Speedy, tasty, and spicy chipotle aioli is easy to make; it’s great to use as a dipping sauce and on your favorite food. When we stopped off at a Mexican restaurant near the Mexican border, we tried chipotle aioli for the first time; we loved it so much that we asked for the recipe; over the years, we’ve made a few changes, and now it’s perfect!
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We love this sauce; we can sit down and dip French fries, sweet potato fries, onion rings, or tacos in it; it’s so delicious!
Why you’ll love this recipe
- It’s absolutely delicious, incredibly easy to make, and involves no cooking!
- You can alter the spice so that you get the heat that’s right for YOU!
- Great to serve with appetizers for game nights, summer parties, and Christmas.
- It lasts for up to 4 days, so it’s the perfect make-ahead party dip!
- All the ingredients are 100% vegetarian.
When you see how easy this chipotle aioli is to make and you taste how good it is, it’ll be one of those moments that you say to yourself “why on earth did I ever buy this?”
Ingredients you’ll need
How to make chipotle aioli with step-by-step instructions
Our easy chipotle aioli recipe is so quick to make if you follow our simple instructions.
A full printable recipe along with the measurements in both US customary and metric is available in the recipe card below.
In a small mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice (or lime juice), garlic, chipotle peppers, freshly ground black pepper, and salt.
Mix all the ingredients together so they are fully combined.
Garnish with a sprinkling of smoked paprika, finely chopped chipotle peppers, or a drizzle of adobo sauce.
We hope you enjoy making and eating our chipotle mayo recipe, and we’d love to hear how you got on with making it.
Please leave a comment below, and feel free to ask any questions.
Recipe notes and expert tips
- Make vegan Chipotle aioli by using vegan mayo.
- Want to make it spicier?
If you want to increase the heat, then just add more chipotle peppers and some more adobo sauce until you get the heat you like. - Don’t have any lemon juice?
Use fresh lime juice, it’ll change the flavor slightly, but fresh lime juice is a great substitute. - Cut down on the calories
Use light mayo instead of regular. - Don’t waste any of the adobo sauce
Keep it in an airtight container, use it for other dips, or drizzle it over a salad.
What do I serve with Chipotle aioli?
Make our homemade chipotle aioli sauce, and you’ll use it in many different ways!
Use it as a dip to dip Margherita pizza, sweet potato fries, air fryer zucchini fries, and air fryer onion rings.
We love dipping our sweetcorn fritters, mashed potato fritters, and zucchini fritters in it.
If we have Mexican dishes, it makes a great Mexican aioli sauce, along with taquera salsa, salsa roja, and pico de gallo.
Add it to deli sandwiches, naanwiches, and pita pockets.
The great thing about Chipotle aioli is that it brings a little heat to your dishes in a subtle way.
Are Chipotle peppers hot?
We love spicy chilis, so for us, they aren’t that hot, but to others then, they may well pack a punch.
Chili peppers are ranked by the Scoville scale, and on this rating, chipotle pepper scores in the region of 5,000 to 10,000, so it’s milder than a serrano chili but hotter than ancho peppers.
If you love hot spices, then check out our Vindaloo curry, which uses scotch bonnets that are a whopping 100,000 – 350,000 on the scale!
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
You can buy chipotle pepper dried in packets, or you can buy chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in a can or jar.
Adobo sauce is just the spicy sauce that the chipotle peppers are canned.
For this chipotle aioli recipe, we’ve used them in adobo.
Depending on where you live in the world, you should be able to find them in most grocery stores, or failing that, you can buy them online to use in your aioli recipes.
Do I need a food processor to make this recipe?
There are some Chipotle aioli recipes that call for the ingredients to be put in a food processor, but not this one.
We understand that not everyone has access to a food processor, so we simply ask you to finely chop the chipotle peppers.
Just keep adding the chipotle powder until you get the heat you’re happy with.
We’ve used chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, which means they are nice and soft, so they are easy to chop.
That means no special equipment and (perhaps most importantly) no unnecessary equipment to wash!
Is aioli just mayonnaise?
You’d be forgiven for thinking that they are the same; they look the same, don’t they?
Traditional aioli isn’t mayonnaise; true aioli is made from olive oil and garlic, whereas mayonnaise is made from egg yolks and oil.
Nowadays, aioli is a word that’s used for mayonnaise that’s flavored.
It can be shop-bought or homemade mayo.
For our super quick chipotle aioli recipe, we’ve opted for store-bought mayo to speed up making it.
Make it a vegan dip
Simply opt for a vegan mayo and that’s the only ingredient substitute you’ll need for this spicy aioli recipe.
Can I use chipotle chili powder instead of peppers?
If you’re out of chipotle peppers, then sure, why not?
You could also use Chipotle hot sauce; that would work.
Make chipotle aioli vegan style
The only ingredient in this recipe that is not vegan is the mayonnaise, so replace it with a vegan mayo – simple!
How to store Chipotle aioli
You can store chipotle aioli for up to 4 days, cover it or place it in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge.
More easy recipes for you to try
If you like our chipotle aioli, then you should take a look at these fantastic easy recipes.
Easy Homemade Chipotle Aioli Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- 4 tsp Lemon juice
- 1 Clove of garlic minced
- 2 tsp Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce chopped finely
- ¼ tsp Black pepper
- ¼ tsp Salt
- Smoked paprika to garnish – optional
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, add mayonnaise, fresh lemon juice (or lime juice), garlic, chipotle peppers, freshly ground black pepper, and salt½ cup Mayonnaise, 4 tsp Lemon juice, 1 Clove of garlic, 2 tsp Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, ¼ tsp Black pepper, ¼ tsp Salt
- Mix all the ingredients together so they are fully combined. Garnish with a sprinkling of smoked paprika, finely chopped chipotle peppers, or a drizzle of adobo sauceSmoked paprika
Notes
- Want to make it spicier?
If you want to increase the heat, then just add more chipotle peppers and some more adobo sauce until you get the heat you like - Don’t have any lemon juice?
Use fresh lime juice, it’ll change the flavor slightly, but fresh lime juice is a great substitute - Cut down on the calories
Use a light mayo instead of regular - Don’t waste any of the adobo sauce
Keep it in an airtight container and use it with other dips or drizzle over a salad
Nutrition
Disclaimer
Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.
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lynn polito says
So simple yet so flavorful! I love this recipe!
Cindy says
I made the vegan version and it was perfect!
Anne says
Great recipe, this is my favorite sauce for tacos!
Jenn says
I could eat this on anything! The combination of chipotle and garlic gives this aioli a lively flavor that’s simply perfect!
Aimee says
So delicious and easy to make!
Sachiko says
I love this recipe. It’s a great spread for sandwiches!
Kathy Hester says
Thanks for the delicious vegan version!
Sherry Ronning says
I have been looking for a great chipotle aioli recipe. Yours recipe was delicious and very easy to make!!
laura says
Aioli is magical on just about everything!
Sherry Ronning says
This is a great tasting aioli that is super easy to make. I will be preparing this chipotle aioli again and again!!
Mandy from Splash of Taste says
We’re so pleased you enjoyed it – aioli is a favorite in our house too!