We at EatingWell are unabashed salad people. We're down to try out basically any salad that comes across our desks, whether it's a pasta salad with oodles of noodles or a simple five-minute caprese. But we also know that the secret to a truly delicious salad is a flavorful dressing.
Our recipes run the gamut from sunny Lemon-Parmesan Vinaigrette to mellow Creamy Roasted Garlic Dressing, and they're all pretty tasty—but we're always open to adding something new to the mix. That's why we're excited to get our hands on the official recipe for Chipotle's Chipotle-Honey Vinaigrette.
The chain decided to share the sought-after recipe as a little treat after customers helped the brand donate 20 million pounds of produce through The Farmlink Project, which connects food banks with sources of surplus fresh produce. Chef and influencer Nick DiGiovanni broke down the recipe on Chipotle's Instagram account, and it's an easy option for your next quick dinner salad or dinner party salad course.
To make this recipe, you'll want to haul out your blender, plus four ingredients, including red-wine vinegar, honey, canned chipotles in adobo, and dried oregano (not counting basics like salt, pepper, oil and water). In Chipotle locations, they use their chipotle marinade in place of the canned chipotles. If you're using the whole peppers instead of the chopped variety, you may want to chop them before they go in the blender so you can get an accurate measurement. Any neutral oil should work in this recipe, but many of our salad dressing recipes opt for canola oil.
When your ingredients are gathered, add 1/4 cup vinegar, 2 1/2 tablespoons honey, 3 tablespoons canned chipotles in adobo, 1/2 tablespoon salt and 4 tablespoons of water to your blender. Blend until everything is combined, then slowly stream 1/2 cup of neutral oil into the blender as it continues running until the dressing is fully emulsified. Season with 1/2 teaspoon black pepper and 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, and you'll be good to go. The end result is a pretty, marigold-colored vinaigrette.
Folks were pretty thrilled to finally have the keys to making this popular spicy-sweet dressing on their own. "THANK YOU I NEEDED THIS," one commenter wrote. "This vinaigrette is the only reason I get a salad every time I get Chipotle. Next step should be selling it by the bottle, I'd buy the heck out of that." Some former employees also chimed in to cosign the recipe's accuracy—and confirm that the dressing is so popular, they are constantly running out of it in the store.
While we're sure this dressing makes a big bowl of romaine and Chipotle toppings sing, it would also be delicious on just about any of your favorite salads. Our No-Cook Black Bean Salad, which is studded with protein-packed beans and creamy chunks of avocado, would get a little fiery zip from a drizzle of this dressing. If you'd rather go for a salad with some veggies and meat, you might go for this Chopped Power Salad with Chicken, which already has some zesty flavor from salty feta and zingy pepperoncini. Add some chipotle-honey vinaigrette to the bowl for a boost of flavor, and you'll be taking things up a level.
This isn't the first time Chipotle has revealed a beloved recipe. They shared the simple formula for their fan-favorite guacamole back in 2020 (and in 2022, an employee shared the method workers use to keep the guac fresh and green). At this point, you're pretty close to having all the info you need to copy a Chipotle salad at home. Pair romaine with a simple protein, like our Copycat Chipotle Chicken or Copycat Chipotle Sofritas, plus your favorite toppings, a dollop of guac and a smidge of salad dressing for a Chipotle experience at home. Bonus: you don't have to pay extra for guacamole in your own home.
