Chipotle
Also known as: chipotle pepper, chipotle en adobo, smoked jalapeño
Technically a processing method rather than a separate variety, the chipotle is a jalapeño that's been allowed to ripen red, then smoke-dried. The result tastes so different from a fresh jalapeño that most people don't realize they share a source.
The full profile
The chipotle is one of the great flavor transformations in cooking — the same pepper, completely different ingredient. Canned chipotle en adobo (rehydrated chipotles in a vinegar-tomato sauce) is one of the highest-leverage pantry items in Mexican-American cooking: a single chipotle adds smoke, heat, sweetness, and depth to soups, marinades, and sauces in a way that would take multiple ingredients to replicate otherwise. The Chipotle restaurant chain named itself after this single ingredient, which tells you something.
Flavor
Deep, woody smoke with a moderate heat and a dried fruit complexity.
Color
Dark brown (smoked)
Heat level
Medium
3K–8K SHU
2,500–30,000 SHU
Did you know
Mexico City was using chipotles long before European contact — the Aztecs smoked jalapeños specifically because the thin-walled pepper would rot before it dried, and smoking was the only preservation method that worked.
How to use it
- —Canned en adobo as a cooking ingredient in sauces and soups
- —Blended into chipotle mayo and aioli
- —Stirred into beans, chili, and stews
- —Marinade base for grilled and smoked meats
- —Dried and powdered for spice rubs
Pairs well with
Shop these
Sauces and products that feature chipotle.
Smoky shortcut
Chipotle Peppers in Adobo
The pantry move for smoky mayo, burger sauce, taco braises, and chili that tastes like you actually thought ahead.
View on Amazon ↗Smoky finisher
Tabasco Chipotle Sauce
A more barbecue-friendly bottle for wings, burgers, chili, roasted sweet potatoes, and smoky mayo situations.
View on Amazon ↗Garlic depth
Cholula Chili Garlic Hot Sauce
More savory than the original — chunky garlic and dried chili with a roasted edge. Useful wherever garlic and heat belong: steak, shrimp, fried rice, pasta.
View on Amazon ↗Cook with it
Recipes that use chipotle.
mexican · inferno
Apr 18, 2026Camarones en Salsa del Diablo - Devil's Sauce Shrimp
Sweet, plump shrimp swimming in a seriously fiery Mexican chile sauce that brings together 7-pot peppers, charred tomatoes, and smoky chipotles. This coastal Veracruz recipe doesn't mess around with the heat, but it keeps the beautiful briny sweetness of the seafood front and center. 60 min · 0 saves.
mexican · hot
Apr 17, 2026Torta de Chorizo con Salsa de Habanero
A generous Mexican chorizo sandwich layered with crispy spiced pork, charred onions, and a molcajete-ground habanero salsa that brings serious heat to every bite. 45 min · 0 saves.
mexican · hot
Apr 14, 2026Habanero-Glazed Chicken Tinga with Yellowbird Sauce
Tender shredded chicken simmered in smoky chipotle, then glazed with bright habanero sauce for beautiful layers of heat and flavor. 110 min · 0 saves.