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This creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce is my go to sauce for just about every Mexican inspired meal. It takes only a few minutes in the blender, tastes bright and tangy from the lime and salsa verde, and is so good you will want to drizzle it over burritos, tacos, salads, nachos and use it as a dip for tortilla chips. It is the kind of easy green sauce that makes simple dinners taste restaurant worthy.
5 Star Reviews ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Made this to serve over taco salads for the week and it was just delicious! Super flavorful with a creamy texture. Will definitely make again!” – Taylor
“Love, love this sauce!! Use it on everything….as a dip for chips, finishing sauce for Mexican food, salad dressing. So easy to make!” – Kathy
“Absolutely wonderful! My daughters love it as much as my husband and I do. Made it just like according to your recipe. Reminds me of the sauce at Chuy’s!” – MaryAnn
Why I Love This “Green” Sauce
Cilantro Lime Sauce, also known as “green sauce” in my house, is the most used sauce in our refrigerator. I almost always have a jar of it chilling on a shelf, and I usually have to make a fresh batch at least once a week because we go through it so quickly. It is incredibly easy to make, uses simple ingredients, and is endlessly versatile.
We drizzle it over Breakfast Burritos, Chicken Tacos, Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas, Veggie Quesadillas, and Carne Asada Nachos, spoon it on Taco Bowls and salads, and honestly, we are constantly dipping tortilla chips right into the jar. I love that it tastes bright and fresh but still has that creamy, ranch style comfort that everyone goes crazy for. Once you have a batch made, you will find yourself reaching for it again and again.
🩷 Emily
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Salsa verde: I like to use Herdez green salsa verde.
- Ranch dressing mix: A packet of Hidden Valley Ranch mix for cool ranch flavor.
- Fresh cilantro: A big bunch for bright green color and fresh herb flavor.
- Sour cream: Regular, light or dairy free sour cream for a creamy base.
- Mayonnaise: Best Foods or Hellmann’s mayonnaise for rich, velvety texture.
- Minced garlic: Fresh or jarred garlic to add savory depth.
- Fresh lime: Freshly squeezed lime juice to brighten the sauce.
- Ground cumin: Warm, earthy spice that ties the flavors together.
Ingredient Additions and Substitutions
- Lighter version: Swap the mayo for plain Greek yogurt and use light sour cream.
- Different herbs: Use parsley or fresh basil instead of cilantro for a different flavor.
- More heat: Add hot sauce, Tabasco or sriracha, or use a spicier salsa verde.
- Dairy free: Use dairy free sour cream and a vegan style mayonnaise.
- Thicker or thinner: Add extra sour cream to thicken or a bit more salsa verde to thin.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Sauce
- Prep the cilantro and lime: Wash the cilantro, remove the thick stems, roughly chop the leaves and juice the lime.
- Add everything to the blender: Add salsa verde, ranch mix, cilantro, sour cream, mayonnaise, minced garlic, lime juice and cumin to your blender.
- Blend until smooth: Blend on medium high until the Cilantro Lime Sauce is completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides if needed.
- Taste and chill: Taste and adjust seasoning if needed, then pour into a jar, cover and refrigerate until chilled and slightly thickened.
Recipe Tips
- Use fresh cilantro for the best flavor and a vibrant green color.
- Blend long enough so there are no big pieces of cilantro unless you like it chunky.
- Let it chill for at least 30 minutes so the flavors can meld and the sauce can thicken.
- Serve warm or cold depending on how you are using it, from burritos to salads.
- Use a food processor if you do not have a high powered blender.
- Double the recipe if you have a crowd or love meal prep, because it goes fast.
Frequently Asked Questions
I really recommend fresh cilantro for this recipe because it gives the sauce its bright green color and fresh flavor. Dried cilantro does not blend as smoothly and the flavor is much more muted. If you absolutely have to use dried, start with 1 to 2 teaspoons, blend, and taste, but know that the sauce will not have the same vibrant color or fresh taste.
Salsa verde gives this sauce a lot of its tangy flavor, so it is my first choice, but you can swap in green enchilada sauce or another tomatillo based sauce in a pinch. You can also use a mild regular salsa, just know the color may be more pink or orange instead of bright green. If you substitute, taste and adjust the lime and seasoning so the flavor still pops.
It has some similar flavors but the recipe is different. This is a thicker sauce, not a dressing. We have amazing copycat recipes for both the Cafe Rio Tomatillo Ranch dressing and the Cafe Rio Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette.
To make a thicker dip, simply reduce the amount of salsa verde slightly or add a bit more sour cream, mayonnaise, or Greek yogurt until it reaches the thickness you like. You can also blend in a small piece of avocado for extra creaminess. Chill it in the fridge and it will naturally thicken a bit more as it sets.
This sauce is usually quite mild. Cilantro does not add heat, and most jarred salsa verde is labeled mild. To keep it kid friendly, use a mild salsa verde and skip any hot sauce or spicy add ins. I always recommend tasting the finished sauce first, then deciding if you want to add any extra heat.
Make Ahead and Storage
- Make ahead – Make the sauce a day or two before you serve it so the flavors have time to develop.
- Store in the fridge – Keep it in a glass jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days.
- Use leftovers creatively – Drizzle over salads, eggs, breakfast burritos, roasted potatoes, or use as a dip for veggies and chips.
More Delicious Mexican Recipes
- Cheesy Grilled Mexican Chicken and Rice
- Mexican Lasagna
- Crock Pot Salsa Verde Chicken
- Spicy Shrimp Tacos
- Pork Chile Verde Recipe
- Our Best Mexican Recipes
If you are looking for a quick, foolproof way to make your tacos, burritos, salads and grilled meats taste extra special, this creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce is it. If you make this recipe, I would love to hear what you think. Please leave a rating, share your tweaks, and tell me what you served it with in the comments so other readers can get ideas too. 💚
Cilantro Lime Sauce
Video
Ingredients
- 16 ounces salsa verde, (we use Herdez)
- 1 ounce Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix, (1 packet)
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, washed and stems removed
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup mayonnaise, (we prefer Best Foods or Hellmans)
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 small lime, juiced
- 1/4 tsp cumin
Instructions
- Add the salsa verde, ranch dressing mix, cilantro, sour cream, mayonnaise, minced garlic, lime juice and cumin to a blender.
- Blend until the Cilantro Lime Sauce is completely smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides of the blender as needed. Taste and adjust the seasoning with extra lime juice or a pinch of salt if needed.
- Pour the sauce into an airtight container or jar, cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve chilled or slightly warm over your favorite Mexican dishes or as a dip with tortilla chips.
Equipment
Notes
- For a lighter version, replace the mayonnaise with Greek yogurt and the sour cream with light sour cream.
- For more heat, add a dash or two of hot sauce, sriracha or use a spicier salsa verde.
- If the sauce is too thick, blend in a spoonful or two of milk, water or extra salsa verde until it reaches your desired consistency.
- Store Cilantro Lime Sauce in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- A food processor can be used instead of a blender if that is what you have on hand.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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So easy and delicious!! Love using this sauce on many recipes!!
Made this to serve over taco salads for the week and it was just delicious! Super flavorful with a creamy texture. Will definitely make again!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing cilantro verde sauce recipe! Will surely have this again! It’s really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Absolutely wonderful! My daughters love it as much as my husband and I do. Made it just like according to your recipe. Reminds me of the sauce at Chuy’s!
First off, I sort of made this recipe and it was fantastic. Here’s why I say sort of.. I didn’t measure anything and made subs based on what I had.
Herdez Salsa Verde comes in 7 ounce cans. Close enough.
Buttermilk Ranch was in 1 ounce packet. Eyeballed it.
Cilantro? I just threw a bunch in.
Greek Yogurt? Nope. I replaced it with more sour cream since it’s what I had at home.
Minced garlic? Nope also. Powdered will have to do. It’s all I have.
Fresh lime juice? Nope also. From a bottle. Didn’t measure.
Dash of tabasco? Nope. Didn’t have any. I did have some jalapeno powder for heat.
Whatever, it was awesome. I will throw it on everything. I’m not going to measure this recipe from now on either.
How long will this sauce keep in the refrigerator?
I would say up to a week…
Love , love this sauce!! Use it on everything….as a dip for chips, finishing sauce for Mexican food, salad dressing. So easy to make!
Thank you for the comment! So glad that you like it– I’m right there with you… we put it on everything! 😀
This sounds fantastic! Looking forward to grocery shopping tomorrow as I have a few pf your recepies written down! Yay! ????
I will be making this soon as we love Mexican!