• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • meet the team
  • blogger resources
  • Contact Me
My Account
Member Dashboard
40 Aprons Premium (Ad Free!)

40 Aprons

Delicious, Healthy-ish Meals for the Whole Family

  • All Recipes
  • Most Popular
    • Cheryl’s Favorite Recipes
    • 30-Minute Recipes
    • Creamy Soups
    • Copycat Recipes
    • Casseroles
    • One-Dish Wonders
  • Method
    • Air Fryer
    • Baking
    • Crockpot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • Sous Vide
  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Cooking Basics
    • Breakfast
    • Condiments
    • Dips & Salsas
    • Dessert
    • Main Course
    • Meal Prep
    • Salads
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican & Latin
    • Southern
Home Blog Course Condiments & Sauces

Cilantro Lime Dressing

Cheryl Malik
Cheryl Malik Posted: 07/08/20 Updated: 01/18/22
5
/5
10 Comments
Jump to Recipe
K Keto LC Low Carb VG Vegetarian

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.

This cilantro lime dressing is creamy, perfectly and lightly sweet, and packed with garlic and cilantro flavor that’s fresh but not overwhelming. Absolutely perfect on a Southwest salad or anytime you’re craving loads of Mexican or Southwest summer flavor!

Jar of cilantro lime dressing

There is nothing like homemade salad dressing to take your salad to the next level, whether it’s for company or just your lunch bag. This salad dressing is so easy to make, yet is absolutely loaded with the flavors of herbaceous cilantro, tart lime juice, the tang of yogurt or sour cream, sweet honey, and just a little spice from jalapeño. It’s thick, creamy, and totally enhances your salad. This easy recipe is super easy to whip up on a Sunday, pop in the fridge, and have perfect dressing all week.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

Mayonnaise – Mayo helps give our dressing a creamy base. Make sure to use a good quality mayo without a strong aftertaste.
Yogurt or sour cream – The second half of our dressing’s base, yogurt or sour cream keeps things creamy, but adds a little tang.
Garlic – A bold flavor that gives an extra layer of savory flavor combined with the sweet.
Jalapeño – A seeded, chopped pepper helps give just a hint of heat to the dressing without overwhelming the other flavors.
Lime juice – The citrusy, tart flavor of lime juice helps bring out the brightness in the other flavors.
Honey – Honey helps adds sweetness to the dressing.
Cilantro – Cilantro is the perfect earthy, minty herb to complement the other flavors and give our dressing one of its signature components.

How To Make It

The full recipe & ingredients list are below, but here you’ll find a quick overview for making this recipe perfectly, along with useful tips and info!

Add the jalapeño and garlic to a food processor or blender.

Pulse or blend until everything is finely chopped.

Add in everything but the honey and blend or pulse a couple times until everything is nicely blended.

Turn on the food processor or blender and slowly drizzle in the oil until it’s fully incorporated.

Season with some salt to taste before serving.

Chef’s Tips

  • Decide how much honey you want to use based on how sweet you want your dressing. Use 2 tablespoons for a nice tangy dressing with just a hint of sweetness, or go up to 4 tablespoons for a sweet and smooth dressing.
  • You can keep your dressing in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Cilantro lime dressing being drizzled over salad

More Delicious Dressings & Condiments

  • Avocado Salad Dressing
  • One Minute Whole30 Mayo
  • Whole30 Ketchup Recipe
  • Whole30 Ranch Dressing
  • Miso Dressing

Hey – you’ve made it this far, so now we’re basically best friends! If you make this recipe, I’d love for you to give it a quick review & star rating ★ below. Make sure you follow me on Instagram, Pinterest, TikTok, and Facebook, too!

5 from 7 votes

Cilantro Lime Dressing

Prep:10 minutes minutes
Total:10 minutes minutes
This easy cilantro lime dressing is perfect on taco salads or whenever you want a bold Southwestern kick.
Print Save Saved! Click Here to Remove Ads
10 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 jalapeño seeded and coarsely chopped
  • 2-3 cloves garlic
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • ½ cup yogurt or sour cream
  • ¼ cup lime juice
  • 2-4 tablespoons honey plus more to taste, 2 for tangy and 4 for nice and sweet and smooth
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ½ cup cilantro leaves packed
  • ½ cup olive oil

Equipment

  • Food processor or blender

Instructions 

  • Add jalapeño and garlic to food processor or blender. Pulse or blend until finely chopped. Add mayo, yogurt or sour cream, lime juice, honey, salt, and cilantro and blend or pulse several times until fully blended.
  • Turn on the food processor or blender and slowly drizzle in oil until fully incorporated. Season with salt to taste.

Notes

  • Honey: Use 2 tablespoons for a nice tangy dressing with just a hint of sweetness, or go up to 4 tablespoons for a sweet and smooth dressing.
  • Storage: Keep in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Nutrition Information

Serving Size: 1serving, Calories: 210kcal, Protein: 1g, Fat: 21g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 314mg, Potassium: 27mg, Total Carbs: 5g, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Net Carbs: 4g, Vitamin A: 148IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 14mg, Iron: 1mg

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @40aprons on social and be sure to leave a review on the blog post!

Rate Recipe Tag Me on Instagram
Cheryl Malik

Meet Cheryl Malik

Cheryl Malik is the recipe developer, writer, and photographer behind the healthy, flavorful, family friendly recipes at 40 Aprons. She's been a blogger for 10+ years and is known for her delicious recipes and detailed recipe instructions. Cheryl is a mom of three who lives in Memphis, TN.

Read more...

You may also like...

  • The best Whole30 ranch dressing. Garlicky with fresh herbs, it's the best paleo ranch dressing out there!
    The Best Whole30 Ranch Dressing + Whole30 Garlic Mayonnaise
  • Whole30 ranch dressing in a jar on a board with fresh herbs in background
    Whole30 Ranch Dressing ("Dump Ranch," Paleo, Dairy-Free)
  • A classic healthy chicken cobb salad on a white plate
    Chicken Cobb Salad (Dairy Free, Whole30)

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Have a question? Submit your question or comment below.

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Robin says

    Posted on 2/18/23 at 5:35 pm

    Absolutely delicious. We all went back for a second helping of salad because this dressing was SO delicious. I used Sour cream and 3 Tbsp. of honey. I dud use 3 garlic cloves but will only use 2 next time. I will make this again and again! Thanks for sharing.5 stars

    Reply
    • Megan | 40 Aprons TeamMegan | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 2/19/23 at 7:26 pm

      So happy you enjoyed it so much, Robin! Thank you for your kind review!

      Reply
  2. Lynn says

    Posted on 2/22/22 at 2:16 pm

    Can I substitute the mayonnaise?

    Reply
    • Anna Claire | 40 Aprons TeamAnna Claire | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 3/1/22 at 11:06 am

      We haven’t tried this swap, but if you do let us know how it turns out!5 stars

      Reply
  3. Desiree says

    Posted on 3/22/21 at 2:01 pm

    Your instructions say to add ginger but there is no ginger in the recipe?

    Reply
    • Savannah | 40 Aprons Team says

      Posted on 3/23/21 at 1:19 pm

      Sorry about that, an older version of this recipe made it to to the site! No ginger in this recipe. 🙂5 stars

      Reply
  4. Sue says

    Posted on 7/23/20 at 12:21 pm

    This is awesome!!! Thank you!5 stars

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 7/23/20 at 2:41 pm

      You are so welcome! I’m glad you loved it!5 stars

      Reply
  5. Kerry says

    Posted on 7/16/20 at 10:17 am

    I’m so glad I found your website/food blog! Delicious and nutritious recipes packed full of flavor using actual ingredients I usually have on hand. This cilantro lime dressing is so amazing. I didn’t have the jalapeno on hand, so I used some green chilis instead and it was so amazing I almost drank it.5 stars

    Reply
    • Cheryl MalikCheryl Malik says

      Posted on 7/22/20 at 2:21 pm

      OMG, that sounds delicious! I’m glad you liked it! I’m definitely guilty of almost drinking dressing, too… ?5 stars

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

What’s Popular?

A casserole dish, angled on a table, filled with banana stuffed french toast casserole topped with strawberries.

Tonga Toast French Toast Casserole

Overhead view of a cast-iron skillet filled with cream cheese sausage dip surrounded by tortilla chip scoops.

3-Ingredient Sausage Dip (Stovetop or Crockpot)

Top-down view of a large bowl, lined with parchment paper, holding several orange-sauced buffalo chicken wings.

Boneless Chicken Wings

Overhead view of one bowl and one partial bowl of cajun chicken pasta soup on a wooden table.

Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta Soup

In Season

Zoomed out photo of two mimosas glasses holding apple cider mimosas rimmed with brown sugar cinnamon sitting in front of a bowl of apples.

Apple Cider Mimosas

Two slices of Whole30 meatloaf plated with green beans and mashed potatoes on a grey-blue plate with silverware on a table.

Whole30 Meatloaf

Close-up, angled view of soft and fluffy air fryer pizza on a white plate.

Air Fryer Pizza

close up image of king ranch casserole being lifted out of the baking dish

Cheesy King Ranch Casserole

As seen on:

More Goodies + NO Ads!

Become a 40 Aprons Premium Member!

All the 40 Aprons content you love - now even better.

  • Member-Exclusive Recipes
  • Meal Plans & Grocery Lists
  • eBooks
  • NO ADS!
Join now

Privacy Policy

Accessibility

Disclaimers

Contact

© 2023 40 Aprons
Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled
Back to Top
1714 shares