A chipotle (/tʃɨˈpoʊtleɪ/ , chi-POHT-lay; [tʃiˈpotle]), or chilpotle, which comes from the Nahuatl word chilpoctli (meaning smoked chili), is a smoke-dried jalapeno. jalapeñot the end of the growing season, jalapenos jalapeños naturally ripen and turn bright. Red In mexico and The United, states there is a market for ripe red. Jalapenos jalapeños they are kept on the bush as long. As possible when they are deep red and have lost much of, their moisture they are picked to be made. into chipotles