Try the best cilantro lime sauce that is good on everything, and I mean everything! This recipe for cilantro lime sauce pairs perfectly on fish tacos, salads, quesadillas, fajitas, and even dipping raw vegetables. And it doesn't stop there!
Plus, you'll only need 5 ingredients and about 2 minutes to whip up this creamy cilantro lime sauce. It's truly the perfect all-around sauce and is great to top almost anything that needs a little freshness and brightness!
Contents
🌟 Why this recipe works
This recipe is easy, light, and refreshing, with a bright flavor from the lime juice and cilantro. The Greek yogurt makes it creamy and smooth, while the olive oil adds a touch of richness.
This easy sauce comes together in just 2 minutes using a food processor. I'm positive I could list more than a hundred fantastic ways to use this delightful sauce. It tastes so good that you'll want to use this cilantro lime dressing on everything!
With no cooking, this sauce is effortless to make with just 5 simple ingredients. Simply blend everything together until smooth and creamy.
This sauce is definitely on the healthier side, as it's high in healthy fats and low in carbs. It's also gluten-free! Whether you're looking for a healthy taco sauce or an all-around delicious sauce, this cilantro lime creamy sauce is perfect!
🍽 Key ingredients
Anyone can make this easy yet flavorful sauce with just a few ingredients. And it's perfect for dipping, as a creamy dressing, or as a light sauce to pour over your favorite grilled meats or fish.
Mayonnaise - full-fat mayonnaise is preferred, but you can use light mayo. The full-fat mayo will make the sauce richer.
Greek Yogurt - adds creaminess and thickness to the sauce. I like to use full-fat yogurt, but you can use a lower-fat yogurt if you prefer.
Fresh Cilantro - gives this sauce its characteristic flavor. Be sure to use fresh cilantro for the best flavor.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - adds a touch of richness and emulsifies the sauce so it doesn't separate.
Fresh Lime Juice - adds a bright acidity to the sauce.
Salt - helps to bring out all the flavors.
Like many of my recipes, I take a sensible approach and make easy recipes with few ingredients rather than overcomplicating things.
Substitutes
If you don't have all the ingredients, here are a few substitutes I've used in the past.
Greek Yogurt - You can use plain yogurt, sour cream, Mexican crema, or crème fraiche as a substitute for Greek yogurt.
🔪 How to make
This cilantro lime sauce recipe is perfect as a dipping sauce or a salad dressing. It can be prepared in advance or at a moment's notice using a blender or food processor.
Preparations
Step 1
Chopped the cilantro leaves.
Step 2
For a better mix, place the ingredients in this order. First, add the mayo to the blender.
Step 3
Next, add the fresh chopped cilantro.
Step 4
Add greek yogurt on top.
Step 5
Then squeeze lime juice and add salt.
Step 6
Blend until the cilantro is finely chopped and all ingredients are well combined.
Step 7
Taste to see if it requires additional lime juice or salt as desired.
Step 8
Cover and refrigerate or serve with your favorite food.
💭 Cooking Tips
No blender or food processor
You can easily make this cilantro lime sauce with or without a food processor by finely chopping the cilantro leaves and mixing them with the other ingredients in a mixing bowl. Use a whisk to thoroughly incorporate all of the ingredients.
📖 Variations
There are a few ways you can change up this versatile cilantro lime sauce recipe to suit your taste or with what you have on hand. Here are a few suggestions.
Spicy Cilantro Lime Sauce
Add 1 or 2 chipotle chiles and adobo sauce to the food processor and the other ingredients. Alternatively, use a teaspoon of siracha sauce and a teaspoon of paprika.
Garlic Cilantro Lime Sauce with Green Onions
Adding fresh garlic and green onions gives the creamy sauce extra layers of flavor. Use 1 tablespoon of minced fresh garlic or 1 teaspoon of garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of chopped green onions.
Sour Cream Cilantro Sauce
For a thicker, creamier texture, substitute the Greek yogurt for sour cream and add a tablespoon of sugar to counteract the slightly tart and tangy taste.
🥗 What to serve with
This cilantro lime sauce is perfect for dipping, pouring over grilled meats or fish, or using it as a salad dressing. It's also delicious on tacos, burritos, or nachos. Here are some easy creations that work perfectly with the creamy sauce.
Pulled Pork Tacos
This recipe for pulled pork tacos is full of flavor. Load up a tortilla with juicy pork meat, shredded lettuce, diced red onion, avocado, and a dollop of creamy cilantro lime sauce for the most fantastic flavor combo.
Qdoba chicken
Summer Mexican food doesn't get much better than this healthy Qdoba chicken recipe bursting with flavor. It pairs perfectly with the creamy lime dressing on the side and a few steamed veggies.
Spicy Shrimp Tacos
Possibly one of the best recipes to pair with my cilantro lime sauce is my spicy shrimp tacos. You can't beat spicy shrimp, caramelized onions, and mushrooms wrapped up in fresh corn tortillas.
Shredded Chicken Tacos
Not in the mood for shrimp; my shredded chicken tacos are easy to make thanks to shredded chicken and taste amazing topped with this creamy cilantro lime sauce.
Remember how I said this recipe goes on everything? Some of my favorite recipes that I've tried this on include:
- parm crusted pork chops
- ground sausages
- dorito casserole
- eye of round roast (meat in general)
- steamed vegetables
🙋 Frequently asked questions
What is a cilantro lime sauce made of?
Cilantro lime sauce is made with cilantro, fresh lime juice, greek yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt. I'll also add garlic and green onions or spice it up with chipotle peppers, siracha, and paprika.
What does cilantro lime sauce taste like?
This cilantro lime sauce recipe is light and refreshing with bright acidity from the lime juice. The cilantro adds a beautiful herbaceous flavor. The Greek yogurt makes it creamy with a velvety texture and tangy flavor.
🧊 Storing
This sauce is absolutely delicious, served with many recipes and refrigerated for quite a while.
Fridge - Pour the leftover cilantro sauce into an airtight jar with a lid and place it in the fridge for up to a week.
I do not recommend freezing this sauce as it contains mayonnaise which can separate when frozen and thawed, which will change the consistency and taste of the sauce.
🥣 Try More Sauce Recipes
If you like this easy cilantro lime sauce, you should check these fantastic sauce recipes. Including my easy tartar sauce to pair with crab cakes and my homemade jalapeno sauce recipe..
👪 Serving Size
You'll make 3 cups of the delicious cilantro lime sauce, but you could easily scale it to make less or more if you wanted. Trust me when I say more is better!
This cilantro lime sauce is the perfect summer condiment! It's light, refreshing, and vibrant flavor. It's perfect for dipping, pouring over grilled meats or fish, or using it as a salad dressing. It's also delicious on tacos, burritos, or nachos. This sauce is so versatile and easy to make that you'll want to put it on everything!
📋 Recipe
Cilantro Lime Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 cup Cilantro - some stems are okay
- 1 tablespoon Extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Limes - juice
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
Preparations
- Chop the cilantro leaves.
- For a better mix place the ingredients in this order. First add the mayo in the blender.
- Next add the fresh chopped cilantro.
- Add Greek yogurt on top.
- Squeeze in the lime juice, add the extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt.
- Blend until the cilantro is finely chopped and all ingredients are well combined.
- Taste to see if it requires additional lime juice or salt as desired.
- Cover and refrigerate or serve with favorite food.
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