in an airtight container like a jar or locking glass or plastic storage container. You can also store it in a squeeze bottle!

FAQ

Expert Tips

• You can almost always fix a sauce that is unbalanced. If your sauce is too creamy, add more acid (in this case, lime juice). If your sauce is too spicy, add more of your creamy or sweet ingredients.
• If you like smoky flavors but not spicy flavors, you can try substituting smoked paprika for chipotle.
• Taste as you go. This is the most important tip I have learned in my culinary experience. You can always make adjustments to a recipe to change the taste to be more suited to your palate.

How to Make it a Meal

Here are some ideas for where to use your Chipotle Southwest Sauce:

• Serve on Spicy Potato Soft Tacos with Chimichurri
• Try them as a condiment for these delicious Crispy Chicken Wings
• Dip your Carne Asada Quesadilla in this sauce
• Use as a sauce for your next sandwich or wrap, like this Chicken Crunchwrap
• Dollop a bit on a cup of soup for a spicy, creamy flavor
• Use a spoonful as a creamy element to top a steak salad
• Serve with chicken tenders, fish sticks, or as a dip for french fries
• For an extra decadent meal, try it drizzled on this Smoked Mac and Cheese

More Recipes You'll Love

In the mood for more spicy stuff? Try these recipes!

Spicy Pickled Onions

Spicy Potato Soft Tacos

Crispy Air Fryer Smashed Potatoes

📖 Recipe