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This Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing is so incredibly good! Try it over Cafe Rio style salads, burritos, quesadillas, and more!
Table of Contents
- Ingredients in Cafe Rio Dressing
- What Goes with Cafe Rio Dressing?
- The #1 Site For Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
- Getting The Right Consistency
- Recipe Tips
- Check Out These Comments From Our Readers:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
- How to Make Cafe Rio Dressing
- Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing Recipe
If you’ve followed us for any time at all, you will know we are big fans of Mexican cuisine. When Cafe Rio first opened in 1997 in St. George, Utah, we were some of the very first customers and quickly became their biggest fans. Now they have locations all over the western United States and Maryland, but back in the day, when we lived in California, Nevada, and Washington there were no Cafe Rio’s close by. Because of this, many of our first copycat recipes were from Cafe Rio trying to achieve the “Fresh Mex” flavors at home. We’ve had some success, if we do say so ourselves. Please let us know if you agree!
Ingredients in Cafe Rio Dressing
- Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (traditional flavor, not buttermilk)
- Mayonnaise – we like Best Foods / Hellmann’s mayo the best
- Buttermilk
- Tomatillos (they look like small green tomatoes wrapped in a husk)
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime
- Jalapeño peppers (if you don’t like spice you can leave the jalapeño out)
What Goes with Cafe Rio Dressing?
Most people say that their favorite menu item at Cafe Rio is the Sweet Pork, but I say without a MOMENT of hesitation that mine is the Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing (also known as creamy cilantro lime dressing, tomatillo dressing, or Cafe Rio house dressing)! It is spicy and tangy and SO GOOD. What I love most about it is that it is so versatile! It can be way more than just a salad dressing. I seriously put it on everything — our Cafe Rio Burrito and Cafe Rio Salad for sure, plus quesadillas, tacos, nachos, sandwiches, I even dip veggies in it! I can’t keep it in the fridge for more than a few days before the bottle gets licked clean!
The #1 Site For Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
Our Cafe Rio recipes are what first made our site take off. We posted the recipe for Sweet Pork and people went crazy over it. Little by little we figured out more recipes and now we have a huge collection! We get great feedback and positive comments from our fans out there. Check them out and you will see why we are the #1 site for Cafe Rio recipes! Make sure to send us your feedback, too! We have had some great feedback and very positive reviews on all the recipes! Check em’ out and then add your own comments after you try them! We love hearing from our readers! ENJOY!
Read Next: All The Best Cafe Rio Recipes in ONE Place
Getting The Right Consistency
We’ve had some comments about the dressing being too runny. This is easy to prevent. Remember, it is much easier to thin a dressing than try to thicken it later without messing up the flavors. Follow these tips for perfect dressing thickness every time.
- If you are picky about consistency, add the buttermilk a little at a time while blending until you get the right consistency. You may not want to use all the buttermilk if you want a thicker dressing.
- Use real buttermilk – not a substitute. If you don’t have buttermilk and need to substitute milk with lemon or vinegar, start with only ½ cup of the substitute in the blender and then add a little at a time until your preferred consistency is reached.
- Limes can vary in size and juiciness. Typically a juiced lime will yield 2 tablespoons. Start with 1 teaspoon in the blender. After blending, continue to add 1 teaspoon at a time until the consistency is right for you.
Recipe Tips
- Use Best Foods / Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. It has the best flavor and consistency.
- If you want a lighter version of this recipe you can always use Greek yogurt instead of mayo. Keep in mind the consistency and flavor won’t quite be the same but it will still taste delicious.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir well before serving.
- This recipe does NOT freeze well. Freezing will cause the dressing to separate and ruin the creamy consistency.
Check Out These Comments From Our Readers:
“Loved Cafe Rio, moved to Ohio, then California (NO Cafe Rio!) so I have been making this a lot over the past few years. A funny thing happened. I was visiting Utah and we went to Cafe Rio and I was totally disappointed! I think I have perfected my Cafe Rio cooking skills to the point where I prefer these recipes to the original. Thank you so much! Note- I roast the tomatillos and the jalapeno in the oven for the dressing. I also buy raw tortillas a cook them at home. I think it makes a huge difference.” – LIZ
“Wow!!! This was simply amazing! I made this 4 nights ago to try on my mock Cafe Rio chicken salad and my husband and I were just sitting in our chairs going Mmmmmmmmm the whole time we ate. Guilty confession: I have had this everyday since for lunch because he dressing it so divine. Haha. I am going to try more of your recipes – way to go!!!” – ASHLEY
“Couldn’t love this recipe more. I live in NC and there are NO Cafe Rio’s OR Costa-Vida’s. Makes me so sad, so we make this recipe a lot, and have educated all of our friends on its deliciousness!” – ALEESHA
Frequently Asked Questions
The spiciness is all in the jalapeño seeds. You can eliminate the seeds completely for no spiciness at all, or add as many as you want to turn on the heat.
A tomatillo is a small, tomato-shaped, green fruit with a leaf-looking husk for an outer layer. It is also known as the Mexican husk tomato for this reason. Tomatillos have a similar taste and texture to tomatoes, but they are less sweet and more acidic. There are tomatillos in the photo above on the bottom left.
Remove the husks from the outer layer. You’ll find the tomatillo has a sticky skin on it. Rinse it under warm water and then dry with a dish cloth. Use a sharp knife to remove the stem, then dice as you would a tomato.
Yes. But, a substitute is usually a thinner consistency. Make the substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of either vinegar or lemon juice to a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill the remaining cup with milk – preferably whole. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Add only ½ cup of the buttermilk substitute to the blender. Blend. Gradually add a little at a time until the dressing is the consistency you prefer.
More Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
- Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo)
- Cafe Rio Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
- Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Burrito
- Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Homemade Tortilla Strips
- Cafe Rio’s Cilantro-Lime Rice and Black Beans
- The BEST Guacamole EVER
How to Make Cafe Rio Dressing
Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (1-ounce) packet Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning , (original, not buttermilk)
- 1 cup Best Foods mayonnaise
- 1 cup buttermilk, (If you like a thicker dressing only use ½ cup)
- 2 tomatillos, husked and diced
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro, fresh
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 jalapeno, stem removed
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until smooth. Chill for 1 hour.
- Serve as a dressing over salad or as a dip for veggies and chips.
Equipment
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe is amazing! I made it to eat with sweet pork quesadillas at home because I love Cafe Rio’s dressing. My local store doesn’t have great selection, so I had to sub tomatillos for salsa verde and buttermilk for 2% milk with lemon juice. It turned out AMAZING even with the substitutions and it tastes so much like the Care Rio house dressing! 10/10
I am so glad to hear that using salsa verde worked as a great substitution! I will have to try that next time I can’t find tomatillos, genius! Thanks for sharing and thank you for the rave review!