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Home » Recipes » Food

Published: Jun 7, 2022, By: Melissa, Updated: Oct 14, 2023

Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce (Just 5 Minutes!)

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This cilantro lime sauce is the ultimate creamy sauce that can be used as a dressing, dip, or sauce and it makes anything it is added to so delicious. It is made in a food processor and takes just 5 minutes to make. This creamy Mexican sauce is amazing with so many dishes and it is addictive.

cilantro dressing

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

I make this sauce often to use up cilantro in our house which we always have leftover from another recipe. Over the years, this creamy and tangy sauce has become a staple.

It is so easy to make because it is made in a food processor (or blender) and has just a few ingredients. It stores well in the fridge for up to one week so make extra because you will want to add it to everything, trust me!

creamy cilantro dressing top view

What 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: You can also use regular yogurt if that is what you have. Full fat works best for a creamy sauce.
  • Sour cream or Mexican crema: 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.

How to make

creamy cilantro dressing ingredients

Making this creamy cilantro sauce is so simple.

  • Add all the ingredients to a food processor: Just add all the ingredients to a food processor.
  • Blend until creamy: Mix until smooth and taste for seasoning. That is it!

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

creamy cilantro dressing in a bowl

Variations

  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.

Recipe Faqs

How long will cilantro sauce last?

A creamy cilantro sauce will last for one week in the fridge.

Can you freeze this sauce?

Since this sauce has dairy in it, it is not recommended for freezing.

Can you make this sauce dairy-free?

Yes. You can use a dairy-free alternative to sour cream or crema for a dairy-free version.

Ways to use

We add this sauce to so many dishes. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Chicken fajita tacos
  • Cast iron chicken
  • Fajitas from leftovers
  • Poblano quesadillas
  • Mexican barbacoa
  • Ground Beef nachos

More like this

If you love this cilantro lime sauce, you will also love these:

  • avocado dip in a bowl on a blue counter
    Greek Yogurt And Avocado Dip
  • poblano cream sauce
    Poblano Cream Sauce (Roasted Poblano Crema)
  • kale salad dressing
    Creamy Kale Salad Dressing
  • sriracha mayo
    Creamy Sriracha Mayo (Spicy Mayo)
  • For sauces for meat: We love our Easy Cuban Chimichurri (Green Chimichurri)
creamy cilantro dressing top view
Print Recipe
5 from 4 votes

Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce (Just 5 minutes!)

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 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Servings: 1 cup
Author: Melissa Oleary

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup Greek Yogurt full fat or 2 %
  • ¼ cup Sour Cream or Mexican crema
  • 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

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

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

Course :Appetizer, dip, dressing

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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  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 to share easy recipes that I have been cooking for years. I have written hundreds of easy recipes that are tested and perfected. Some of the recipes I learned during my years of working in restaurants, some from owning my own food company, and others from friends and traveling.

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