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

Roasted red peppers, meanwhile, find their calling in a smoky, charred quesadilla, melted into gooey cheese with a dash of chipotle and a squeeze of lime.

From Salon ● Mar. 17, 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

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

From Washington Times ● Sep. 21, 2023

Boiling dried chipotles, plums, onions and garlic together creates a delectable puree that transforms your base into a smoky, tangy barbecue sauce.

From Seattle Times ● May 24, 2022

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

The base for tinga, a red sauce usually made from onions, garlic, tomatoes and chipotles in adobo, is all in the technique.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 18, 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