Here's everything worth knowing about chipotle puree and how to pick it, what it is, how to store it, and what to use instead, plus 6 recipes to cook tonight.

What is chipotle puree?

Chipotle puree is canned chipotle peppers in adobo blended smooth, sauce and all, into a thick, brick-red paste. It is the same smoky chile in a form you can spoon and measure, with no stray chunks of pepper or seeds to bite into.

The chiles themselves are ripened red jalapeños that have been smoked and dried, so the puree carries a deep, woodsy smoke and a slow, medium heat. The adobo it is packed in brings tomato and vinegar, plus a little sweetness.

Because it blends right into a dish, the puree is the form to reach for when you want chipotle spread evenly through a sauce or marinade rather than concentrated in one fiery bite.

How to Use It

Make it yourself in a minute. Tip a whole can of chipotles in adobo into a blender or mini food processor and run it until smooth; one 7-ounce can yields most of a cup of puree.

A spoonful stirred into a pot spreads smoke and heat without anyone hitting a whole pepper. That even distribution is why it works in a big batch of 5 Alarm Chili, where a few tablespoons season the whole pot.

It also disappears cleanly into cold mixtures. Whisk it into mayo or sour cream for tacos and grain bowls, the trick behind the dressing in Southwestern Potato Salad II and the smoky chile sauce on a Sour Orange BBQ'd Salmon Taco with Red Cabbage Slaw & Smoked Chile Sauce.

As a marinade it does double duty, the vinegar tenderizing while the smoke flavors chicken or shrimp in about 30 minutes on the counter.

Pairing and Common Mistakes

Chipotle puree wants something sweet or rich to lean against. Corn, black beans, lime, honey, and mango all balance its smoke, and a little stirred into ketchup or barbecue sauce gives a backyard cookout real depth.

The usual mistake is treating it as mild because it is smooth. The puree is concentrated, every spoonful carrying the heat of a whole pepper plus its sauce, so start with a teaspoon for a dish that serves four and build from there.

The other trap is adding it all at the start. Chipotle heat keeps climbing as a dish simmers, so taste again near the end before you decide it needs more.

Substitutes

Whole canned chipotles in adobo are the obvious stand-in. Mash one or two peppers with a little sauce in place of a tablespoon or two of puree; the texture is rougher but the flavor is identical.

Chipotle paste or a bottled chipotle sauce works spoon for spoon, adjusting for the extra liquid in a thinner sauce.

For a from-scratch fix, blend smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne with tomato paste and a splash of vinegar. You lose the true chile fruit but keep the smoke and bite.

Chipotle powder also covers the flavor in dry dishes, about 1 teaspoon per chipotle, though it cannot bring the adobo tang.

Buying and Storing

You will rarely find chipotle puree sold on its own, so buy a can of chipotle chili peppers in adobo, found in the Mexican aisle, and blend your own. The cans keep for years unopened.

Once you have pureed a can, it holds about two weeks in a sealed jar in the fridge. For longer storage, freeze it: spoon it into an ice cube tray, freeze solid, then bag the cubes so you can drop one smoky portion into a dish whenever you need it.

A skin may darken on the surface in the fridge, which is just oxidation; stir it back in. An off smell or any mold means it is time to toss it.

Quick facts

In Chinese

酱的Chipotle

British (UK) term

Chipotle puree

en français

purée de chipotle

en español

puré de chipotle

Recipes using chipotle puree

There are 6 recipes that contain this ingredient.

All 6 recipes