Cilantro Lime Dressing

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This 6-ingredient, 5-minute cilantro lime dressing is fresh, perfectly balanced, and guaranteed to wake up your greens and so much more.

I cannot recall the last time I bought salad dressing at the grocery store. It’s just too easy to make at home, and tastes so much fresher to me.

And when you’re eating a salad, fresh is really what you want to taste! Read on for all my best tips for homemade dressings.

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Can I make this dressing creamy?

This dressing is more specifically a “vinaigrette” since it is, at its base, an oil and acid dressing. It is vegan (if you use maple syrup instead of honey), dairy-free, and superb for dressing greens, bowls, and marinating meats, seafood and vegetables.

If you’re looking for a creamy version of this dressing, you can add up to 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt, sour cream, or mayonnaise to taste. I usually do some combination, like 1/2 cup of sour cream plus 1/2 cup of mayo, for instance.

I also like to add in an extra 1/2 cup to 1 cup cilantro when I add a creamy ingredient, to keep a good amount of cilantro flavor.

The creamy version is perfect for fish tacos, wraps, taco slaws like for these chicken tacos, and dipping all sorts of things!

Want it creamy but vegan?

If you’re looking for a way to make it creamy while keeping it vegan, try blending in 1/2 an avocado instead of mayo, Greek yogurt or sour cream!

Taste as you go

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from making homemade dressings, it’s to taste and adjust!

The ingredient proportions I give here are really a starting point. The flavor you end up with WILL depend on the specific brand of olive oil and vinegar you use, on how acidic your limes are, what kind of salt you use (I use kosher or sea salt), and so on.

If you taste and find it too tart or acidic, try adding a little more honey. If you find it a bit too sweet, balance it with an extra pinch of salt. Too oily/not acidic enough? Add a little extra vinegar or lime juice.

A perfectly balanced homemade dressing or vinaigrette just sings and tastes a million times better than store bought. So just keep testing and adjusting until it’s just right for you!

Useful tools

Immersion blender

No special tools are really needed to make most homemade dressings, and this one is no exception. You can finely chop everything and just whisk it together. You can also use a food processor or a regular blender.

HOWEVER, this is something that I love to use my immersion blender for. No chopping required, minimal cleanup, just put everything in a container and blitz away.

So if you have an immersion blender sitting around collecting dust (I’ve heard of this happening!), this would be a good time to dig it out!

I think you’ll be pleased with how easy it is to clean and how much time you save. I have this one with all its handy attachments, and use it constantly.

Cilantro lime dressing step-by-step

1. You will need:

• 1/2 cup of fresh cilantro, packed
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from 1-2 limes, depending how juicy they are)
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 small clove garlic, peeled
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste

2. Either chop the garlic and cilantro very finely and whisk with the remaining ingredients, or just blitz everything with an immersion blender, regular blender, or food processor.

So simple and SO good.

By the way, if you’re intrigued by the veggie bowl situation in the photo at the top of this post, those are some seriously delicious vegetarian burrito bowls.

If you love cilantro…

…and I’m guessing it doesn’t taste like soap to you if you’re on this page, try this cilantro chimichurri, another condiment that does double-duty as a marinade. And then put it on these grilled chimichurri chicken thighs or in this creamy chimichurri corn soup!

If you love the combination of cilantro and lime, and you’re looking for an easy side dish, I love to stir some cilantro into this baked coconut lime rice!