Chipotle Mayo (aka Mexican Secret Sauce)

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, GF! 

A wise woman once said,  “Fuck this shit.” And she lived happily ever after.  ~Anonymous ( see story below)

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 to something fantastically delicious!  And the best thing is… it 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 comes in handy quite frequently around here. The best tasting taco sauce, ever!

This chipotle sauce is one we use in our catering business. At home, I make a healthier vegan version (see notes in recipe) and keep it in a squirt bottle ready to drizzle lightly over tacos, fish, corn on the cob, nachos, enchiladas, and even over Brian’s fish sticks – adding a burst of flavor!  The latest use though, is over these Quick Fish Tacos or the Mexican Style Oaxacan Bowls,  Tlayludas  or these super yummy Chipotle Portobello Tacos which you simply must try!

If you are vegan, make this with  Veganaise or silken tofu. A flavor booster for sure!

On the home front: I’ve been meaning to tell you a story, but until now the words have not come. It’s why I picked this quote. I trust that those of you need to hear this story will find it, and those who don’t, will simply skip to the recipe.

When my mother turned 80, she left my father.

He had gone on his annual month-long trip to Egypt, and with the help of her good friend, she packed up her all belongings and moved out of the house where she had lived in for 35 years.

When he returned she was gone. They were married 42 years.

My father, like all of us, had his good qualities, and his flaws. He would often treat her terribly, tearing her down emotionally, but could also be very loving in his own way. Which made leaving him hard. A complicated man, heavily influenced by his culture. She stayed with him, out of duty and religion and out of “what would her family think?”.  Growing up, I found myself, protecting her, fighting my dad on her behalf, and often wished she would leave him, but it wasn’t until she was 80,  did she have the strength and courage to do this for herself. She didn’t tell me until after it was done.

She lived 3 more years.

Believe me when I tell you, they were the happiest 3 years of her life!  She had soooo much fun. She was free and light and bubbling with joy! Effervescent. I had never witnessed this before. I believe her lesson in this life was to experience love fully, but most importantly, to experience self-love.  She had always put everyone else first, serving others in her beautiful faithful way. One of the very last things she said to me, a day before she left this world was… “I am beautiful”.  This was not out of arrogance. My humble mother could never see her own beauty. She never wore makeup or had a drop of vanity. I believe, although I didn’t understand it at the time, that spirit or God, or angels, or the universe, were showing her glimpses of her life, perhaps reminding her of her loving acts, as a nurse, midwife (in Nigeria), friend, mother, sister, and wife – in the hours before her death.  In the end, I believe she experienced self-love, and it was incredibly beautiful to witness. Such an incredible gift to give her only daughter, who would need this desperately in the years following her departure. 

I just wanted to share this with you, because I know that marriage can be one of the hardest things. Sometimes the lesson is not simply “acceptance” and being OK with making your bed and lying in it.

Sometimes the lesson is learning to love yourself enough to take care of your soul, and take courageous action. This is not the easy road, change often feels so much scarier and harder than simply living with unhappiness.  But I just wanted to share that a different path is indeed possible. And that if my mother could do this, at the age of 80, so can you.

And that it is never too late.

Back to the recipe -simply stir the ingredients together. You can make it spicy, or you can keep it mild. Your choice!

Use mayo or keep it vegan with vegan mayo or silken tofu!

Just whisk it up….and it’s done!

How easy is that?

Give this Chipotle Mayo  a whirl!

Also…. try this vegan Cilantro-Jalapeno Sauce– a green version of this!

And for more flavor boosting sauces to elevate your dishes…. go here!

I also love this Fermented Hot Sauce….so easy and tasty!

Chipotle Mayo-Mexican Secret Sauce

★★★★★

4.8 from 6 reviews

Vegan -Adaptable 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.

• Author: Sylvia Fountaine | Feasting at Home Blog
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Total Time: 5 mins
• Yield: ½ cup
• Category: Condiment
• Method: whisk
• Cuisine: Mexican

Ingredients

• ½ 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)
• ⅛ teaspoon salt, more to taste
• ½ teaspoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ⅛- ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder – you can also use one canned chipotle pepper (blending it with the mayo in a blender) or just stir in a teaspoon or two of the spicy smoky adobo sauce from the can. Start conservatively, adding more to taste.

Instructions

1. 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.)
2. Taste, adjust heat, adding more if you like.
3. Store in a small jar in the fridge, or in a squirt bottle for easy use. Keeps up to 3 weeks.

Notes

If making a vegan version with silken tofu– replace the mayo with ½ a package silken tofu ( about 6 ounces), 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 the 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

Keywords: chipotle mayo, how to make chipotle mayo, vegan chipotle mayo