chipotle

American  

[chi-poht-lay, 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

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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”

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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

Affected flavors include roasted garlic, lemon, jalapeño, chipotle, balsamic, spinach and more.

From Salon ● Mar. 15, 2025

The dried arbol, chipotle and guajillo chiles turn chewy with a gentle, slow burn while the almonds, sesame seeds and pepitas offer a nice crunch.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2024

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

Add the chopped chipotles and adobo sauce, stirring until everything smells smoky and deeply savory.

From Salon ● May 19, 2026

She calls this vivid soup made with oysters and chipotles in adobo one of her all-time favorites.

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

The one I keep coming back to is this white chili, which combines beans with butternut squash, quinoa and two types of canned chiles — mild green ones and spicier chipotles.

From Washington Post ● Oct. 17, 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

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