How to make Chipotle Mayo (aka Mexican Secret Sauce) – a fast and easy 5-minute sauce that everyone should know about, to give meals a huge BURST of flavor! Vegan-adaptable, gluten-free.Video. Serve this with our Fish Tacos with Cilantro Lime Slaw.
Your self-love is a medicine for the earth. ~ Yung Pueblo
This vegan-adaptable Chipotle Mayo (or Mexican Secret Sauce)- is probably not a huge secret anymore … but to some, it may be the difference between a dish that is bland and unexciting and something fantastically delicious! Use it as a taco sauce, over burrito bowls, tacos, burgers, or with almost any Mexican-inspired recipe!
The best thing is that this Chipotle Mayo only takes FIVE minutes to make, and I’m pretty sure you already have the simple ingredients on hand. It keeps in the fridge for weeks and frequently comes in handy around here. It’s the best-tasting taco sauce, ever!
This and our Yum Yum Sauce just seem to make everything better so we always try to have at least one on hand.
How to make ChiPotLe mayo | 30-sec video
Ingredients in Chipotle Mayo
- Mayonnaise – You can use store-bought mayo, homemade mayo or our vegan mayo
- Lime juice– fresh lime is best!
- Chipotle (either dried ground chipotle powder or canned chipotle in Adobo Sauce-best!)
- Salt and spices (chili powder and smoked paprika)
How to make Chipotle Mayo?
- Combine the ingredients in a bowl and whisk away!
- Taste, adjust heat and lime to your liking!
- Keeps 7-10 days in the fridge.
Simply stir the ingredients together. You can make it spicy, or you can keep it mild. Your choice!
Just whisk it up….and it’s done!
Taste, add more chipotle, or keep it mild.
What to use Chipotle Mayo with:
- Tuna Tostadas
- Quick Fish Tacos
- Mexican Style Oaxacan Bowls
- Baja Fish Taco Bowls
- Tlayludas
- Chipotle Portobello Tacos
- Amazing Black Bean Burgers (in under 30 mins!)
- Crispy Jackfruit Tacos
Variations:
This Chipotle Mayo is one we use in our catering business. At home, I make a healthier vegan version (with silken tofu– see notes in recipe) and keep it in a squirt bottle ready to drizzle lightly over tacos, burgers, fish, corn on the cob, nachos, enchiladas, pretty much anything that needs a burst of flavor. I actually love building a quick bowl with cilantro lime rice, black bean salsa, and this chipotle mayo over top!
If you are vegan, make this with Veganaise or silken tofu. A flavor booster for sure!
If you would like to keep the Chipotle Mayo for longer than a week, substitue a little vinegar for the lime juice, which will help preserve.
How easy is that?
On the homefront: I’ve been meaning to tell you a little story, but until now the words have not come. It’s why I picked this quote. I trust that those of you who need to hear this story will find it, and those who don’t can simply skip to the recipe.
When my mother, Lea, turned 80, she left my father.
He had gone on his yearly month-long trip to Egypt, and with the help of her good friend, she packed up all her belongings and moved out of the house where I grew up, where she had lived for 35 years. Imagine how difficult this would be at any age, and then imagine it at the age of 80.
When he returned, she was gone. They were married for 42 years.
My father, like all of us, had his good qualities and his flaws. He could treat her terribly, become angry and volatile, tearing her down emotionally, but he could also be very loving in his own way. Which made leaving him very difficult. A complicated man, heavily influenced by his culture. He could not see any areas for improvement within himself and would not even consider “working on the marriage” with her. She stayed with him purely out of duty, guilt, religion, and out of “what would people think?”.
Growing up, I found myself wishing desperately she would leave him because I could see how the stress of being in that relationship took a toll on her, not just emotionally but physically. She was constantly on edge, stressed, sad, isolated. She began to have serious heart problems. It wasn’t until she was 80, that she had the strength and courage to leave.
And then she lived 3 more years…
Believe me when I tell you, even though the rest of her time here was short, they were the happiest, most incredible, three years of her life! She was free and light and bubbling with joy!
Effervescent. I had never witnessed this before! She completely transformed. All her worry lines faded. It was like a huge weight was lifted. Her heart became light, and love just poured out of her entire being. Truly remarkable.
Looking back, I believe her lesson in this life was to experience love fully and, specifically, to experience self-love. She had always put everyone else first, serving others in her beautiful, faithful way -as a nurse, midwife (in Nigeria), faithful friend, nurturing mother, sister, and wife. But a day came when she listened to her soul’s wish- and chose the path of self-love and healing. This did not mean she stopped loving my father. It just meant she couldn’t be married to him for one more day.
Such a beautiful lesson to give her only daughter, who at the time was also struggling in her first marriage.
I just wanted to share this with you because I know that marriage can be one of the hardest things we experience in this life. I once read somewhere, “Relationships are hard. Marriage is hard. Divorce is hard. Choose your hard.” Sometimes the lesson is not always “making our bed and lying in it”, and being miserable for the rest of our days. If a partner is willing to work on marriage, then, by all means, work on it! But if a partner is unwilling to work on it, you don’t have to continue down the same dead-end road until your dying days. And chances are, any step that you take towards self-love and self-healing will teach your children (and perhaps partner) to do the same. It was the most precious gift she gave me.
Sometimes, the lesson is learning to love ourselves enough to take care of our souls, make healthy, unsettling choices, and take courageous action. This is not an easy road; change always feels so much scarier than living with unhappiness. But I just wanted to share that a different path is indeed possible. If my mother could do this, at 80, so can we, if need be. And it is never too late.
Ok, enjoy the recipe for Chipotle Mayo! Share what you think in the comments below. 🙂
xoxo
More from Feasting At Home
Chipotle Mayo (Mexican Secret Sauce)
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: ½ cup
- Category: Condiment
- Method: whisk
- Cuisine: Mexican
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Chipotle Mayo– a smoky spicy zesty Mexican Secret Sauce for tacos, tosadas, enchilada’s or most any mexican food. Can be made vegan with Veganaise or use Silken Tofu (see notes). Gluten Free.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup mayo (or use sour cream, vegan mayo “Veganaise” – or make with silken tofu, see notes below)
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 –2 teaspoons lime juice (to taste)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/8– 1/4 teaspoon ground chipotle powder – you can also use one chipotle pepper from a can (blending it with the mayo in a blender) or just stir in 1-3 teaspoons of the smoky adobo sauce from the can. Start conservatively, adding more to taste. I prefer the Adobo Sauce!
Instructions
- If making with Mayo or Veganaise, place all ingredients in a small bowl. Be conservative with the chipotle (you can always add more). Whisk until smooth with a fork or tiny whisk. ( See notes below if making with silken tofu.)
- Taste, adjust salt, heat, and spices to taste. (I like mine slightly salty, and slightly spicy).
- Store in a small jar in the fridge, or in a squirt bottle for easy use.
- Keeps up to 2 weeks.
Notes
VEGAN VERSION: If making a vegan version with silken tofu– replace the mayo with ½ of a package silken tofu ( about 6 ounces or 165 grams), leave out the water and add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Increase salt to ½-¾ teaspoon, add ¼ teaspoon sugar and 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (in addition to the lime) and place all in a food processor, blending until smooth and creamy. Use a canned chipotle pepper ( or half of one!) or just a teaspoon or two of the adobo sauce from the can, for the best flavor. Adjust salt, heat and lime.
I use Mori-Nu Organic Silken Tofu– Firm or Extra Firm Tofu – half of a 12.5 ounce package.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 teaspoons
- Calories: 64
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 103.6 mg
- Fat: 6.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 0.3 g
- Fiber: 0.1 g
- Protein: 0.1 g
- Cholesterol: 3.9 mg
We have a large family so we multiplied the original recipe to compensate for the larger size Veganaise. This is what we found to be an enhancement to the vegan recipe:
14 oz Original Veganaise
No water
3 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice (not concentrate)
1 1/2 tsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
2 tsp Garlic Powder
1 Tbsp Onion Powder
1 3/4 tsp Chipotle Powder
We ate this right away but if you leave it overnight in the fridge, it is even better.
Bon Apetite, Jazz
Great! Thanks for the notes Jazz.
Tonia – Our pleasure!! We are so grateful for your original recipe and a way to make it vegan!! Delicious!! Thank you!! We have a Vegan Jalapeño Popper recipe. We would love to share it with you & your audience, if you are interested. Best, Jazz
You are spot on, this recipe is easy and full of flavor.
So glad you enjoyed this Carl!
Haven’t tried recipe but wanted to say thank you for sharing your mother’s story. I really appreciated it.
Thanks Jane- glad you found it!
2 hours? You definitely have your recipe reviews mixed up. 15 min tops
I made this tonight and it’s amazing.
This is amazing, and we put it on everything! This is our go-to sauce for all Mexican food! Thank you!
Great to hear this Erin!
Pretty good but took me 2 hours to cook from front to back. Thank you for the recipe though!
Hi Sarah, you must be talking about another recipe?
THANK YOU for commenting on how long this recipe took you. I am already slow when following recipes, so I find your comment very helpful
2 hours? You definitely have your recipe reviews mixed up. 15 min tops
I LOVED your story about your mom. That’s amazing!! I am also on a self-love and self-healing journey. It’s so tough but it is so necessary! I am 35 years old and I left my job two years ago so that I could be free and write (and rest) and energy heal and coach and share what I’ve learned on my journey. I write a weekly blog: https://angelisivaraman.substack.com – I am sharing in case you are interested in reading it, but absolutely no pressure 🙂 thank you for sharing your stories to help others find their lights!
Thanks for sharing Angeli and we will check it out! I am glad you found this and i wish you all best to you on your self-healing journey!
Adobo sauce in the can has too much sodium. For the vegan version, if I am cutting back on oil and sodium, how would I make my own adobo sauce and pepper? Thanks!
Hello- you can always just use ground chipotle powder instead of the adobo sauce.
Recipe is great, and you made me cry. Thank you for sharing. It’s like I was looking for, oh.. what’s a good word… not guidance. Nudge, no… I’m rambling now. Your story was exactly what I needed to “hear” I didn’t even know I was looking for it. Thank you
I’m so glad it found you Chas. A happy you enjoyed the recipe!
My wife and I have enjoyed your recipe for years now. Silken tofu was hard to find, so we used firm, with half the oil. It is the consistency of hummus. We dip raw vegetables and it’s delicious. Also a great mix for chicken or tuna salad. Thank you!!
Glad you are enjoying Joe!
It’s my go to recipe especially when entertaining. The slaw really makes it sing. Everyone loves it!
Awesome to hear Suzanne!
Sylvia, that is such an amazing story. Your mother was a remarkable woman.
This recipe is also remarkable. Thank you for sharing both.
Thank you Kay!
How very generous of you to share this story. Thank you.
Thanks Jennifer!
OMG this is heavenly! The textures and the flavors are sooo good!
Great to hear Jan!
I’m honestly baffled by the salt level. I put in half and it’s still all we could taste.
Hi Ann, the recipe only calls for ⅛ teaspoon. Is that what you used? It’s pretty minimal.
For the 1/2x serving, it says “teaspoon salt, more to taste” the fraction must have been cut off. I also used less than a teaspoon because it seemed excessive, and it the dip turned out VERY salty
Hi Amanda- sorry about that- I thik it got too small to measure. I just changed to “salt and pepper to taste”.
I followed the recipe and really liked it as is…. delicious and healthy. I plan to serve it again… topping off each serving with a sunny side up egg and a sprinkling of cotija cheese.
Yum, sounds good!
Also good with Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise 😋
I love using Greek yogurt too!
I made fish tacos for the first time tonight, at the bottom where it was listing condiments it said chipolte mayo which I didn’t have. My son started looking for recipes and found this one. They loved it. The bowl was empty when dinner was over. Thank you for sharing your recipe, it will definitely be going in the family cookbook.
So glad you enjoyed! Thanks for your kind comments. 🙂
So good! Drizzled it over breakfast huevos rancheros (tortilla, pico de gallo, avocado, refried beans, eggs). Is a winner – liquid gold in my fridge – thank you for another great recipe 🙂
PS. Hugs to the author “Like your story”
Thanks so much Reeze, glad you are enjoying.
I like your story about leaving a bad situation. I was working from home yesterday and was so tired of being treated so badly at work I threw something at my computer monitor and cracked the screen. I cried for an hour and realized I need a new job. Leaving is hard but your story proves that once you get out of a toxic relationship – your joy comes back to you. Thank you for this recipe and story. I have to order silken tofu as no stores carry it by me. I hope this can be my new sauce! 🙂
I am glad the story found you, and sorry about your work situation. Sounds very stressful. Yes, we can direct the course of our lives and have more power than we often believe. It just takes a little courage, but once you make up your mind, I find that that life, the universe, or God, or whatever you believe in, comes in and aids and supports our decision to live a healthier life. Because when we do this, everyone else around us benefits.
I’m about to try the recipe but wanted to thank you for sharing your mother’s story. It is a very valuable lesson: choose your hard and lessons in self-love and self-healing are a precious gift
Glad it resonated!
Delicious!! I have to stop myself from eating this my the spoonful!!!
Haha! Totally…glad you enjoyed.:)
I made this using silken tofu instead of the mayonnaise. I am not vegan but I wanted to reduce the calorie count and amp up the protein. I calculated that a two tablespoon portion on has 18 calories. Can that be right? The Mori-Nu silken tofu is 180 cal/package. 12 oz in a package so that’s 24 tablespoons total or 7.5 cal per tablespoon. The rest of the ingredients are nominal calorie contributors. Can somebody check my math? No wonder I am losing weight. Anyway, it was a delicious dressing on my salads. Probably go well dipping French fries in it too! Nah. I need to stay away from that.
Hi Chris- that seems right to me. Silken tofu is very low in calories- a great substitute here. We also have a vegan mayo with silken tofu that would be good subbed here too!