This bright and vibrant Cilantro Lime Dressing owes its flavor to fresh lime juice and citrusy cilantro. Plus it’s easy to prepare — simply throw everything into a blender and let it whirl! This naturally vegan, dairy-free, and gluten-free Cilantro Lime Dressing checks all the nutrition boxes.
Not feeling a vinaigrette? Try our wildly popular cilantro lime dressing recipe (creamy version) — this Cilantro Lime Sauce. Or if you’re a Cafe Rio fan, be sure to check out our creamy Cafe Rio Dressing.
What Does Cilantro Lime Dressing Taste Like?
This dressing has an herbal, bright, fresh flavor. When combined with the lime zest and juice, the cilantro imbues a citrusy flavor.
Cilantro Lime Dressing Recipe
While visiting LA earlier this year, my sisters and I had the best cilantro lime dressing from SweetGreen® restaurant and quickly became obsessed. I could (maybe did?) drink the dressing– it was that good!
Since there isn’t a SweetGreen anywhere near my actual home, a re-creation was in order the minute we got home!
Why Make Your Own Dressing?
Not only is making your own dressings more economical, but they also taste so much better than the shelf-stable dressings at the grocery store. Also, you can control exactly what goes in your dressing, tweaking flavors to perfectly suit your tastebuds.
Another bonus is the ability to use better oils. SweetGreen (like most other restaurants) uses oils like sunflower oil (it’s cheaper and doesn’t go rancid as quickly). So when you make dressings at home, you are able to use anti-inflammatory oils like avocado or olive oil to make a healthy cilantro lime dressing — score!
How To Make Cilantro Lime Dressing:
This easy Cilantro Lime Dressing is so quick to make with a blender or food processor. Throw everything in (except the oil) and blend. Then slowly drizzle in the oil with the motor running to nicely emulsify the dressing.
The prep time is even quicker with a microplane for zesting the limes and then a citrus juicer for juicing them.
What Is Cilantro Lime Dressing Made Of?
We combine cilantro (leaves and stems!), garlic, cumin, jalapeños, white wine vinegar, lime juice & zest, and olive oil to create a powerhouse dressing. A few more detailed ingredient notes:
- Jalapeño: To avoid “Jalapeño Hands,” wear thick kitchen gloves to cut out the ribs and seeds of the jalapeño pepper before finely dicing. As written, I’d say this is a very mild dressing and the jalapeños balance out the flavors. That said, if you prefer no heat, reduce the amount of jalapeños. Alternatively, amp up the spice by adding in more!
- White wine vinegar: This is not the same as white vinegar, which has a much higher acetic level. White wine vinegar is much milder with a slight fruitiness instead of the sourness you get from plain white vinegar.
- The better the olive oil used, the richer and more robust the dressing will taste. We recommend using extra virgin olive oil in this dressing.
What Does Cilantro Lime Dressing Go On?
We love having this dressing on hand (I meal prep it frequently) to drizzle over all kinds of dishes to add a bright citrusy pop of flavor.
My personal favorite way to use this Cilantro Lime Dressing is drizzled over this roasted corn salad (SO good!) I then use those dressed corn and peppers throughout the week to add texture or flavor to lots of different meals like grilled chicken, grilled steak, chicken tacos, etc.
Other ideas:
- Add on simple green salads with whatever veggies you have lingering in the fridge
- Drizzle on roasted veggies (like roasted cauliflower, roasted sweet potatoes, or roasted butternut squash.)
- Add to your favorite burrito or grain bowl (think burrito bowls, taco bowls, or nourish bowls)
- Add to your favorite side dishes to boost the flavor (think black beans or avocado salsa)
- Use this Cilantro Lime Dressing for fish tacos — we love it on these fish stick tacos or tilapia fish tacos
Storage
How Long Will Cilantro Dressing Last In The Fridge?
Cilantro Lime Dressing stays fresh for 5-7 days in an airtight container (like a mason jar with a plastic–not metal– lid in the fridge.
Heads-up: Leftover dressing will likely separate and may even solidify a bit. This is because olive oil solidifies at cold temperatures. Simply let the dressing stand at room temperature for about 15-20 minutes and then vigorously shake to re-combine. Then it’s ready to use again! Colors will also change a bit to a duller green as it stores.
Recipes To Use This Salad Dressing On:
- Southwest Quinoa Salad with black beans and corn
- Chipotle Chicken Salad with avocado and pepita seeds
- Black Bean Bowls with fresh mango
- Pinto Bean Tacos with pickled red onions
- Quinoa Black Bean Salad with sweet potatoes
Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup loosely packed cilantro (some stems are fine)
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon minced jalapeño peppers (remove ribs/seeds -- See Note 1)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (Note 2)
- 1/4 cup lime juice plus 1 teaspoon zest (3-4 limes)
- 3/4 cup olive oil (Note 3)
- Fine sea salt & pepper
Instructions
- Add all ingredients except the oil to a food processor or blender. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste.
- Blend until smooth. While running the motor, slowly drizzle in the oil to emulsify. Don't over blend with the oil. If your blender doesn't allow adding oil while blending, add all the oil at once and blend again just to emulsify.
- Taste and adjust flavors to preference. Transfer to a mason jar with a plastic lid and chill in the fridge. Shake before using.
- This Cilantro Lime Dressing stays fresh for 5-7 days in an airtight container in the fridge.Leftover dressing may separate and solidify due to the olive oil. Let it stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes, then shake vigorously to re-combine. The color may also change to a duller green over time.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
