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This Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing copycat recipe is creamy, tangy, a little spicy, and tastes so much like the dressing you get at Cafe Rio. I love it over sweet pork salads, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, and honestly, just about anything that needs a little extra flavor.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“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!” – 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. – 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
Why I Love This Copycat Dressing
When Cafe Rio first opened in St. George, Utah, I was there opening weekend. No joke, I was one of their first customers, and I quickly became one of their biggest fans. Back then, Cafe Rio wasn’t everywhere like it is now, and when we lived in places without a location nearby, I missed those “Fresh Mex” flavors so much.
That is really how a lot of our Cafe Rio copycat recipes started. We wanted to make the sweet pork, rice, beans, salads, burritos, and especially this dressing at home. I know people love the sweet pork, but for me, the Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing is the real star. It is spicy, tangy, creamy, and so easy to pour over everything.
I love this recipe because it takes just a few minutes to blend together, uses simple ingredients, and tastes best after it has had a little time to chill. It is one of those recipes I like to keep in the fridge because it makes lunches and dinners so much better.
🩷 Erica
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Ranch seasoning mix – Use the original Hidden Valley Ranch seasoning packet, not the buttermilk flavor.
- Mayonnaise – I like Best Foods or Hellmann’s because the flavor and texture work best in this dressing.
- Buttermilk – This gives the dressing its creamy, tangy base. Use less if you want a thicker dressing.
- Tomatillos – These look like small green tomatoes with papery husks and give the dressing its signature tang.
- Fresh cilantro – Fresh cilantro adds the bright green color and fresh flavor.
- Garlic – One fresh garlic clove gives the dressing a little bite.
- Lime juice – Fresh lime juice adds brightness, but start small because limes can vary.
- Jalapeño – Use the whole pepper for more heat, or remove the seeds for a milder dressing.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- For a thicker dressing: Start with only part of the buttermilk, then add more after blending until it is just how you like it.
- For a lighter version: You can use Greek yogurt in place of some or all of the mayonnaise. The flavor and texture will be a little different, but it still works.
- For a milder dressing: Remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeño before blending.
- For a spicier dressing: Leave in some jalapeño seeds, add a second jalapeño, or add a small pinch of red pepper flakes.
- For a tangier dressing: Add a little more lime juice after blending, one teaspoon at a time.
- If you can’t find tomatillos: A reader shared that salsa verde worked well in a pinch. It will change the texture and flavor a bit, but it is a helpful backup.
- For a thicker dip: Use less buttermilk or swap a little of the buttermilk for sour cream.
- For deeper flavor: Some readers like roasting the tomatillos and jalapeño before blending. The original recipe uses raw tomatillos, but roasting is a great option if you like that flavor.
How to Make Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
- Prep the fresh ingredients. Remove the husks from the tomatillos, rinse off the sticky coating, and roughly chop them. Rinse the cilantro and remove the stem from the jalapeño. Remove the seeds if you want a milder dressing.
- Add everything to the blender. Add the ranch seasoning, mayonnaise, buttermilk, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and jalapeño to a blender.
- Blend and adjust. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste, then add more buttermilk for a thinner dressing, more lime juice for tang, or more jalapeño seeds for heat.
- Chill and serve. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour so the flavors can blend together. Stir well before serving over salads, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, or as a dip.
Recipe Tips
- Start with less buttermilk if you care about thickness. You can always thin the dressing, but it is harder to thicken it once everything is blended.
- Use real buttermilk if you can. A homemade buttermilk substitute is usually thinner, so add it slowly.
- Use a mayo you like. Best Foods or Hellmann’s gives this dressing the best flavor in my opinion. I would avoid light Mayo.
- Do not overdo the lime juice at first. Limes can be very different in size and juiciness, so start small and add more after blending.
- Let it chill. The dressing tastes better after at least an hour in the fridge.
- Stir before serving. Homemade dressings can settle a little as they chill.
- Make it a dip. Use less buttermilk for a thicker version that works with chips, veggies, or quesadillas.
- Do not freeze it. The creamy texture will separate after thawing.
Frequently Asked Questions
The spice level depends mostly on the jalapeño. For mild dressing, remove all the seeds and membranes. For more heat, leave some seeds in or add another jalapeño.
A tomatillo is a small green fruit with a papery husk. It looks a little like a green tomato, but it is more tangy and acidic. It gives this dressing that fresh Cafe Rio flavor.
No, I use raw tomatillos in this recipe. Just remove the husks, rinse them well, and chop them before blending. You can roast them first if you want a deeper, slightly smoky flavor.
This usually happens when too much buttermilk is added at once. Start with less buttermilk, blend, then add more until it reaches the consistency you like.
Use less buttermilk, or replace part of the buttermilk with sour cream. Chilling the dressing also helps it thicken a little.
Yes, but add it slowly. To make a substitute, add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to a 1-cup measuring cup, then fill the rest with milk. Let it sit for 5 minutes. Since it can be thinner than real buttermilk, start with less and add more as needed.
Yes, in a pinch. It won’t taste exactly the same as fresh tomatillos, but a reader shared that salsa verde worked well when she couldn’t find tomatillos.
Cilantro is a big part of the Cafe Rio flavor, so leaving it out will change the dressing quite a bit. If you don’t like cilantro, you can reduce the amount, but I wouldn’t skip it completely unless you really need to.
Chill it for at least 1 hour before serving. The flavor gets better as it sits.
This recipe makes about 16 servings. One serving is about 3 tablespoons.
Cafe Rio and Costa Vida’s tomatillo dressings are very similar. Both are creamy, tangy, and made with that fresh cilantro-tomatillo flavor. Cafe Rio’s version tastes a little more like a creamy ranch dressing with tomatillo and jalapeño blended in, while Costa Vida’s can taste a little lighter and more cilantro-lime forward. This recipe is written as a Cafe Rio copycat, but if you love Costa Vida’s dressing too, you will probably love this one.
Make Ahead and Storage
This Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing is a great make-ahead recipe because the flavor gets even better after it chills. I like to make it at least an hour before serving, but you can also make it earlier in the day.
Store leftovers in an airtight container or jar in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir well before serving. I do not recommend freezing this dressing because the mayonnaise and buttermilk can separate and ruin the creamy texture.
Pairing Ideas
This dressing is so good with all the Cafe Rio favorites. I love it over a Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Salad or Sweet Pork Burrito, drizzled over Chicken Tacos, or served as a dip with Steak Quesadillas, tortilla chips, veggies, or Taco Pizza. It also goes really well with Cilantro Lime Rice, Restaurant Style Refried Beans, Guacamole, and fresh Homemade Salsa.
More Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
- Cafe Rio Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
- Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo)
- Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Burrito
- Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Homemade Tortilla Strips
- Cafe Rio’s Cilantro Lime Rice
- The BEST Guacamole EVER
This Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing copycat recipe is one of my favorite ways to bring Cafe Rio flavor home. It is creamy, tangy, fresh, and easy to make in just a few minutes. Pour it over salads, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, or use it as a dip.
If you try this recipe, I would love to hear what you think. Leave a comment and rating below, and let me know if you like it mild, spicy, thick, or pourable. 💛
Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
Video
Ingredients
- 1 (1-ounce) packet Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning , (original, not buttermilk)
- 1 cup mayonnaise, (I like Best Foods or Hellmann’s)
- 1 cup buttermilk, (If you like a thicker dressing only use ½ cup)
- 2 tomatillos, husked and diced
- ½ bunch cilantro, fresh
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon lime juice, fresh
- 1 jalapeño, stem removed
Instructions
- Remove the husks from the tomatillos and rinse well. Wash the cilantro, peel the garlic, and remove the jalapeño stem. For less spice, remove the seeds and membranes.
- Place the ranch seasoning, mayonnaise, buttermilk, tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, and jalapeño in a blender.
- Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust with more buttermilk, lime juice, or jalapeño if needed.
- Cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Stir well, then serve with salads, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, or chips.
Equipment
Notes
- For thicker dressing, start with ½ cup buttermilk and add more only if needed.
- For mild dressing, remove the jalapeño seeds and membranes before blending.
- For spicy dressing, leave in some jalapeño seeds or add an extra jalapeño.
- Use Best Foods or Hellmann’s mayonnaise for the best flavor and texture.
- Fresh tomatillos give the best flavor, but salsa verde can work in a pinch.
- Chill for at least 1 hour so the flavors have time to blend.
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Stir before serving.
- Do not freeze. The dressing can separate and lose its creamy texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Made this yesterday and it totally reminds me of the taste at Cafe Rio. Delicious!
Hi! LOVED this recipe but I was wondering if there is something I could do to make it thicker?
thank you in advance!
So freaking good, honesty can’t explain how good this is.
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?
I’m so glad you liked it! I would guess probably a week in the fridge.
I’ve made your recipe many times. It’s a big hit. Thanks!
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 pretty good. 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!
Ohhh I miss Cafe Rio EVERYTHING. I’ve been looking for this recipe online. YUMM thank you for posting it. Delicious!
Never thought about making my own and this is a great recipe I love the ease of it!
Raw flour can make you sick, cornstarch is a much better option
The real stuff has jalapenos.
Why not buttermilk ranch packet?
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
How many calories does a tablespoon have?
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!
I have buttermilk ranch on hand. Can you tell me: would it be a lot different if I used that?
No, it won’t be a lot different. It should be ok 🙂
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?
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!
I love this stuff! Yum!
Followed the recipe exactly and to me it tasted like a thin lime and cilantro dressing. Did I not let it set enough? Any suggestions??
HMmm it may have needed more time to set up? I’m not sure :/
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.
How do you get this to last? Every time we make this within a day or two it loses flavor.
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?
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!
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.
Thank you so much for the tip! That is a great idea for keeping it thicker. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for sharing this! What’s the shelf life and can it be canned for long term storage?
It can’t be canned for long term– lasts in the fridge for about a week 🙂 Hope this helps!
Love! Thanks for sharing! Tastes just like the cafe rio dressing
Thanks for figuring this recipe out! So good! Is there an estimated serving amount?
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!