Cilantro Lime Dressing

This cilantro lime dressing is the perfect vinaigrette for your next salad, burrito bowl, slaw, tacos, fajitas, or as a marinade for your favorite protein. It’s made with fresh cilantro, zesty lime juice, spicy jalapeño, garlic, ground cumin, and maple syrup for natural sweetness.

I used to order the Southwest bowl at a local restaurant in my neighborhood, which was served with a tangy cilantro jalapeño dressing.

I live in a different area now, so I was determined to figure out how to make it at home. Plus, it’s cheaper and healthier to make salad dressing at home because you can control the ingredients and avoid using seed oils.

After testing this recipe many times, I am officially obsessed with this cilantro lime dressing. It’s the perfect balance between sweet, zippy, and bright flavors.

Cilantro lime dressing ingredients

This cilantro lime dressing comes together quickly using a food processor. It’s the best way to emulsify the dressing and make sure the cilantro gets finely chopped.

If you don’t have a food processor or blender, you can still make this tasty salad dressing. To do so, finely chop the cilantro and whisk all the ingredients together in a bowl or shake it up in a jar with a fitted lid.

I use a mini food processor to make this dressing, and it’s been one of my favorite purchases for my kitchen. I use it daily to chop veggies or make dressings and dips.

Cilantro: This is the fresh highlight of this dressing. I use mostly cilantro leaves for this recipe, but a few small stems are okay too.

Extra virgin olive oil: I use olive oil for this recipe because I always have it in my pantry. It makes the dressing rich tasting. You can use avocado oil if you prefer.

Lime juice: I use freshly squeezed lime juice for this recipe. Depending on the size of your limes, you’ll need 3-4 limes to make this dressing.

If you don’t have enough limes, you can substitute with freshly squeezed lemon juice. Don’t substitute with lime juice from a bottle, because it won’t taste the same.

Maple syrup: Adding a little bit of natural sweetener can help balance the bitterness of the cilantro and the tanginess from the lime juice.

I use pure maple syrup because I always have it in my fridge, but you can use honey or agave nectar if you prefer.

jalapeño Pepper: The jalapeño adds the right amount of spicy kick to this dressing. If you’re sensitive to heat, make sure to de-seed the jalapeño or omit it completely.

Garlic: I use one small garlic clove for this recipe. If you like a stronger garlic flavor, you can use more.

If you don’t like garlic, you can omit it or substitute with a pinch of garlic powder.

Cumin: A little ground cumin adds a warm and savory flavor to this dressing.

Salt and pepper: This helps to bring out the flavors and make them taste amazing.

How to make cilantro lime dressing

This dressing requires very little chopping and prep work. Simply add all the ingredients to a food processor or blender and process until smooth.

You can use it immediately or let it chill in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

If you want to make it creamy, you can add a little bit of Greek yogurt, sour cream, mayonnaise, tahini or ripe avocado.  

What to serve with cilantro lime dressing

Salads: This would be great for Mexican, Southwest, or Tex-Mex salads.

Bowls: This dressing goes great over rice, quinoa, farro, or lentils. I like using it for burrito bowls or Southwest nourish bowls.

Tacos: This would taste great drizzled over a taco.

Burritos: Drizzle a little of bit of this dressing in your next burrito.

Fajitas: Add a little of this dressing on your fajita or make a fajita bowl.  

Quesadillas: Use it as a dip for quesadillas.

Marinade: Use this dressing as a marinade for protein or vegetables.

How to store cilantro lime dressing

You can keep this dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. It’s natural for olive oil to solidify when chilled.

Before using it, let it sit at room temperature for a few minutes, then you can re-emulsify it by shaking or whisking the dressing vigorously.

Please let me know how you like this cilantro lime dressing in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this dressing as much as I do.

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