Chipotle Sea Salt

Add a little fiesta to your dinner table with this smoky and spicy chipotle sea salt! It works equally well with savory dishes like chicken or fish, as a finishing salt for sweet desserts, and sprinkled Mexican-style over watermelon, mango, cucumber, or popcorn. It’s a simple sea salt blend that uses just two ingredients, stores well, and makes a great gift for spice lovers.

What are chipotle peppers?

Chipotle peppers are actually jalapeño peppers that have been left on the vine to ripen. While jalapeños are picked when they’re still green, others are left to ripen until their color turns a deep red. The extra time in the sun gives them their distinctly smoky, spicy, and slightly sweet flavor. What we love about chipotles is that they’re big on flavor without being overly fiery. They come in several different forms, including dried whole pods, chipotle powder, and chipotle flakes, in hot sauce, and canned chipotle in adobo (which is what is used in this chipotle sea salt recipe).

Key Ingredients

This is a two ingredient recipe! Here is more information about what kind of salt to use and where to find the right peppers:

Chipotle peppers: You can find canned chipotle peppers in adobo at most well-stocked supermarkets. They come in a small tin and you can find them alongside other Mexican groceries. You can also find them online here .
Salt: Coarse salt is ideal for this recipe. It has larger granules that won’t dissolve and make it great for garnishing.

How to use chipotle sea salt

This chipotle sea salt will become a pantry staple because it’s so versatile. It adds a rich smoky and spicy flavor without too much heat.

On the barbecue – you’ll want to have some around for barbecue season because it’s the perfect seasoning for chicken, pork, fish, or tofu.
As a finishing salt for sweet deserts – it adds a smoky, spicy crunch to sweet deserts like our vegan pots de creme .
On roasted vegetables – rub it on your veggies before roasting.
Add a pinch to fresh fruit – bring the Mexican fruit stand home! Squeeze some lime juice over your watermelon, mango, cucumber, or daikon radish then add a pinch of chipotle sea salt for a refreshing salty sweet snack.
Over popcorn – add a dash to freshly popped corn to heat up your movie night snack.

Storing chipotle sea salt

Once it’s completely cooled, you can store this salt indefinitely. For the longest shelf life, store it in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid in a cool, dark place. Why not make a double batch and share it as a gift for the spice lovers in your life?