Chipotle in adobo sauce (homemade)
Smoky, tangy chipotle chillies simmered in a dark tomato and vinegar sauce. Make your own from dried chipotles.
Make this once, then cook it into 54 different dishes.
- Time50 min
- LevelEasy
- Costabout £0.33 a head
- Makesabout 450 ml, roughly the same as two small tins
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Rinse the chipotles, then toast them in a dry pan over a low-medium heat for 10 to 15 seconds on each side, just until they smell smoky and sweet. Do not let them blacken.
0 min 30 s - 2
Put the chillies in a bowl, cover with 300 ml hot (not boiling) water and weigh them down with a plate. Soak for 20 minutes until soft.
20 min - 3
Tip the chillies and their soaking water into a blender. Add the passata, vinegar, garlic, onion, sugar, oregano, cumin, cloves and salt. Blend for 1 to 2 minutes until very smooth.
- 4
Pour into a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook gently, uncovered, for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring often, until it thickens to a dark, glossy, spoonable sauce. It will spit, so partly cover with a lid.
20 min - 5
Taste and adjust. It should be smoky, tangy, a little sweet and properly hot. Add more salt or a little more sugar if it tastes sharp.
- 6
Cool in the pan, then spoon into a clean jar. Chill within 2 hours. Use in the dish recipes that call for your ready made chipotle adobo sauce.
About chipotle in adobo sauce (homemade)
Chipotle in adobo sauce is smoked, dried jalapeño chillies (chipotles) simmered in a thick, tangy adobo of tomato, vinegar, garlic and spices. It is sold in small tins in the UK and used by the spoonful to add smoky heat to sauces, marinades, stews and soups.
This homemade version starts with dried chipotle chillies, rehydrated and blended with tomato passata, vinegar, garlic and spices, then simmered until dark and glossy. It tastes smoky, tangy and slightly sweet, with lingering heat. It is easy to control, and leaves you with a jar to use for weeks.
Use a spoonful to marinate chicken, pork or prawns, to flavour mayonnaise or soured cream, to season beans and soups, and to make tinga, burgers and tacos. Start with a little, because chipotle is powerful.
Tips
- Use dried chipotle meco or morita chillies. Meco is tan and smoky, morita is dark red and fruity. Both are sold in world food shops and online.
- Rinse the dried chillies and pat them dry, and soak them in hot (not boiling) water for 20 minutes. Boiling water makes them bitter.
- Blend until completely smooth, then pass through a sieve if you want a silky sauce like the tinned version. Leave it rough for more texture.
- If you only have a tin of chipotles in adobo, blend the whole contents until smooth and use it spoon for spoon in place of this sauce.
- Adjust the sweetness at the end. A tablespoon of dark brown sugar balances the acid, but use less if you prefer it sharper.
Storing and freezing
Cool within 2 hours, then keep in a clean covered jar in the fridge for up to 10 days. Freeze in ice cube trays, then bag the cubes, for up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge and use within 3 days.
Dishes you can make with chipotle in adobo sauce (homemade)
Tostadas de Atún con Chipotle (Chipotle Tuna Tostadas)
GFDFNFChicharron en Salsa de Chipotle (Pork Crackling in Chipotle Sauce)
GFEFNFFlautas de Tinga de Pollo (Crispy Chicken Tinga Flautas)
GFEFNFCamarones al Chipotle con Arroz Verde (Chipotle Prawns with Cilantro Rice)
GFDFEFCaldo Tlalpeno (Smoky Chicken and Chickpea Soup)
GFDFEFTacos de Hongos al Chipotle (Chipotle Mushroom Tacos)
GFDFEFPollo en Crema de Chipotle (Creamy Chipotle Chicken)
GFNFAlbondigas al Chipotle (Meatballs in Smoky Chipotle Sauce)
GFNFEnchiladas Ahumadas de Queso (Smoky Cheese Enchiladas)
EFNFTorta de Milanesa con Mayonesa de Chipotle (Breaded Chicken Sandwich)
DFNFEsquites Cremosos con Chipotle (Creamy Chipotle Corn Cups)
GFNFPapas Asadas al Chipotle con Crema de Lima (Chipotle Potatoes with Lime Crema)
GFEFNFQuestions
What can I use instead of chipotle in adobo?
If you cannot find dried chipotles, use 1 tbsp smoked paprika plus 1 tsp hot chilli powder and 1 tbsp of the vinegar, for each tablespoon of chipotle in adobo called for. It will be less complex but still smoky.
Can I freeze homemade adobo sauce?
Yes. Freeze it in ice cube trays or small tubs for up to 6 months. Each cube is about 1 tbsp. Thaw in the fridge and use within 3 days.
How spicy is chipotle in adobo?
Medium to hot. Chipotles are smoked jalapeños, and the smoke, vinegar and tomato soften the heat without removing it. Start with 1 tsp per serving in a dish and add more to taste.
Is homemade chipotle in adobo gluten free and vegan?
Yes, as written. It uses tomato passata, chillies, vinegar, garlic and spices with a little sugar, so it is vegan, gluten free, dairy free, egg free and nut free. Some tinned versions contain wheat or other additives, so always check the label.
Why does my adobo taste bitter?
The chillies were soaked in boiling water or toasted too long. Soak in hot, not boiling, water, and add a little sugar and simmer longer to round it out.
How is this different from the tinned version?
The tinned version keeps whole chillies in a thin sauce. This recipe blends the chillies into the sauce, so it is a paste-like purée that you spoon out rather than whole chillies you chop.
More base recipes
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.