Chipotle Aioli is a creamy, smoky, garlicky sauce made in one bowl: mayonnaise stirred with a fresh garlic paste, lime juice, a teaspoon of adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers, a spoonful of olive oil and chipotle powder to taste. It takes 5 minutes to mix and 30 minutes to chill, and makes about 3/4 cup, enough for 6 servings of 2 tablespoons.
How to make it: Mash a minced garlic clove with kosher salt into a paste. Mix it into the mayonnaise with the lime juice, adobo sauce and olive oil. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder, taste, and add more if you want more heat. Chill it for 30 minutes so the flavors come together.
Why You’ll Love It
- Smoky, a little sweet, a little spicy: chipotles in adobo bring all three.
- Real garlic flavor: a fresh garlic paste is what makes it an aioli, not just chipotle mayo.
- Your heat level: start mild and add chipotle a pinch at a time.
- Five minutes: no blender, no raw egg, no cooking.
Ingredient Notes
Garlic and salt: 1 clove of garlic, minced, and 1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt. Mashing them together into a smooth paste gives a punch of fresh garlic flavor without raw chunks.
Mayonnaise: 1/2 cup of store-bought mayonnaise is the base.
Lime juice: 1 tablespoon, freshly squeezed. Lemon juice works too.
Adobo sauce: 1 teaspoon of the sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo. It brings smoke and a little sweetness.
Olive oil: 1 tablespoon, for a bit of the olive oil flavor of a traditional aioli.
Chipotle powder: 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon. It is spicier than chile powder but not as hot as cayenne.
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lime juice, freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce, from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
How to Make Chipotle Aioli
1. Make a garlic paste. Mash the minced garlic and the kosher salt together with the side of a knife until a smooth paste forms.
2. Mix the base. In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, garlic paste, lime juice, adobo sauce and olive oil. Mix well to combine.
3. Add the chipotle powder. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder, taste, and add more if you want more heat.
4. Chill. Refrigerate for 30 minutes so the flavors meld.
5. Serve. Serve it on tacos, burgers or sandwiches, or with fries. For easy drizzling, add it to a squeeze bottle.
Chipotle Aioli vs. Chipotle Mayo
The two names get used for the same sauce, but there is one difference: garlic. Chipotle mayo is mayonnaise with chipotle. Add fresh garlic and it becomes a chipotle aioli, with more depth of flavor.
A traditional aioli has no mayonnaise at all. It is garlic and olive oil whisked into a thick emulsion, which takes time and can break. This recipe starts with mayonnaise and adds a spoonful of olive oil, so you get some of that flavor without the work.
How to Set the Heat
Chipotle peppers are hot, and one can can be hotter than the next, so add heat slowly and taste as you go:
| You want | Do this |
|---|---|
| Mild | Use the 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder and the 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce as written |
| Medium | Add chipotle powder a pinch at a time, up to 1/2 teaspoon |
| Hot | Stir in another 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of adobo sauce |
| Very smoky and hot | Finely chop 2 chipotle peppers from the can and stir them in |
Taste it again after chilling; the flavors get stronger as it sits. It is much easier to add heat than to take it away, so go slowly.
Thicker, Thinner or Smoother
- Thicker: use less olive oil or leave it out, or chill the aioli longer so the oil firms up.
- Thinner for a squeeze bottle: add a little more olive oil. Strain the adobo sauce through a fine-mesh sieve first so chipotle bits don’t clog the tip.
- Smoother: blend everything in a food processor, blender or with an immersion blender.
Variations
- No chipotle powder: use chile powder with a pinch of cayenne for heat.
- Lemon: swap the lime juice for lemon juice.
- Herbs and spices: stir in a little chopped cilantro, a pinch of onion powder or some smoked paprika for smoke without more heat.
- Yogurt: replace up to half the mayonnaise with plain full-fat yogurt; it’s tangier and works best as a dip.
What to Serve With It
Use it on tacos, burgers, sandwiches and wraps in place of plain mayonnaise, or as a dip for fries, onion rings, chicken tenders and roasted potatoes. It’s also good with grilled chicken, steak, seafood and roasted vegetables. Try it with baked zucchini fries, garlic herb roasted potatoes, carrots and zucchini, cheese steak tacos, homemade crunch wrap supreme, patty melts or garlic butter steak bites.
The rest of the can: freeze the leftover adobo sauce in 1-teaspoon portions for next time. Or blend the leftover chipotle peppers with their sauce, freeze spoonfuls on a tray until solid, then keep them in a labeled freezer bag for up to 6 months.
Storage
Refrigerator: Keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Stir it before serving if it has firmed up.
Freezer: Don’t freeze it. Mayonnaise-based sauces separate and look curdled after thawing.
On the table: Keep it cold, and don’t leave it out for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it’s over 90°F).
Frequently Asked Questions
Is chipotle aioli just chipotle mayo?
Almost. The names are used for the same sauce, but garlic is the difference: a chipotle aioli has fresh garlic mixed in, which gives it more depth than plain chipotle mayo.
What does chipotle aioli sauce taste like?
Creamy, garlicky, smoky, a little sweet and a little spicy, with a bright note from the lime. You control how hot it is.
How long does chipotle aioli keep, and can you freeze it?
Up to 1 week in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Don’t freeze it; the mayonnaise separates when it thaws.
Is chipotle aioli made with raw egg?
Not this one. It starts with store-bought mayonnaise, so there is no raw egg. A from-scratch aioli uses a raw egg yolk; USDA FSIS advises against eating raw or undercooked eggs, especially for young children, older adults, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system, unless the eggs are pasteurized in the shell.
Final Notes
Make the garlic paste first, add the chipotle slowly, and give it the 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Then taste once more. If you make it, tell me in the comments what you put it on.
Chipotle Aioli
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Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic minced, then mashed with the salt into a smooth paste
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 teaspoon adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder start with 1/4 teaspoon, taste, then add more
Instructions
- Mash the minced garlic and the kosher salt together with the side of a knife until a smooth paste forms.
- In a medium bowl, add the mayonnaise, garlic paste, lime juice, adobo sauce and olive oil. Mix well to combine.
- Stir in 1/4 teaspoon of chipotle powder, taste, and add more if you want more heat.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes so the flavors meld.
- Serve it on tacos, burgers or sandwiches, or with fries. For easy drizzling, add it to a squeeze bottle.
