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    You are here Home » Recipes » food

    By: Melissa

    Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce

    Cilantro lime sauce is the ultimate creamy sauce that can be uses as a dressing, dip or sauce and it makes anything it is added to so delicious. This creamy cilantro sauce is made in a food processor and takes just 5 minutes to make. Add it to tostadas, burritos, pulled pork, quesadillas, brisket tacos or on top of veggies for the ultimate flavor boost.

    cilantro dressing
    Jump to Recipe
    Total Time: 5 minutes

    This cilantro lime sauce is a dressing that you can use with so many dishes. It is the easiest dressing you can make and it is very customizable.

    We prefer a creamy cilantro lime sauce but you could omit the dairy and add olive oil in its place for a lighter version.

    This sauce is made in a food processor or blender and blended until completely smooth and creamy. It stores well in the fridge for up to one week so make extra because you will want to add it to everything.

    creamy cilantro dressing top view

    How to make this Creamy Cilantro Sauce

    Just add all the ingredients to a food processor, mix until smooth and taste for seasoning. That is it!

    Once it is all blended together, you can taste for any additional seasoning. Add more salt or pepper to taste.

    creamy cilantro dressing ingredients

    Ingredients you will need

    • Fresh cilantro. You must use fresh cilantro for this recipe because dried cilantro does not have the fresh flavor that you need in this recipe.
    • Greek yogurt.
    • Sour cream. This adds a little fat and flavor to the recipe and keeps the dressing from tasting like pure Greek yogurt 🙂 Try not to skip this ingredient.
    • Lime juice. It is a cilantro lime dressing so you definitely need that lime juice! I prefer fresh squeezed lime but bottled lime juice will work in a pinch.
    • Spices. These are garlic powder, paprika, cumin and kosher salt.

    When I make this cilantro sauce, I like using a combination of sour cream and yogurt for the creamy part of the recipe. Using some yogurt lightens up the sauce so it is a little healthier.

    I do like a little sour cream because the fat in t helps make this creamy cilantro sauce taste amazing. You can use all sour cream or all yogurt depending on your preference.

    creamy cilantro dressing

    Once you learn how to make this creamy cilantro lime sauce, you can easily customize it to make other delicious dressings.

    Here are some of my favorite ways to adapt this recipe:

    1. Use basil in place of the cilantro for a creamy basil dressing.
    2. I love adding sun dried tomatoes in place of the cilantro for a delicious creamy sun dried tomato dressing.
    3. I sometimes completely omit all fresh herbs from this recipe and add za'atar seasoning (about 1 tbsp) and it makes the most delicious dipping sauce for fries, veggies and pita chips.

    This really is such an easy cilantro lime dressing and such a great base recipe for so many other variations. Make it your own and we know you will love it as much as we do.

    For more delicious sauces and dips you may like:

    • Avocado and Yogurt Dip
    • Poblano Sauce
    • Southwest Hummus
    • 3 Ingredient Blueberry Sauce
    • Miso Rubbed Broccolini with Asian Dipping Sauce
    • Roasted Cauliflower with Tahini Dip
    • Red Chimichurri
    • Easy Chimichurri (Green Chimichurri)
    • Kale Dressing
    creamy cilantro dressing top view
    Print Recipe
    5 from 3 votes

    Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce

    A delicious and easy 5 minute cilantro lime dressing that that tastes amazing and is perfect on so many dishes or used as a dip.
    Prep Time5 mins
    Total Time5 mins
    Servings: 1 cup

    Tried the Recipe? We Would Love To Hear From You In The Comments Below!

    Author: Melissa

    Ingredients

    • ¾ cup Greek Yogurt full fat or 2 %
    • ¼ cup Sour Cream
    • ½ cup Fresh cilantro loosely packed
    • 1 lime juiced
    • ½ teaspoon kosher salt plus more to taste
    • ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
    • ⅛ teaspoon sweet paprika
    • ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
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    Instructions

    • Add all of the ingredients to a blender or small food processor.
      ¾ cup Greek Yogurt, ¼ cup Sour Cream, ½ cup Fresh cilantro, 1 lime, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, ⅛ teaspoon garlic powder, ⅛ teaspoon sweet paprika, ⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
    • Blend on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
    • Taste for seasoning. Add any additional salt if needed.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 153kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 827mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 709IU | Vitamin C: 15mg | Calcium: 171mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition Values are estimates only.

    See full nutrition disclaimer here
    Course :Appetizer, dip, dressing

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Jenna says

      December 10, 2022 at 1:54 pm

      5 stars
      This was so delicious and so easy!

      Reply
      • Melissa says

        December 10, 2022 at 1:55 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed it!

        Reply

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    I am so excited you are here. My name is Melissa and I started this recipe website a few years ago to share recipes that I have been cooking for family and friends for years.

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