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An easy, creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing made with Greek yogurt! So good you’ll want to eat it with a spoon. Guaranteed to brighten up any salad!
This is one of those salad dressings previously reserved for dine-in and take-out situations only.
The fresh, vibrant colors and flavors previously reserved for Tex-Mex entree salads at your favorite restaurant are about to take over you kitchen, and it couldn’t be easier. Or more delicious.
How do you make Cilantro Lime Dressing?
Blend cilantro leaves (stems removed and discarded, or fed to your cat) in a food processor with Greek yogurt, lime juice, and minced garlic.
- Pro Tip: Even though you’re making this in a food process or blender, you should still mince the garlic so you don’t accidentally end up with a random large piece of raw garlic.
Next, with the motor running, drizzle in olive oil. Season to taste with s&p!
Besides the pretty green color, you can look forward to a protein boost from the Greek yogurt and extra vitamins from all the fresh herbs from this fabulous Cilantro Lime Dressing. Delicious!
How do you make a Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (instead of a creamy version)?
In a food processor or blender combine:
- ½ bunch cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup lime juice, 2 tablespoons white vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 clove of garlic (minced)
- ¾ teaspoon spicy brown mustard
- ¾ cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 cup cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons lime juice (from 2 limes)
- 2 cloves garlic minced (see note 2)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- In a food processor, combine cilantro, yogurt, lime juice, and garlic. Blend until smooth.
- With the motor running, slowly add olive oil through the feed-tube. Season to taste with salt and pepper (I like ¼ teaspoon salt and a pinch of pepper). Chill until serving.
Notes
- Plain Greek yogurt: For a richer texture and flavor, opt for a fat level of 2% or higher. That said, any plain Greek yogurt from 0% up works for this creamy salad dressing. Sour cream is a great substitute, if you prefer.
- Garlic: Mince the garlic before adding to the food processor, otherwise, you may be left with large chunks of garlic in the salad dressing. (Which I certainly don't mind, but know that not everyone loves.)
- Yield: This Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing recipe makes about 2 cups. This is equivalent to 32 tablespoons, enough for 16 2-tablespoon servings.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Iām the Executive Chef and head of the Culinary Hill Test Kitchen. Every recipe is developed, tested, and approved just for you.
This dressing is absolutely fabulous! We love spice / heat, and so the second time I made it I added a jalapeno, and my husband and I were swooning. Either way, this is a fabulous topping for a tacos and salads. So delicious.
Thanks Dione, so glad you two liked it! – Meggan
Delicious!! The only change I made was subbing 1/4 cup of mayo and 1/4 cup of sour cream for the 1/2 cup of yogurt. Not a fan of yogurt is the only reason. Thanks for an easy, yummy recipe.
I am getting ready to make this for the first time. I do not see where in the recipe the “spicy brown mustard” is added to the ingredients or the instructions. I realize this is a minor ingredient, but I just wanted to point that out. I could also be missing something :) Maybe you meant to put “optional” next to the listed ingredients in the discussion before the printable recipe. This looks so good and am going to add just a bit of jalapeƱo because that sounds like a fun addition. I am in love with cilantro and am currently in Brazil where I picked up some fresh limes the size of a small orange. They are about as beautiful a lime as one could get!
Hi AngelaC, sorry for the confusion! I added a variation to the post for a cilantro lime vinaigrette version instead of a creamy version, that is where the spicy brown mustard would be used. I’m going to update the recipe card with that variation, so it will show up in the notes when you print it out. Thanks for taking the time to comment so I can fix it. Enjoy! – Meggan
Hi there!
How long would this keep for in the fridge?
Thanks :)
Hi Micky! This will keep in the fridge in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. :) – Meggan
Its mind blowingly delicious. :)
Megan, just curious as to why ingredients change from āHow to makeā to actual recipe.
Hey there, I’m thinking you saw the section for “how to make cilantro lime vinaigrette” which is different than the recipe card for Cilantro-lime dressing. That is REALLY confusing and I”m sorry about that, who is running this site?! But jokes aside, the one in the recipe card is a creamy dressing, but in the body of the post we talk about both the creamy version AND a vinaigrette version. I think that’s what you saw. I’ll go fix the post so it’s not confusing. I’m really sorry about that. Thanks for pointing it out! -Meggan
Get yourself a Vitamix and just throw all the the ingredients in except the oil. You need to include the stems because that’s where the flavor is. You will never know stems were added because the Vitamix will destroy them.
This will go perfectly with a meal I’m making tonight – it tastes good on its own! I just halved it and stir in a mix of avocado oil and EVOO at the end because of the blender that I was using. I’m making a copycat bowl of a meal I just ate at a restaurant in Charlottesville. Here’s the link if you’re interested. It’s the El Jefe bowl!
Thanks for the recipe!
http://www.rootsnaturalkitchen.com/address/1329-w-main-st-charlottesville-virginia-22903/
This is my favorite dressing! You make it look so easy so Iām totally trying this at home. Thank you!
This was so amazing. I’m getting bored of my normal salad dressings, and this one knocked it out of the park! I used sour cream instead of yogurt since it’s what I had, but it came out great! Thank you!