20 Canned Chipotles in Adobo Sauce Recipes

Learn how to buy, store, and use this smoky spicy pantry staple with 20 Canned Chipotles in Adobo Sauce Recipes for everything from chili to burgers!

What are chipotle peppers in adobo sauce?

Let’s start with the basics! Chipotle peppers are simply smoked jalapeno peppers. You can buy chipotle peppers dried, but for the purposes of this post, I’ll be referring to canned chipotles in adobo, which are chipotle peppers in a thick, tangy, and subtly sweet adobo sauce.

Recipes might call for a certain number of chipotles, just the sauce, or a combination of both.

Where can I buy chipotle peppers in adobo?

Any Hispanic grocer will carry cans of chipotle peppers, and most mainstream groceries (Meijer, Kroger, WalMart) carry them now as well. Look for the cans in the ethnic/Mexican food aisle.

You can also buy canned chipotle peppers on Amazon.

How do I use chipotle peppers in adobo?

Canned chipotle peppers are one of the most versatile ingredients in my pantry. Any time you are looking to add a little (or a lot) of heat to a dish, chipotle peppers are a great option.

Beyond heat, chipotle peppers also offer a smoky, fire roasted flavor to many different dishes.

While chipotle peppers in adobo are most often associated with traditional Mexican dishes like barbacoa or enchiladas, but they also pair beautifully with squash based soups, roasted or mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, and fish.

Canned chipotles can also make an excellent addition to dips, salsa, queso, and beans.

Try mixing the adobo sauce into salad dressings, or swirl it with mayonnaise for an amazing smoky sweet sandwich spread!

How do I store chipotle peppers in adobo?

Most recipes using chipotle peppers in adobo sauce only call for 1-2 chipotles, which means I usually have at least half a can leftover.

Fortunately, even opened chipotle peppers keep for a long time! You can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for a month (sometimes two!).

If you don’t have plans to use the chipotles in a few weeks time, I recommend freezing them. Start by blending up the remaining chipotles, then portion them out into Tablespoon size portions. An ice cube tray works perfectly for this!

The next time you need to add some smoky spicy flavor to a dish, just pop a cube out and you’re ready to go!

Need more ideas? Try any of these Canned Chipotles in Adobo Sauce Recipes!

Recipes Using Chipotles in Adobo Sauce

These recipes all benefit from the smoky sweet heat of canned chipotles in adobo sauce! Come back to these the next time you have leftover chipotles to use!