Chipotle Mayonnaise

Spicy, cool, earthy, and smoky, and perfect for sandwiches, burgers, fries, chips, and veggies.

By
Joshua Bousel
a photo of Joshua Bousel, a Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Joshua Bousel
Joshua Bousel is a Serious Eats old-timer, having started sharing his passion for grilling and barbecue recipes on the site back in 2008. He continues to develop grilling and barbecue recipes on his own site, The Meatwave, out of his home base of Durham, North Carolina.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated September 18, 2025

Why It Works

  • The combination of mayonnaise and chipotles creates a spicy, earthy, smoky richness that complements any dish.
  • Sour cream lends a creamy texture while tempering the heat.
  • Fresh lime juice adds subtle acidity that brightens the chipotle flavor and makes the mayo more vibrant.
  • Using an immersion blender ensures a smooth, consistent sauce.

One time when I had some oil heated for tostones, I also fried up a batch of yuca fries for further mojo sauce dipping. The fried yuca went pretty well with the mojo, but what I really wanted for dipping was this chipotle mayonnaise.

A bowl of chipotle mayonnaise on a light blue linen, with a plate of roasted vegetables behind it.

Serious Eats / Vicky Wasik

Chipotle mayo is a pretty hot condiment, and I'll say its popularity is well-deserved. With just a few ingredients, you can create a complex mixture of spicy, cool, earthy, and smoky that becomes an excellent spread for sandwiches and burgers, or a dip for fries, chips, and veggies.

Of course, you can go with straight mayo and chipotles here, but I gave my recipe some sour cream and lime juice, which added a tang that gave this already excellent sauce a nice extra layer of flavor.

June 2011

Recipe Details

Chipotle Mayonnaise Recipe

Prep 5 mins
Active 10 mins
Total 5 mins
Serves 8 servings
Makes 1 cup
Keep Screen Awake

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise

  • 1/4 cup sour cream

  • 2 chipotle chiles from 1 can of chipotles in adobo

  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions

  1. Place mayonnaise, sour cream, lime juice, and chipotles in a tall, narrow jar. Using an immersion blender, puree until chipotles are completely chopped and mayonnaise is smooth. Pour into an airtight container, cover, and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Special Equipment

Immersion blender

Read More

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
112 Calories
12g Fat
1g Carbs
0g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8
Amount per serving
Calories 112
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 2g 12%
Cholesterol 10mg 3%
Sodium 104mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 1g 0%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 2mg 12%
Calcium 12mg 1%
Iron 0mg 1%
Potassium 30mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes