This homemade Chipotle Mayo is creamy, lightly spicy and so quick and easy to make. It’s great on tacos, but also a delicious dip for fries, chips, vegetables sticks and more!
2-6canned chipotles blended with 2-4 tablespoons adobo sauce from the canOR 1 tablespoon pure chipotle paste OR 4-8 tablespoons blended chipotle salsa
2tablespoonslime juice
1tablespoonrunny honey
¼teaspoonsmoked paprika
¼teaspoongarlic powder
¼teaspoonground cumin
salt & ground black pepperto taste
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine. Keep in the fridge in a clean, airtight jar (3-5 days if you use homemade mayonnaise, 2 weeks (OR less if your sour cream is out of date earlier) with store-bought mayo).
Notes
Ingredient notes
Mayonnaise: This is a pretty big part of the recipe, so I recommend using a high-quality one. I used a homemade mayonnaise because I'm very specific about what kind of mayo I like, but a high-quality store-bought works great, too.
Sour cream: This adds some tang and makes the dip/sauce feel less "heavy", and also gives it a little looser consistency. You can use all mayo if you prefer, or replace the sour cream with Greek yogurt.
Chipotle peppers: I used canned chipotle peppers I blended in some adobo sauce from the can. I prefer to blend the peppers nay themselves vs blending the whole sauce, because a) I use homemade mayo which can split when blended; and b) I prefer to slowly add the chipotle and stop when the sauce tastes spicy enough to me. You can also use pure chipotle paste or even a chipotle salsa in place of the canned peppers. I blend salsa, too.
Lime juice: Feel free to use white wine vinegar in place of the lime juice of you don't have any on hand; but it will alter the taste.
Honey: Use a mild, runny honey for best results. You do not want to use a very strong kind of honey because you want the sweetness, but not an overpowering taste. Some honeys can be quite bitter, too, which is not what you want to add to this mayo.
Smoked paprika: Feel free to use ground chipotle in place of the smoked paprika, if you have it.
Recipe tips
I always start by blending 4 peppers and add half of the mixture first, then gradually add more until I'm happy with the result. My husband prefers his chipotle mayo with 8 peppers, but I'm a baby when it comes to spiciness ?
Blending the peppers can be a little difficult (it's a small amount). I use an immersion blender an a 1-cup measuring jug that's just wide enough to fit the immersion blender head. If you're having huge difficulty blending the peppers by themselves, I recommend blending them with the sour cream before stirring in the remaining ingredients.
This makes quite a lot (great for a party), but feel free to cut the recipe in ½ or even ¼ for a smaller quantity.
Store your chipotle mayo in the fridge at all times. If you use homemade mayo, use it within 3-5 days. With store-bought mayonnaise, you can keep it for 2 weeks in the fridge, OR for less time if your sour cream indicates a shorter use-by date. Make sure to use a clean, lidded jar for your chipotle mayo and always remove it with a clean spoon. Otherwise, it could spoil sooner.