14 Recipes To Use up a Can of Chipotles in Adobo Sauce

Chipotle chile peppers are jalapeño peppers that hang on the plant, ripening until they turn red. Right after harvest, the peppers are slowly smoked over mesquite, removing all moisture and adding a smoky flavor.

These chiles are often sold in cans, swimming in adobo sauce. If you don't use up the entire can at once, refrigerate or freeze the leftovers for up to one week. When you want to use those leftovers, turn to these 14 recipes that use chipotle peppers. Several of the recipes also use the sauce in the can, so you don't waste any of the smoky, spicy goodness.

Chipotle Honey Vinaigrette

"You will need a high-speed blender to make a dressing similar to Chipotle’s. If you do not have a blender but still want to give it a try, you can use brute force." —Molly Adams, Simply Recipes Contributor

Recipe Uses: 2 chipotle peppers and adobo sauce to taste

Chipotle Meatballs

Ground pork, bacon, and chipotle powder add tons of flavor to these meatballs. The sauce brings even more bold flavors with chipotle chiles. You control the heat, adding one to three, depending on how you like it.

Recipe Uses: 1 to 3 chipotle peppers and adobo sauce to taste

Chipotle Chicken Chowder

Break out your favorite soup pot and make this smoky chicken chowder that you can make as mild or hot as your taste buds desire. The canned chipotles in adobo sauce are the star of the soup that's also full of corn (fresh or frozen), chicken, onion, tomato, and potatoes.

Recipe Uses: 4 chipotle peppers and 2 tablespoons adobo sauce

Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken and Rice Bowls

This dupe of fast food takeout made in the Instant Pot is even better than its restaurant counterpart. The chicken is sweet (from honey) and spicy (from the chiles), and the rice with jalapeños is a little spicy, too,

Recipe Uses: 2 chipotle peppers

Chipotle Pumpkin Soup

This pumpkin soup has Southwestern flavors from the addition of chipotle peppers and cumin. Use fresh, cooked pumpkin or canned pumpkin purée. Top the creamy soup with pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and crema fresca.

Recipe Uses: 1 to 2 chipotle peppers

Pork and Poblano Stew

This hearty fall soup gets heat from both poblano and chipotle chiles. Cube pork shoulder and brown it, then build the stew that also contains sweet potatoes and corn. It's an amazing blend of flavors.

Recipe Uses: 1 chipotle chili

Roasted Tomato Soup with Chipotle

Roast the tomatoes, bell pepper, garlic, and onions then purée them with chipotle chiles. Add chicken stock and simmer. It's easy and so much better than canned soup. Great on its own or with its best friend, grilled cheese.

Recipe Uses: 1 to 2 chipotle peppers

Copycat Sofritas

Tofu-based and slightly spicy, this recipe is similar to the one at Chipotle Mexican Grill. Use it instead of chicken, beef, or other animal protein in tacos, burritos, bowls, and more.

Recipe Uses: 1 to 3 chipotle peppers and 3 tablespoons adobo sauce

Smoky Barbecue Sauce

Smoky, spicy, and rich in flavor, this sauce was created to go with red meat, beef (like brisket), venison, or bison. Let it simmer low and slow so the flavors concentrate.

Recipe Uses: 1 to 4 chipotle peppers

Burnt Cheese Tacos

Tortillas with cheese—melty on the inside and crisp on the outside—get a kick from a sauce you make with chipotle chiles. Besides being delicious, this dish is super fast to make, too.

Recipe Uses: 2 tablespoons chipotle pepper

Spicy Orange Marinated Chicken

Marinate chicken thighs overnight in an orange juice-based marinade seasoned with chipotle chiles, onion, garlic, and seasonings, quickly whizzed together in a food processor. The flavorful chicken cooks on the stovetop in just 20 minutes.

Recipe Uses: 1/2 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Spicy, Citrusy Black Beans

Black beans are a great addition to Taco Tuesday. They have layers of chipotle flavor that are balanced with orange, lime, and cilantro. Control the level of spice by customizing how many peppers you use.

Recipe Uses: 1 to 2 teaspoons puréed chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Turkey Tortilla Soup

This soup is easy to make, especially if you have leftover turkey. Canned fire-roasted tomatoes and chicken stock from the base to which you add turkey, onion, garlic, and chiles. Like any good Tex-Mex soup, this one comes with plenty of topping options, too.

Recipe Uses: 4 teaspoons adobo sauce

Honey Chipotle Roasted Brussels Sprouts

Roast Brussels sprouts in the oven, then add a sauce made with chipotle chile peppers, adobe sauce from the can, and honey at the end of the roasting time. It's a side dish that goes with everyday dinners as well as the holiday turkey.

Recipe Uses: 2 chipotle peppers and 1 tablespoon adobo sauce