This easy, creamy cilantro lime dressing recipe is one of our favorite sauces to keep in the fridge. Use it for salads, drizzle over tacos, add to burritos, and more!
This dressing came to be when I was craving a taco salad and wanted a bright, creamy cilantro dressing to go with it. I started with our homemade ranch as a base, but swapped the herbs for a bunch of cilantro and the lemon for fresh lime juice.
The results were one of the yummiest salad dressings we’ve made. This creamy dressing is perfect for salads, but you can use it for so much more. Think tacos, burritos, rice bowls, a dip for veggie quesadillas, and even as a dip for vegetables.
Key Ingredients
- Sour Cream and Mayonnaise: I use sour cream and mayonnaise to make our ranch recipe extra creamy, so I do the same here. If you want to lighten things up a little, you can substitute the sour cream with Greek yogurt or even blended cottage cheese (weird, but it works!).
- Buttermilk or Milk: Buttermilk adds a tangy, creamy flavor that’s hard to beat. If you don’t have buttermilk, regular milk with a bit more lime juice also works. If you buy buttermilk for this recipe and have some left over, try these buttermilk pancakes (I love them!).
- Lime Juice: A splash of fresh lime juice brightens the dressing in a way that store-bought bottles can’t compete with. Plus, the lime works so well with the fresh cilantro.
- Cilantro and Green Onion: I love fresh herbs and am committed to using a lot of them whenever I buy them. That’s why you’ll be using an entire cup of cilantro leaves for this cilantro dressing. The green onion adds even more fresh flavor. I love it!
- Jalapeño: This was a last-minute addition the first time I made this, and I’ve been adding it ever since. I mince about 1 tablespoon of fresh jalapeño, and then blend it with the other ingredients. It doesn’t make it spicy. That said, you can always increase it.
- Spices: Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper round everything out and make this dressing extra delicious.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
Tips for Making My Cilantro Lime Dressing
Tip 1: Use a blender. The quickest way to make this recipe is to add all the ingredients to a blender, hit go, and wait 30 seconds. A food processor works, too!
Tip 2: Make it ahead of time. Making your own salad dressing every night of the week is probably not ideal. That’s why I am happy to say that this one lasts when stored in an airtight container for about 4 days. The green of the cilantro may dull slightly, but not much, and the dressing will still taste great.
Ways to Use Your Dressing
I’m already using it for everything. It’s excellent for this taco salad, as a sauce for these simple chicken breasts, drizzled over roasted veggies, and I’ve added it to burrito bowls made with my favorite cilantro lime rice!
Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
- PREP
- TOTAL
Make this cilantro lime dressing today, and it will last in your fridge for up to 4 days. Use it for taco salad, drizzle over tacos, add to burritos, and more! I like to think of it as a cilantro ranch. It’s so good!
You Will Need
½ cup mayonnaise, try homemade mayonnaise (113g)
½ cup sour cream (113g)
⅓ cup buttermilk or regular milk (80ml)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems, finely chopped (30g)
2 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon minced jalapeño, or more to taste
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus more to taste
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Add all the ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Taste, and then adjust with extra lime juice, salt, or pepper.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Greek yogurt: While I love the tangy, rich flavor of full-fat sour cream, you can substitute the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt. Cottage cheese is also a nice option and adds extra protein.
- The nutrition facts provided are estimates.
I love your recipes and not one has ever failed to please. I live alone on a budget and make everything I can from scratch. My question: I have neither a blender nor food processor and use an immersion blender for most things but if you were to purchase one of the above items for your kitchen, which would you choose and what brand would you recommend? Thanks, and keep the good recipes coming. Lynn
Hi Lynn, Most often, I get away with a small blender or small food processor (both come in miniature sizes and are less pricy). If you want to invest, I’d go food processor as you can make doughs, dips, chop, mince, and more.
Absolutely love your recipes however I’m older so I need to watch salt, sugar, & fat content, plus a more plant based diet, with food allergies so I often substitute or modify your recipes. For this one, I did a lot of modification but it still turned out delicious. No sour cream, no milk, no mayo. For this part I substituted a cashew cream recipe by Chef Bai and then added the rest of your ingrediants as described. I have also made it substituting 1 fresh whole avocado, 3 T of avocado oil, and 1/2 cup vegan coconut yogurt for the milk, mayo, sour cream parts. It also turned out delicious.
I plan to make your Epic Taco Salad and use this dressing but do not like cilantro. To me it tastes like soap! If I swap parsley for the cilantro are there any other ingredients you would suggest adding? Thanks
Hi Polly, You could turn it into an herby dressing with some basil, mint, and dill. Parsley will be fine, but adding a few more herbs would be really tasty.
This is a terrifc dressing. Well rounded bright flavors. I used it for the cabbage salad on shrimp tostadas. Thanks for another great receipe!
Fabulous dinner tonight – husband wants it regularly, now, haha! Had to sub a few things (hatch for jalapeño) but wow is this ever tasty. Your beef seasoning is 10/10 perfect and next time I’ll make the dressing. We were in a rush and had to use yogurt but did use some of your other recommended toppings along with some beans, etc. Thank you for yet another nutritious and full-flavoured treat!
So happy you tried it, Laura! Thanks for coming back and sharing!