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

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

The red jalapeños and smoked chipotle are grown right here in California at Fire Tongue Farms.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2023

Try remoulade sauce, chipotle mayo or sriracha mayo as variations.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 21, 2023

The Palace Kitchen chicken wings achieved a fiery Tabasco heat but lost any of their billed chipotle smokiness, while two out of three were over-grilled to dry and tough.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 7, 2023

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

But it's the three-ingredient BBQ sauce — just ketchup, chipotles, and apple cider vinegar — that I'm smitten with.

From Salon ● Dec. 12, 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

Stir in the beans, zucchini, squash, green chiles, chipotles in adobo, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder and salt, followed by the broth and quinoa.

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