Home > Dressings > Cilantro Lime Sauce Recipe Cilantro Lime Sauce Recipe May 1, 2022 | 2 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Cilantro Lime Sauce: a flavor-packed, creamy blend of cilantro, garlic, and lime juice. Ready in under 10 minutes, this tangy sauce is perfect for drizzling over tacos, salads, grilled meats, or as a dip—a true fridge staple! The BEST Lime Cilantro Sauce Recipe This recipe came about as I was working to develop my vision of the ideal cilantro lime sauce for shrimp tacos. I envisioned a tangy, zesty, lime, and cilantro-packed sauce to perfectly complement the spiced shrimp and crunchy slaw. After it was perfect, I was thrilled to read so many of you also loved the sauce. In fact, the Cilantro-Lime Sauce for the shrimp tacos is probably the most raved-about part in the comment section. Here’s what some of you had to say about this sauce: “The cilantro lime cream sauce is one of my favorites. Thanks for a great recipe!” “The sauce, to me, is addictive…So good! Wouldn’t change a thing.” “This was sooo good. The sauce was amazing.” “The sauce is so addictive, I could (and do) eat it with a spoon…” “…I always double the sauce recipe so we have extra for other dishes over the next few days. Well done” Convinced you need this creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce?! I almost always have a batch of it in my fridge which makes throwing together a quick dinner a cinch! 🙂 Ingredients In Cilantro Lime Sauce Fresh limes: Juice and zest of 2-3 limes go into this sauce. I love zesting the limes with a microplane and then juicing with this citrus juicer. Minced garlic: Use jarred, frozen, or fresh — whatever you have access to. Fresh cilantro: Grab a fresh bunch and loosely measure it for the sauce — there’s a lot, but it blends down nicely! Jalapeño: Remove the seeds and ribs to control the heat or leave in ’em for a spicy sauce! Mayonnaise: The better the mayo, the better the flavor. I love Hellmans mayo but if you have a favorite, use it. Sour cream: I’ve tested this Cilantro-Lime Sauce with full-fat, low-fat, and lite sour cream and couldn’t tell much of a difference with all the other flavors going on. If you’re watching calories/fat, try lite sour cream instead! Salt and pepper. No sauce is complete without salt and pepper, and this creamy Cilantro-Lime Sauce is no exception. Add to taste preference, remembering that an extra pinch can be the difference between a good and a amazing sauce! How To Make Cilantro Lime Sauce This sauce is as simple as adding everything to a blender or food processor and giving it a whirl! Taste, adjust, and enjoy! Below are a few tips: Which to use — a high-powered blender or a food processor? Either works just fine. For an ultra-smooth sauce use a blender. In the food processor, you’ll have a lighter sauce with more specks of cilantro throughout. When zesting the limes, avoid the white part of the limes–it can be very bitter. Chill the sauce: This is a great sauce to make ahead of time as it gets more flavorful as it sits. It also tastes better cold! When using this sauce for tacos, add it right before eating to avoid soggy taco shells! If you’d like a slightly sweeter sauce, add a touch of honey or a few pinches of sugar. Depending on the cilantro used, you may want to add a touch — there can be some flavor variation in cilantro. How To Use Homemade Cilantro Lime Sauce Top your tacos: I drizzle this sauce on all kinds of tacos — steak tacos, fish tacos, shrimp tacos, and chicken tacos! I also drizzle this sauce over quesadillas or burritos! Cilantro-Lime Sauce for fish: Try drizzling this sauce over this blackened tilapia for the most delicious dinner. Add in some ranch seasoning: This Cafe Rio dressing is quite similar, but I add in a dry ranch seasoning mix. Use on shrimp: Here is my favorite cilantro lime shrimp bowls where I use this sauce! Cilantro-Lime Sauce for chicken: Drizzle on some grilled chicken, my favorite grilled fajita chicken, or over these honey lime chicken bowls. Grab a rotisserie chicken to serve over this tasty Mexican rice and drizzle everything with this sauce. Vegetarian uses: I love drizzling this sauce over these Mexican chickpeas, over these vegetarian fajitas, or on these vegetarian tacos. STORAGE Storage Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 days and give it a good stir before using again. Make sure the dressing is tightly covered or it will absorb odors in the fridge. I don’t recommend freezing this dressing because it is dairy-based. It can become lumpy and can curdle when thawed. Instead, cut the recipe in half if you won’t use it within 4-6 days. More Recipes Using This Sauce: Baked Chicken Tacos with ground chicken One-Pot Chicken Burrito Bowls with rice BBQ Chicken Tacos with charred corn tortillas Make this Cilantro-Lime Sauce to top our fave Fish Tacos Tikka Masala Wraps with air-fried or roasted chickpeas FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Cilantro Lime Sauce 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe Cilantro Lime Sauce: a flavor-packed, creamy blend of cilantro, garlic, and lime juice. Ready in under 10 minutes, this tangy sauce is perfect for drizzling over tacos, salads, grilled meats, or as a dip—a true fridge staple! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Cilantro Lime Sauce 5 from 3 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Cilantro Lime Sauce: a flavor-packed, creamy blend of cilantro, garlic, and lime juice. Ready in under 10 minutes, this tangy sauce is perfect for drizzling over tacos, salads, grilled meats, or as a dip—a true fridge staple! Course sauce, Side Dish Cuisine American, Vegetarian Keyword Cilantro Lime Sauce, cilantro lime sauce recipe Prep Time 10 minutes minutes Total Time 10 minutes minutes Servings 10 1-1/3 cup sauce Chelsea Lords Calories 97kcal Author Chelsea Lords Cost $3.12 EquipmentBlender or food processor Ingredients▢ 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (plus 1 teaspoon lime zest from 2-3 limes)▢ 1 teaspoon minced garlic▢ 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro▢ 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped jalapeño (Note 1)▢ 1/2 cup regular full-fat mayonnaise (Note 2)▢ 1/2 cup sour cream (Note 3)▢ Fine sea salt & pepperUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsPREP: Zest and juice limes to get 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) juice and 1 teaspoon zest. FIRST BLEND: Add the juice and zest to a blender or mini food processor with minced garlic, cilantro, chopped jalapeño, and mayo. Season with salt and pepper (I use 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper, but adjust to taste). Blend until smooth.SECOND BLEND: Add sour cream and blend again. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. The sauce is thick but can be thinned with water if desired.STORAGE: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-6 days and stir before using. Keep it tightly covered to avoid fridge odors. I don't recommend freezing dairy dressings because they can get lumpy or curdled. Instead, make a smaller batch if you won't use it in 4-6 days. Recipe NotesNote 1: Jalapeño: When handling jalapeños, wear gloves to avoid burning your skin. Wash your hands immediately after. Cut the jalapeño in half, remove seeds, and coarsely chop. For a spicier sauce, add more jalapeño gradually. Note: wrinkly jalapeños are spicier than smooth ones. Note 2: Mayo: The better the mayo, the yummier the sauce! I love and recommend Hellman's/Best Foods mayo. Note 3: Sour cream: I've tested this cilantro lime sauce with full-fat, low-fat, and lite sour cream, and there's little difference in taste. Nutrition FactsServing: 1serving | Calories: 97kcal | Carbohydrates: 1.5g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9.9g | Cholesterol: 8.6mg | Sodium: 78.8mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 0.2g We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
