Cafe Rio Dressing (Cilantro Ranch Dressing)

4.99 from 56 votes
103 Comments

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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!

Cilantro Ranch Dressing being poured over a salad
Featured With This Recipe
  1. Ingredients in Cafe Rio Dressing
  2. What Goes with Cafe Rio Dressing?
  3. The #1 Site For Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
  4. Getting The Right Consistency
  5. Recipe Tips
  6. Check Out These Comments From Our Readers:
  7. Frequently Asked Questions
  8. More Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
  9. How to Make Cafe Rio Dressing
  10. 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

Cilantro Ranch Dressing in a jar


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 recipe is seriously so simple — just toss all the ingredients in the blender and blend away! But, here I will answer some questions we’ve had from our readers over the years.

How do I increase/decrease the spiciness?

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.

What is a tomatillo?

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.

How do you prepare a tomatillo for this dressing?

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.

Can I use a buttermilk substitute?

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.

How many carbs in Cafe Rio dressing?

This recipe only has 3g carbs per serving (2 tablespoons).

How many calories are in Cafe Rio dressing?

There are 133 calories per serving in this Cafe Rio dressing recipe.

More Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes

To view ALL of our Cafe Rio / Costa Vida copycat recipes, click HERE.

How to Make Cafe Rio Dressing

Dressing being poured over a salad

Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

4.99 from 56 votes
This Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing is so incredibly good! Try it over Cafe Rio style salads, burritos, quesadillas, and more!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Refrigerate 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Course Dip
Cuisine Mexican/Spanish
Servings 16 servings

Video

Equipment

  • Blendtec Blender

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.
    Ingredients in a blender
  • Blend until smooth. Chill for 1 hour.
    Tomatillo Ranch Dressing in a jar
  • Serve as a dressing over salad or as a dip for veggies and chips.
    Dressing being poured over a salad

Notes

If you like thicker dressing, use only ½ cup buttermilk. If you like your dressing mild, remove the seeds from the jalapeno. I like it spicy, so I keep the seeds in it. 

Nutrition Information

Calories: 113kcalCarbohydrates: 3gProtein: 1gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 236mgPotassium: 43mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 67IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 21mgIron: 0.1mg

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About the author

Erica Walker

Erica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband, Jared, an attorney, and her three beautiful girls. Beyond the world of recipes, she loves adventuring with everything from kayaking, to cruising, to snowboarding and taking the family along for the thrill ride.

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    This recipe is amazing! I followed it exactly, but instead of 1 cup of buttermilk I did 1 cup of nonfat plain Greek yogurt. It gave the recipe the tang I’m sure buttermilk does, but also made it nice and thick. This is definitely my go to Cafe Rio dressing recipe from now on.

  2. Hi. I am REALLY THANKFUL for your site!!! Thanks for taking the time to do this and share with so many people. I saw that you have a recipe for the shredded chicken but just have not put it out yet. Can I please ask you to do it as soon as possible?!? My husband loves the chicken and I would love to make it for him but have no idea how! Thanks so much again!!!

  3. 5 stars
    So so so impressed with this recipe. I’ve tried to make a similar recipe myself for ages and it has never come out anywhere near this good. Brings me back to the days I went to college and always got extra sides of this dressing at Cafe Rio! Highly recommend!

  4. 5 stars
    Amazing and super easy!! All these cafe rio recipes are incredible- better than cafe rio actually!

    1. Thank you! So glad that you loved it and it was so good for you. It is always a favorite in our home too!

  5. 5 stars
    We’ve been using these cafe Rio recipes of yours for years and love them! I’m thinking of doing a cafe Rio bar for a family reunion next week, but want to make the food ahead of time. Have you ever frozen this sauce before? I’m worried it will have a weird texture when thawed. Thank you!

    1. Oh! I see a couple of pages down on the comments that someone else tried to freeze it and it separated. Thanks!

  6. 5 stars
    This was SO delicious! I filled exactly as is and it was so tasty! It was thin so I think next time I will lower the amount of buttermilk. But 100% the best dressing I’ve ever made!

  7. 5 stars
    Love making my own dressing and was excited to try this. Came out great! Easy and delicious. Will definitely be making this often

  8. Jalapeños vary in size and spiciness especially if you are using them from your own garden. Mine are typically about an inch to an inch-and-a-half long and skinny whereas the ones from the store are about two inches long ByAn they are fat. Should I just use two of the smaller ones that I grow myself? Any ideas?

    1. Since I don’t know how spicy the ones from your garden are, I can’t say for sure. Maybe start with one and taste it and then add another if you are looking for more spice?

  9. 5 stars
    Love this ranch dressing it was such a great added addition to my salad. Can’t wait to make and use again!

  10. Just tried this recipe. Always trying to find a lower carb, lower cal solution to dips and salads. I tried this recipe and used 16oz of 2% cottage cheese with 1 TBS of Hellman’s mayonnaise and 1 TBS of sour cream. Blended it till the consistency was just right. I have received several compliments. Thank you for the recipe! I have tried others but they reviews from the home crowd are not repeatable.

  11. 5 stars
    This recipe is amazing, I’ve honestly lost count of how many times I’ve made it. Now it CAN be runny but that’s usually due to the preparer’s preferences ie adding a dash more of this or that for more flavor but then the downside is that thins out the dressing. Personally, I LOVE spicy so I add significantly more jalapeños than the recipe calls for but then I just swap sour cream for buttermilk and keep adding more in until I reach the desired consistency – its an easy fix. Honestly I now much prefer my own to cafe rio’s because it’s got more of a kick.

    Amazing recipe!

    Tip for those getting frustrated with the consistency: be patient. Don’t get discouraged on the first try, if you’re willing to play around with it a little, I promise you the end result will never disappoint.

  12. It was just ok. Super thin and liquidy. Dressing isn’t supposed to be the consistency of water and soak into your salad.

    1. I’m not sure why this dressing turned out thin for you. All of the ingredients have a thicker consistency. Did you use Best Foods or Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and regular buttermilk? Maybe you had an extra juicy lime? In any case, I’ve made this dressing many times, and it isn’t watery.

  13. Hi! LOVED this recipe but I was wondering if there is something I could do to make it thicker?
    thank you in advance!

  14. 5 stars
    So good!! I LOVED this recipe and it was so easy to make. Thank goodness for blenders. I have a question though; once the dressing is made (with fresh from the store ingredients) how long would you say it lasts when stored in the fridge?

  15. 4 stars
    Thank you for this recipe! As I usually do, I altered the recipe to suit my personal preferences. In my opinion, the recipe as written was good (not great). In order to improve upon it, I doubled: the cilantro, garlic, lime, and jalapenos. I also added 1/4 of a white onion and 1/2 of a green pepper. Next time I will use less buttermilk because it was quite watery for my liking (I used it over tacos). Thank you very much for this recipe because it gave me a great base to experiment with!

  16. 5 stars
    Ohhh I miss Cafe Rio EVERYTHING. I’ve been looking for this recipe online. YUMM thank you for posting it. Delicious!

    1. Hey Boneta- You can plug in any of our recipes to nutrition apps such as My Fitness Pal or Livestrong and be able to find that information. Hope this helps!

  17. I know this will make 2-3 cups of dressing, but how far does the dressing go. We will have 5 adults and 5 kids eating–we are doing a choice of making a burrito or salad. Should I do more than 1 recipe worth of dressing?
    Also, I have the ranch dressing mix in a container, not packets. Do you happen to know how many tablespoons/teaspoons I would use in place of a packet?

    1. There are approximately 8 teaspoons which is a little over 2 1/2 Tablespoons in a Hidden Valley Ranch 1 oz dressing packet. I think with that many people I would make a double batch. It is so good. Our family uses generous amounts. Even if you don’t use it all, you won’t regret it if you have leftovers. Thanks for asking!

  18. Followed the recipe exactly and to me it tasted like watery lime and cilantro. Did I not let it set enough? Any suggestions??

    1. I am addicted to this dressing. I sub sour cream for the buttermilk which probably makes it a bit thicker. Also, last summer I grew my own tomatillos and stored them throughout the winter and spring in a single layer in an open cardboard box.

  19. How do you get this to last? Every time we make this it goes bad within a day or two and tastes horrible. We store it in the fridge but it separates and gets gross.

    1. We usually eat it up before having to store it.. I think the longest we have had to store it is maybe a day or two :/ I didn’t know it separated like that. Anyone else have this problem?

  20. 5 stars
    I love this dressing! I made it last night and i blended the tomatillos and think thats what made it super runny. i’m not too sure though. but it was still super good! I added onion to mine because we LOVE onion. Thanks for the recipe!

  21. So before I became a stay at home mom, I was an assistant manager at Cafe Rio. This recipe is actually the closest you can get to the original in my opinion after reading it. I haven’t actually tried it yet but after reading the comments I think I know why people are complaining about it too runny. Blend everything besides the mayo and buttermilk and seasoning….separately whisk those 3 items to the constancy you want but remember your adding the blended stuff after this still so that will also make it thin out.

  22. I wish there were estimated serving amounts listed on the dressing recipe. Thanks for figuring this recipe out!

    1. The standard dressing serving size is 2 Tablespoons, but honestly this dressing is so good that I’m sure we use more than that per serving. Having said that, there are approximately 16 servings of dressing in this recipe. Thank you for asking!

  23. 5 stars
    I 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! I even did a review of your recipe on my blog. http://www.everyday-creative.com. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!

    1. Thank you so much for your review! We are so glad that you like the recipe– it is one of our very favorites!

    1. It usually lasts about a week. I have never frozen it or canned it. I don’t think either would work too well 🙁

  24. Need to feed a large group and will need to make several batches. Does anyone know how far in advance I could make this. My son is leaving for 2 yrs and he wants sweet pork salad at his going away event. I would like to get as much done in advance as possible. Any suggestions for the other ingredients in the salad would be helpful. Thanks.

      1. I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but I moved back to Louisiana 3 years ago after living in Wyoming for 5 years and we had a cafe rio in our town…it was my families FAVORITE place to eat! Since leaving I’ve been looking for copycat recipes for cafe rio and I’m so relieved to have found some now!! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

    1. I honestly don’t know how to direct you with this one. You could try using milk substitutes but I can’t promise it will turn out the same. Sorry I’m not of more help here!

  25. I make this same recipe abut instead of the tomatillos I use one cup of green salsa because you now can have pretty much of the ingredients on hand. It’s yummy!

  26. The recipe I follow says to blend everything but the mayo, then just wire whisk the mayo in. When I do this it is plenty thick.

  27. 5 stars
    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!!! And yes, the dressing was runny- but I just took a large spoon and applied it to the lettuce that way. I’ll try some flour next time or maybe even some corn starch or X.gum. 🙂 thanks!!

    1. Glad you like it! If it is too runny for you– you can blend the tomatillos first and then use a fine mesh strainer to drain them. Just use the pulp. That should thicken it up a little!

  28. 5 stars
    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.

    1. Thank you so much for this comment! That is a great idea roasting the tomatillos and jalapeno. I am sure it gives it an even better flavor. Definitely trying that next time! We lived in Washington where there wasn’t a Cafe Rio and I remember going back to Utah and having it and thinking the same thing! I love that when you make your own you can make it perfectly how you want.. with as much or as little of everything as you like. Thanks again for the nice comment! – Erica

    2. I live in CA and there are 2 or 3 Cafe Rio close to my home. I remember the day in Provo, when Cafe rio was still a solo shop, now it’s a franchise. Sad.

      1. The original Cafe Rio was in St. George, not Provo. And to this day they are not a franchise – they are only expanding. How is that sad?? I say the more the merrier! Way to go small business growth and more delicious Cafe Rio for everyone!

        1. Sara is right…..Cafe Rio is NOT a franchising company and has carefully planned their controlled expansion. How do I know this? I inquired of the owners if they would franchise and the answer was no.

  29. I also have trouble with this being VERY runny EVERY TIME and I have made this SEVERAL times. I ALWAYS make it the night before in hopes that it will thicken up, but, it NEVER does. Obviously we still eat it cuz it’s SOOO yummy, but, it would be nice if it would be thicker like the restaurant version. Someone suggested flour….I’ll try that next time. Honestly, that seems a little weird…..was wondering if there were any other suggestions?

    1. Half the buttermilk next time.. it should thicken up a lot. Slowly add more buttermilk until you get the consistency you are looking for.

    2. 5 stars
      I threw in a habanero… so yummy!! Was thinking so I added another cup of mayo and then added cornstarch. Thickened up a bit but still not as much as I wanted. Will try less buttermilk next time.

    1. I have never frozen it before so I don’t know how well it would freeze. If you try it please comment back here and let us know how it turns out!

    2. I froze mine. It separated once thawed. I tried to recombine it but it didn’t work. It became soupy and looked spoiled.

  30. OK…I gotta comment here. I tried this. Too thick. Ditch the Jalapeno — Cafe Rio’s isn’t that spicy — seeds or not. Way off.

    1. What?! I dunno what planet your cafe rio comes from but it is spicy! Blend it longer and it will thin it out…if you’re whipmy try a half jalepeno but there is for sure spice in there!

      1. I know people who work at Costa Vida and it is buttermilk ranch packet..you make, as package says (I reserve some buttermilk to mix jalapeños and cilantro and tomatillos in blender with) after you blend you add the two together and, add lime juice..if you do them separate and don’t mix all ingredients in blender..then it doesn’t go runny!

  31. I live in Australia now so don't have access to fresh tomatilllos. I order the canned ones Forman American import shop here. Anyway, I found that four canned tomatillos do the trick for this recipe. I thought it would be too runny as the canned ones have a lot of liquid in them but as long as I make it a day ahead it thickens up just right. Just a tip for those who may not have fresh tomatilllos at hand!

  32. It also helps to thicken it if you add a little flour to it. Not alot just a little. You can't taste the difference but it does give it more of a creamy texture.

  33. I would maybe suggest using a little less buttermilk. If you let the ranch sit overnight it should thicken up a little too.

    1. Mine was runny too, and with guests already at the house I added a LITTLE bit of sour cream. It thickened it just enough and didn’t affect the flavor.

        1. For some reason the buttermilk ranch powder makes it taste.. off. When I worked at a restaurant that made crazy good ranch dressing, we never used the buttermilk kind. It just doesn’t taste right. It’s best to use the original and then add buttermilk. I don’t know why it tastes better, it just does haha

  34. 5 stars
    I am so glad that this isn’t a privage blog. I love this salad, and actually like your rice better than mine. The lime really gives it a nice kick. Thank you for sharing your recipes.