chipotle

American  

[chi-poht-ley, chee-pawt-le] / tʃɪˈpoʊt leɪ, tʃiˈpɔt lɛ /

noun

chipotles plural

1. a mature jalapeño pepper that is smoked until dried, used whole or ground into a spice, especially in Mexican cooking.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• chipotles
  plural

Etymology

Origin of chipotle

First recorded in 1920–25; from Mexican Spanish chipotle, chilpotle, chilpocle, from unrecorded Nahuatl chīlpōctli, equivalent to chīlli chile ¹ ( def. ) + pōctli “smoke”

Explanation

A chipotle is a dried chili pepper with a smoky, rich flavor that's common in Mexican cuisine. Chipotles are used to make salsa and marinades, among other dishes. It takes a jalapeño to make a chipotle. If the slightly spicy green peppers are left on the vine, they eventually turn bright red. When these red jalapeños are smoked for several days over a wood fire, they officially become chipotles. You'll often find them packed in cans with adobo sauce made from spices and vegetables. Chipotle comes from the Aztec words chilli, "chili pepper," and poctli, "smoke."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

chipotle chipotles

By sauce No. 4 — Chickpotle, a creamy chickpea sauce with smoky chipotle and ghost pepper with a 4/10 heat level — Holland and Bernthal were loosening up and trading barbs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026

Twenty-five minutes or so transforms the skillet from simply good to richly cohesive, allowing the smoky chipotle, sweet corn and creamy beans to settle into each other properly.

From Salon ● May 19, 2026

Black bean chipotle hummus was among the offerings in the craft services area.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 30, 2025

She loved them all: her own marinated chèvres, “velvety smooth” St. Loup goat Camembert, smoked chipotle Manchego from Quillisascut Farm.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 20, 2024

Stir in the cilantro, scallions, pickled jalapeños and their brine, chipotle and adobo sauce, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

From Washington Times ● Jul. 24, 2023

A spoonful of finely chopped chipotles in adobo follows, along with black beans and fire-roasted corn, available in the freezer section of the supermarket.

From Salon ● May 19, 2026

In her Chipotle Mayo Brick Chicken, the mayo lets you incorporate lots of ground cumin, lime zest and chipotles in adobo without them scorching in the heat of a cast-iron skillet.

From Washington Post ● Apr. 18, 2022

Clear a space in the middle of the pot and add the garlic, chipotles with the adobo sauce and chile de arbol.

From Seattle Times ● Dec. 20, 2021

One year, it was Moroccan, with harissa and ras el hanout seasoning the vegetables; another year, it was Mexican and included chipotles in adobo and escabeche.

From New York Times ● Nov. 9, 2021

Smoky chipotles are popular, whether dried, in a paste or in a tangy adobo sauce – the last can easily be found online.

From The Guardian ● Apr. 29, 2020