This tangy cilantro lime dressing is destined for your next taco salad. Enjoy it as a vinaigrette, or add avocado or Greek yogurt to make it creamy!
This cilantro lime dressing is the perfect summer salad dressing – it’s tangy, it’s herbaceous, and it’s so yummy drizzled over summer salads, grilled veggies, and more. The best part about it this dressing? It can be made 3 ways! Once you make the cilantro lime dressing, serve it as-is, add Greek yogurt to make a creamy ranch-like dressing (pictured in the middle above), or add avocado to make a thick, creamy sauce (pictured left above).
Let’s get started!
Cilantro Lime Dressing Ingredients
I make this dressing in the food processor so that the cilantro gets finely chopped and the dressing becomes emulsified. It takes minutes to blend together, and these 7 ingredients make it zesty & bright:
- Cilantro is the star of the show. It makes the dressing super fresh and green.
- Garlic adds a little bite.
- Lime juice makes it tangy.
- Maple syrup or honey calms and balances the sharp, tangy flavors.
- Ground coriander is one of my go-to ingredients when I’m using cilantro & lime, and it gives this dressing extra depth of flavor.
- Sea salt makes the flavors pop.
- And extra-virgin olive oil adds richness and ties it all together.
That’s it! Just pulse it together (I try not to blend it too long so that it still has pretty flecks of green), and your dressing will be ready for salads, burrito bowls, tacos, and more.
Variations of cilantro lime dressing:
I while I love the vinaigrette version of this dressing, I like to change it up from time to time, depending on what I’m craving and what I’m making. I like to make creamy cilantro lime dressing two different ways: with yogurt and with avocado.
A creamy Greek yogurt variation has a similar consistency to ranch or a buttermilk dressing – it’s lightly creamy and not too thick. To make it, simply add 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt to the food processor along with the other ingredients.
A creamy avocado cilantro lime dressing is thicker than the Greek yogurt version. I love to serve it alongside burritos as a dipping sauce or put big, thick dollops on a taco salad. To make it, add 1 avocado to the food processor with the base dressing recipe, and blend!
Make it spicy by adding a bit of jalapeño or a few pickled jalapeños.
What to Serve with Cilantro Lime Dressing
This dressing is a great one to keep on hand in the fridge. It adds a bright, zesty pop to simple green salads as well as DIY burrito bowls made with cilantro lime rice, black beans, veggies, pico de gallo, guac, and mango salsa.
It would also be delicious drizzled or scooped onto:
- Portobello Burrito Bowls
- Breakfast Burritos
- Cauliflower Rice Burrito Bowl
- Vegetarian Tacos (use in place of the tomatillo sauce)
- Breakfast Tacos (use in place of the salsa)
- Grilled Vegetable Kabobs
- Avocado Toast
- Oven Roasted Potatoes
- Veggie Fajitas
- Quesadillas
If you love this cilantro lime dressing recipe…
Try more of my favorite sauces like these tahini sauces, this citrus salad dressing, this chipotle sauce, tomatillo salsa, pesto, tzatziki, healthier Caesar dressing, or the carrot ginger dressing in this recipe.
Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh cilantro
- 1 garlic clove
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or honey
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
Make it creamy (optional):
- 1 avocado or ½ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
Instructions
- In a food processor, place the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, maple syrup, coriander, and salt and pulse to combine. With the blade running, pour in the olive oil and process until smooth.
- Make it creamy (optional) - blend with 1 avocado or ½ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
How long will it last in the fridge?
Hi Bethani, about 3 to 5 days.
This salad dressing is phenomenal. It is the perfect taste for a Southwest salad. I will absolutely use and reuse this recipe. No flavors in it are overpowering. It’s the perfect combination of everything. THANK YOU!!
Hi Amber, I’m so glad you loved it!
It is delicious. Perfect
Thanks for sharing this recipe! made it tonight and love it! I added avocado for creamy texture. delicious!
Do you use the cilantro stems as well or only leaves?
Hi Sara, I use both the stems and leaves.
Can you list the calories
Can I use a blender instead of food processor
Can you freeze this? At one point would be best to divide and freeze?
Hi Jane, I haven’t tried freezing it, but I often freeze pesto (in ice cube trays) and that works well.
Super easy and vey flavorful!
Delicious! I added 1/2 tsp each of cumin and chili powder, and it really gave the flavor some depth.
Made this last night with fresh cilantro from the garden – so easy and tasty! Poured over kale , blueberries, a few slices of strawberry, avocado and sprinkled with fresh dill. My husband even commented on how good the flavors tasted together.
This is a rock star dressing! Added 1/2 avocado first day. Served as dip the next day with a couple dollops greek yogourt; incredible, huge hit. Thank you!
I’m so glad you loved it so much!
Hi is there an option for this to be oil free? A substitute perhaps. Thanks, in advance!
Is this best to make a day or two ahead or on day of serving, or no difference?
Hi Donna, there’s no huge difference – the color is a tad more vibrant on the first day.
Unbelievable…incredible…so fresh, so wonderful…vegan: skip the yogurt or milk – double the avocado…well done and thanks.
so glad you loved it!
This is my GO TO dressing. I make it every two weeks and it never fails to impress no matter what I serve it on. I buy cilantro by the bunch every week at the grocery store. The coriander is a must. And, there is something so tangy and “umamami” like about the sour limes and sweetness of the honey. (I prefer honey to maple syrup). Just delish!
This dressing was amazing. I made the greek yogurt version and we put it on bowls with chick peas, rice, beans and tomatoes…it made the whole dish!
Hi Jeanne, I’m so glad you loved it!
Delicious 🙂 Used honey instead of maple syrup option. Did not add creamy ingredient option since neither was on hand at the time and the dressing was yummy!
My sister in law made this and put it over beans and it was so delicious! I’m going to make it as well but sadly have “slim pickins” In the herb garden this year… curious if this is as tasty if made from fried cilantro?
This recipe is amazing. I dont have avacado or plain greek yogurt so I ve only done it the regular dressing way.
I massage it into my kale salads and serve it like a bread dipping sauce. It does not last long when I make it.
Hi Samantha, I’m so glad you’ve been loving the dressing!