Homemade Chipotle Lime Sauce

Have you ever eaten something so good that you just wanted to lick the plate once it was gone? (Like, literally pick that plate up, go full dog mode, and lick it clean.) That’s how I feel about this Chipotle Lime Sauce. 

Not only can this sauce be used by itself, but its zesty and spicy flavor is versatile enough to be used in other dishes too. Use on tacos, burrito bowls, salads, or even as a marinade for tofu.

Ingredients You Need 

The ingredients you will need are mostly pantry staples. Don’t have them on hand? No worries! Add them to your vegan grocery list. 

• Chipotle Peppers in adobo sauce
• Avocado oil 
• Red wine vinegar 
• Salt
• Garlic 
• Lime juice and zest 
• Cilantro (optional)

Notes and Substitutions

The recipe was tested using the ingredients listed. However, it’s quite likely that it will still work with some changes or modifications as needed. Here are some of the best ideas along with some fun facts about the ingredients.  

Avocado oil 

Avocado oil is created by pressing the flesh of the avocado fruit (the green part we eat), not the seeds or the skins. Avocado oil is most often found alongside other vegetable and seed oils at your local supermarket.

Pssst; if you don’t have avocado oil or don’t like the taste, you can substitute it with another vegetable oil, like canola or olive oil.

Ramp up the spice….or don’t

Adobo sauce is a blend of tomatoes and/or chilis, vinegar, herbs, and spices that give it a smokey and flavorful texture.  The ingredients listed below uses canned chipotle chilis in adobo sauce. For a spicy kick, add the entire can of chilis in sauce.

To reduce the heat, remove half or more of the chilis from the can before adding to your mixture.

To remove chilis entirely, try substituting the chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for ⅛ cup adobo seasoning with 2 tablespoon water. 

Fun fact: the spices and herbs used to make adobo sauce vary by region! Filipino adobo sauces often add bay leaves with soy sauce, while Caribbean and Latin-influenced adobo sauces prefer oregano and cumin spices.

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce isn’t always a common ingredient in US pantries, depending on your region. To find chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, check out the international aisle of your local supermarket or a local Mexican Market.

Here in the southwest, it's pretty easy to find at any grocery store, but you can also check online with Amazon or Walmart.

Red wine vinegar

Red wine vinegar is a fruity, tangy, acidic vinegar that’s a common ingredient in many marinades and salad dressings. Unlike balsamic vinegar, which is made from grape juice, red wine vinegar is made from (you guessed it!) fermented red wine. 

Red wine vinegar is a prominently featured ingredient in plant-based diets. It’s available in most supermarkets alongside other vinegars and salad dressings.

Lime zest

Lime zest really gives this recipe its zesty flavor. If you like a lot of lime but don't want the sauce to be watery, add more lime zest.

Never zested a lime? No worries! You’ll need a zester (also called a microplane) - I like this one from Amazon.

Carefully scrape along the surface of the lime, slowly rotating around as you go. Just don’t get too close to the pith, (The white part of the flesh of the lime.) Some people say that the pith can make the lime zest taste bitter.

Fresh cilantro (optional) 

If you love the taste of cilantro, you’ll love the addition in this recipe. If you’re not a fan (or you have the gene that makes cilantro taste like soap), you can ditch it or swap it for another mild, green herb, like parsley or chives, but note the taste will be altered.

Kitchen tools you need:

• High-powered blender or food processor
• Zester (aka a microplane)
• Scraper or rubber spatula (to scrape out the sauce)
• Airtight, resealable jar or container

How to make the Chipotle Lime Sauce:

Step 1. To make the sauce, you’ll need to add all ingredients to the blender (except the cilantro) and blend until creamy and smooth.

Step 2. Check the consistency of the sauce. Add more lime juice to taste if you’d like a thinner sauce. Reduce the vinegar, oil, or lime juice for a thicker sauce. Reducing the ingredients may alter the flavor of the sauce.

Step 3. Serve as a dip. This sauce is great as a marinade for plant proteins, a topping for tacos made with walnut taco meat, or a breakfast burrito sauce.

FAQs

What are chipotle peppers in adobo sauce? 

Chipotle peppers are jalepeño peppers that have been left to ripen on the vine. They are then dried, like a raisin, and smoked to increase their flavor complexity. Most describe their flavor as smokey, spicy, and umami.

Adobo comes from the Spanish word “adobar” meaning “to marinate.”

How spicy are chipotle peppers in adobo sauce?

Chipotle peppers are dried jalapeño peppers. The level of spice can range from 2.500 to 10,000 Scoville Heat units (SHU), which is more than ancho chilis (1,000-1,500 SHU) but less than cayenne peppers (30,000 to 50,000 SHU).

All this to say, if you like a little bit of heat but not too much heat, these peppers are likely perfect for you. 

How many servings will this recipe make?

The standard recipe makes enough for five ¼ cup servings.

Recipe

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