This Cilantro Lime Sauce is bright, zesty, and packed with fresh flavor. Ready in under 10 minutes, it’s the perfect addition to tacos, bowls, salads, grilled meats and more!
author’s note
I Put This Sauce on Everything!
I first developed this cilantro lime sauce for my shrimp tacos, which have quickly become one of the most popular recipes on my website, and honestly, I think this sauce deserves a lot of the credit!
Truthfully, out of all the recipes on my site, this is one I make the MOST. I almost always have a container of it in my fridge.
It makes dinner so simple. I grab a protein, a base, and whatever toppings we have around, then turn it all into bowls, tacos, or some kind of easy dinner. And if it’s covered in this sauce, my kids really don’t care what else is going on. Haha.
So of course, it needed its own place on the site. I hope you love it as much as we do!
Cilantro Lime Sauce Ingredients
| Ingredient | Tips & Easy Swaps |
|---|---|
| Fresh cilantro | Use a generous bunch, loosely measured. It blends down nicely in the sauce. |
| Fresh limes | A good zester and citrus juicer makes all the difference. |
| Mayo | Use your favorite mayo for best flavor. Hellmann’s is my favorite. |
| Sour cream | Full-fat, low-fat, or lite sour cream works well. Plain Greek yogurt is another option. |
| Jalapeño | Remove the seeds and ribs for less heat, or leave some in for a spicier sauce. |
| Garlic | Use jarred, frozen, or fresh garlic. |
How To Make Cilantro Lime Sauce
- Zest & juice: Get 1 teaspoon lime zest and 1/4 cup juice.
- Blend: Add lime, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, mayo, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth.
- Finish: Blend in sour cream. Taste, adjust, and thin with water if needed.
- Chill: Refrigerate before serving for the best flavor.
author’s note
How To Use This Cilantro Lime Sauce
- Tacos: Drizzle over steak, fish, shrimp, or chicken tacos.
- Cafe Rio-style: A local restaurant here in Utah uses a similar sauce on their sweet pork salads and burritos.
- Shrimp: Use it on my cilantro lime shrimp bowls.
- Chicken: Drizzle over grilled or baked chicken, fajita chicken, or honey lime chicken bowls.
- Rice bowls: Pair rotisserie chicken with Mexican rice and plenty of sauce.
- Vegetarian: I love drizzling this sauce over these vegetarian fajitas or on these vegetarian tacos.
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:
Cilantro Lime Sauce
Equipment
- Blender or food processor
Ingredients
- 2 to 3 limes
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup loosely packed fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped jalapeño see note 1
- 1/2 cup mayo full-fat, see note 2
- 1/2 cup sour cream see note 3
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Zest and juice limes to get 4 tablespoons (1/4 cup) juice and 1 teaspoon zest.
- 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.
- Add sour cream and blend again. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. The sauce is thick but can be thinned with water if desired.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This sauce is absolutely amazing!!!
I would give more stars if I could. We put it on brisket tacos we made.
I’m so thrilled to hear this! And wow, brisket tacos sound absolutely delicious with it. Thanks so much for sharing!
This sauce is essential if you make the Boneless Chicken Thigh recipe. It’s such a good combination!
I love hearing that! This sauce really does make the boneless chicken thighs—such a simple combo, but the flavor is so good together. So glad you’re enjoying it!
Not very many of my family members like the ‘heat’; do you have a suggestion for an alternative to to the jalapenos?
Thanks,
I don’t really have a great substitute that will give the flavor and heat that jalapeños do so I’d just say leave them out. The sauce is slightly lacking in flavor without them, but still tasty!
You really won’t taste them. I’ve made this incredibly good sauce a few times now. We love it on grilled “taco” chicken, grilled salmon, and as a dressing for a Mexican salad!!
Yay! Thank you Kathy!
I forgot the jalapeño 🤦♀️ will it still taste good without or could I use chipotle peppers or green chilis as a substitute??
Hey Sierra! I haven’t tested it without the jalapeño yet, but it should turn out just fine without it.
I have a daughter named Chelsea, born in 90.
My family LOVED your lime/ cilantro sauce! I made a Cuban Mojo Pork Shoulder, pulled it, and browned each serving on my big iron skillet then topped it off with a heavy drizzle of your sauce, it’s freaking amazing together!
I followed your instructions precisely.
Yay! I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks so much for sharing!
I really like this recipe. Will it thicken by leave it in the fridge?♡♡♡♡
So thrilled to hear this! Yes, it’ll thicken as it sits, just give it a mix before using it again.
This sauce is SOOOO good!! I followed recipe exactly. I used Kewpie mayo. I topped this sauce over Chelsea’s Taco Chicken. SO good! Next time, I might toss this sauce with slaw & her Taco Chicken for tacos. YUM!!
Yay! I am so happy this was a hit! It’s a staple in my fridge. I need to try it with Kewpie mayo. Thanks Kathy!
Very tangy
My family loved this sauce. I served it over chicken and with cilantro rice and some cubed avocado.
Yay! So happy to hear this!
shredded a chayote squash to make the perfect slaw
Delish! Love that!