5 Minute Smoky Chipotle Dressing

Not only is it the perfect balance of smoky, sweet, and spicy, but it requires just 1 bowl, 5 minutes, and 6 simple ingredients to prepare! Let’s do this.

About Adobo Sauce

The smoky, spicy flavor in this recipe comes from adobo sauce. Not sure what that is? Let’s learn! Adobo sauce typically consists of tomato, dried chiles, sweetener, salt, onion, vinegar, garlic, and dried herbs/spices. It originated in Spain where it was used as both a marinade and preservative. It’s believed that the sauce was then introduced in Mexico by Spanish explorers and enthusiastically adopted into Mexican cuisine. (source) You’ll find canned “chipotle chiles en adobo” at most grocery stores (check the international or Mexican foods aisle). The sauce portion is what we recommend using in this recipe. Or find an authentic homemade recipe here.

How to Make Chipotle Dressing

Making this recipe is seriously simple. Add all the ingredients (except water) to a bowl and stir to combine. We like using this small whisk for stirring salad dressings and sauces. Next, add a little water at a time until the dressing is a pourable consistency. But avoid adding too much water as it can dilute the flavor. Taste test and adjust as needed. Adobo sauce adds heat, lime juice adds acidity, maple syrup adds sweetness, and salt enhances all the other flavors. If making this dressing 12+ hours in advance, you may need to thin it out by adding a little additional water after it has been in the fridge for several hours. We hope you LOVE this dressing. It’s:CreamySmokySpicySubtly sweetQuick & easyVersatile& So delicious! It’s delicious on any salads that could benefit from a creamy, smoky/spicy kick, such as our Chickpea Chopped Kale Salad, Grilled Corn Salad or Mexican Quinoa Salad.