This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
This easy chipotle sauce recipe is made with only 6 ingredients and is ready in under 5 minutes. Smoky, tangy, and ultra-creamy, it’s the perfect condiment for tacos, burgers, fries, and more!
Why You’ll Love This Creamy Chipotle Sauce Recipe
Whenever I have tacos, burrito bowls, or any Tex-Mex dinner on the menu, this chipotle sauce (also known as chipotle crema) is the first thing I make. Thanks to chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chipotle sauce is smoky, tangy, and the perfect way to add bold, punchy flavor to any meal. Chipotle peppers are smoked, dried red jalapeños that are rehydrated in a tangy, tomato-based sauce. To make this recipe, we’re blending whole chipotle peppers in adobo sauce with sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, and a touch of cumin to create a super creamy condiment that tastes just like the one from your favorite taqueria. Aside from its bold flavor, here’s a few other reasons why I think you’ll love this sauce:
- Ready in minutes. Add everything to a blender or food processor, blitz until smooth, then taste and tweak the heat or lime.
- Easy to customize. Make it milder with fewer peppers, smokier with extra adobo sauce, or swap the sour cream base for Mexican crema, Greek yogurt, or even mayo.
- Works on almost everything. Spoon it over ground beef tacos, taco salads, and carne asada fries, or serve it as a dipping sauce with grilled veggie skewers and crispy chicken flautas.
Table of Contents
Ingredients + Substitutions
This creamy chipotle sauce is made with a handful of simple ingredients you can find at most grocery stores.
- Sour cream: This is the creamy base for the chipotle sauce. It’s what makes the sauce thick and tangy. Substitutions: For a richer, more spreadable sauce, add about 1/4 cup mayonnaise (or replace part of the sour cream with mayo). For a lighter option, swap the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. For a more pourable, slightly sweeter finish, use Mexican crema instead.
- Chipotles in adobo sauce: Typically sold in a small can or glass jar in the Mexican/Latin foods aisle (near the canned chiles and enchilada sauce).
Customizing the heat and smokiness: Chipotle peppers are smoked red jalapeño peppers and bring most of the heat plus that signature smoky flavor. Adobo sauce is the reddish, tangy tomato-based sauce in the can. It adds big flavor with a milder heat than the peppers, so you can use more adobo for smokiness and depth without making the sauce too spicy.
- Lime juice: Fresh lime juice brightens everything and keeps the sauce tasting fresh. In a pinch, bottled lime juice works, but fresh is best.
- Ground cumin: Adds a warm, earthy note that plays really well with the smokiness of the chipotles. If you prefer a slightly brighter flavor, you can reduce it a bit.
- Fresh cilantro: Adds a fresh, herby finish. If cilantro isn’t your thing, you can skip it or swap in a smaller amount of chopped green onion for a different (but still fresh) vibe.
Scroll to the recipe card for the exact amounts and the full recipe.
How to Make Chipotle Sauce
- Add the ingredients. Add the sour cream, chipotle peppers in adobo (plus adobo sauce), fresh lime juice, cumin, and cilantro to a blender or food processor.
- Blend until smooth. Process until the sauce is creamy and fully blended, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
- Taste and adjust. Add more lime for brightness, more adobo sauce for extra smoky flavor, or another chipotle pepper if you want more heat.
- Serve or chill. Use right away, or refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes to let the flavors meld and the sauce thicken slightly.
Chipotle Sauce Recipe Variations
This creamy chipotle sauce is easy to tweak depending on what you’re serving and how spicy you like it. Try one of these simple variations, then scroll to the recipe card for the base recipe.
- Mild chipotle sauce: Use 1 chipotle pepper and lean more on the adobo sauce for smoky flavor without too much heat.
- Extra spicy: Add an additional chipotle pepper (or two) and a spoonful of extra adobo sauce. Blend, taste, then adjust slowly since the heat builds fast.
- Chipotle mayo (richer + more spreadable): Add about 1/4 cup mayonnaise for a thicker, richer sauce that’s perfect on hamburgers, sandwiches & wraps, and as a fry dip.
- Herby avocado chipotle sauce: Blend in 1/2 ripe avocado for a slightly thicker, extra creamy sauce with a fresh, mellow finish (great for shrimp tacos and grilled chicken).
Serving Ideas
This creamy chipotle sauce is one of those put it on everything condiments. Here are a few of my favorite ways to use it:
- Drizzle over tacos: fish tacos, shrimp tacos, quesabirria tacos, shredded chicken tacos, and especially butternut squash tacos
- Top burrito bowls and taco salads: especially with cilantro lime rice, black beans, corn, and avocado
- Use as a dip: for fries, baked sweet potato fries, tortilla chips, taquitos, or these party-friendly sheet-pan quesadillas
- Spread on sandwiches and burgers: swap it for mayo to add smoky heat
- Finish grilled or roasted proteins: chicken, steak, salmon, or shrimp
- Boost roasted vegetables: cauliflower, potatoes, Brussels sprouts, or bell peppers
Chipotle Sauce FAQ
Yes, but the flavor will be different. Chipotle powder gives you smokiness and heat, while chipotle peppers in adobo add a deeper, tangier, more complex flavor. If you’re substituting, start with 1 to 2 teaspoons chipotle powder, then adjust to taste.
Transfer leftover peppers and sauce to a small jar or airtight container and refrigerate, or freeze in small portions (ice cube trays work great) so you can grab just what you need. They’re delicious blended into chili, soups, taco meat, marinades, and scrambled eggs. My spicy chipotle shrimp and hearty vegetarian lentil stew are two of my favorites.
Store homemade chipotle sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 to 5 days. Give it a quick stir before serving since it can thicken slightly as it chills.
More Sauce Recipes
If you try making this chipotle sauce recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Please leave a comment and a star rating below, your feedback helps other readers discover (and enjoy) this recipe too. Thank you so much! 💛
Chipotle Sauce Recipe | Chipotle Crema
Ingredients
- 2 cups sour cream
- ¼ cup mayonnaise, Optional for richer sauce (see notes)
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, see notes about heat
- 2 tablespoons adobo sauce
- 1-2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely packed
- salt, to taste
Instructions
- Add the sour cream, mayo (optional), chipotle peppers, adobo sauce, lime juice, cumin, and cilantro to a small food processor or blender.
- Process until the sauce is smooth and evenly colored, scraping down the sides once or twice if needed.
- Add more adobo sauce for deeper smoky flavor, more chipotle pepper for extra heat, or another squeeze of lime for brightness. Blend again briefly.
- Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.
Notes
- Richer / more spreadable: Add about 1/4 cup mayonnaise (or replace part of the sour cream with mayo).
- Lighter: Swap sour cream for plain Greek yogurt.
- More pourable, slightly sweeter: Use Mexican crema in place of sour cream.
- No cilantro: Skip it or use a small amount of sliced green onion for a fresh finish.
- Heat control tip: Start with 1 pepper for mild, then add more gradually. The heat builds as it sits.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Hello!
Wondering what’s serving size. 1 Tablespoon?
Thanks
Eve
2 tablespoons per serving 🙂
This was good but it was WAY too spicy. I only put in 2 peppers because my bf doesn’t like things too spicy and it was still too hot. Next time I would do 1 pepper and maybe 1/2 TBS adobo sauce. Overall the taste of the sauce was good though