Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette is a fresh and zesty dressing for all kinds of salads. The perfect Cafe Rio and Costa Vida copycat recipe! 
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
What are Tomatillos?
One of the most important ingredients in this Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette are tomatillos. They may look like unripe tomatoes, but these small, green fruits have a slightly more acidic, less sweet flavor than tomatoes and the texture is much thicker than tomatoes. You can find them in the produce section at your regular grocery store. To prepare, remove the tough outer husk, give them a quick rinse, then toss them in the food processor or blender with the rest of the ingredients listed below. Tomatillos can be eaten raw or roasted, and their fresh flavor is perfect for a light, zesty vinaigrette. If you love tomatillos (I know I do!) try our Homemade Tomatillo Salsa Verde next time you make Mexican food.
Tips for Making Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- Using the freshest ingredients available will make all the difference in how this dressing turns out. I can usually find good tomatillos in most grocery stores but you could venture out to a farmer’s market or try growing your own!
- Look for fresh cilantro as well. You can find fresh bunches of cilantro in the produce section of your grocery store, but I love growing it in my garden. It’s easy to grow and it can be used in a million different recipes.
- When you blend this dressing, make sure you mix it REALLY well to get rid of any chunks. This dressing is best served super smooth.
- This recipe makes a huge batch of salad dressing, so you can store it in a bottle or airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Use it for salads, a dip for veggies, or as a marinade for chicken, fish, or beef. It’s so delicious!
More Delicious Copycat Recipes
We love a good copycat recipe, and we absolutely adore anything from Cafe Rio and Costa Vida! As much as we love going out to eat, there’s something so comforting about creating a homemade meal in your very own kitchen so are a bunch of our most scrumptious recipes straight from our favorite restaurant.
- The Complete Cafe Rio Pork Salad Recipe
- Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Copycat
- Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo)
- Cafe Rio’s Chicken Tortilla Soup
- Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Best Guacamole EVER
How to Make Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (Cafe Rio Copycat)
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette (Cafe Rio Copycat)
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tomatillos
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon diced jalapeño (remove seeds for less heat)
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (approximately 2 limes)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 cup balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing see recipe notes
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a food processor or blender, combine tomatillos, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, lime juice, and sugar.
- After it is blended well combine with balsamic vinaigrette in an airtight container and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (overnight is best).
Melody says
April 12, 2010 at 2:45 amI've heard so much about this dressing and I LOVE cilantro. I better just whip up a batch!
Gourmified says
April 12, 2010 at 1:48 pmOh YUM! This is my favorite dressing at Cafe Rio! Can't wait to try it!!!! Thank you Thank you!
Candace says
April 12, 2010 at 2:14 pmAwesome! I'll be trying this one out soon.
http://www.thecooknextdoor.blogspot.com
Allison says
April 13, 2010 at 1:34 pmScreech! YAY! I can't wait.
the mama monster says
April 20, 2010 at 9:47 pmyay yay yay. really and truly? i have made the creamy dressing befor but never seen the vinegarette. thanks!
Amy says
May 4, 2010 at 5:42 pmErica, your Cafe Rio recipes are the closest and best I've ever tried. in fact our whole Memorial Day party last year was centered around all of your Cafe Rio recipes. My huge extended family (lives in CA and don't have a Cafe Rio) now all use YOUR recipe to recreate! Thank you for perfection!
[email protected] says
June 11, 2010 at 10:53 pmThank you! I've been looking for this recipe for years. I'm so glad I found your site. I made the dressing Sunday and it was perfect.
Camille says
October 18, 2010 at 7:31 pmThank you!!!! I have been looking for this recipe for years also!!!! Your recipes are definitely the closest. Thanks for your hard work. I really appreciate it. I LOOOOOOVE Cafe Rio.
Carly says
November 18, 2010 at 4:31 amI was so excited to find this recipe, so I made it tonight. Mine looks NOTHING like yours, however, and I feel like there's way too much vinegar in it. Is it really supposed to be a full cup of balsamic vinegar? It doesn't taste quite right. HELP! I think I screwed it up! Leave it to me to do it wrong…..
Jolene Tanner says
March 31, 2014 at 9:50 am1 pkg of ranch dressing mix
1 cup mayo
1 cup buttermilk, (You can use 1 TBLS of vinegar and add enough milk to make 1 cup.)
2 Tomatillos
1 bunch of fresh cilantro
1 clove of garlic
juice of one lime
1 jalapeño.
Blend all in blender and use. Refrigerate left overs.
My sons friend works at Cafe Rio, he said this is the best copy cat recipe he has ever tried. He said they use “a crap load of mayo.”
Jennifer says
May 12, 2018 at 12:32 pmIt says balsamic vinaigrette dressing—not vinegar. That probably would have been very strong…
Erica says
November 18, 2010 at 5:01 am@ Carly— I hope you didn't use balsamic vinegar! It's a cup of Balsamic Vinaigrette, the salad dressing. You can use Newman's Own or we just use Kraft vinaigrette. One cup of balsamic vinegar WOULD be too much vinegar.. sorry!!! I hope this helped!
Carly says
November 18, 2010 at 5:12 amHA! Of course I would read it incorrectly. I'm lame. Thanks for the fix!
Erin says
March 14, 2011 at 4:35 pmI'm so excited to find this recipe! Now I can enjoy the wonderful taste of Cafe Rio from Washington D.C.!!!
dee says
April 18, 2011 at 7:00 pmCAFE RIO ROCKS!!! I AM SO EXCITED TO FIND THIS RECIPE BECAUSE I MISS THAT PLACE SOOOOO MUCH. NOW MY FAMILY AND I CAN ENJOY IT FROM SEATTLE!!! THANK YOU
andreacarruth says
June 6, 2011 at 10:28 pmWell that was disappointing… I made the same mistake as someone above and read the balsamic vinaigrette as balsamic vinegar. OOPS! Yuck. Had to throw it out.
Erica says
June 7, 2011 at 1:07 amYes, DO NOT use balsamic vinegar!! I put an extra reminder on the recipe just in case. Sorry!
Brooks and Heather Lively says
June 13, 2011 at 11:01 pmI seriously LOVE your cafe rio copy-cat recipes! Cafe Rio might be what I miss most about Utah. I tried this dressing recipe for the first time yesterday and couldn't believe how good it was. AMAZING!!!
mandy says
October 30, 2011 at 4:18 amI just tried it my husband and I both love it!! We can't wait to eat it again. Thanks!
Melinda says
May 15, 2013 at 6:18 pmI’m just going to write on this post, but I used ALL of your recipes (except for the tortillas, I’ll explain later) for the cafe rio sweet pulled pork with only a few tiny improvisations (like subbing cream soda for coke because that’s what I had on hand) and adding some onion to the cooking pork (discarding it with the liquids). We made the pulled pork salad paired with some enchiladas and mexican rice my brother in law and his wife made for our mother’s day dinner for my mother in law who is in love with cafe rio. OH. MY. GOSH. This whole thing is SO good. The guacamole is psychotically amazing, the pork insane, I made the tortilla strips fried in coconut oil and they were the best, and this dressing totally brings everything together. My husband and I love it so much that I’m making it again tomorrow just for us. Thank you so much for sharing your talent to know what flavors are being used to re-create these awesome dishes!!
Erica says
May 15, 2013 at 7:35 pm@Melinda- Wow! THANK YOU! What a nice comment!!! You are so sweet and you totally made my day. I am so glad that you liked all of the recipes that you tried! I know it can be a little time consuming but as you found out, it is SO worth it! Thanks again for the kind words! Please come back often for more recipes!
Jenny S says
June 17, 2014 at 5:10 pmI’m really excited to try all of these recipes! I need to feed 39 people for a family reunion and I’m wondering if it is a safe bet to times all recipes by 6 or should I do less for some, like the dressing?
Erica says
June 18, 2014 at 9:46 amYeah you might be able to get away with doing less dressing– maybe 4x the amount?
Kai says
September 7, 2014 at 4:17 pmErica, I really like your recipe. One thing I did add though was 2 tsp. of honey. If you like it sweeter (like me) it works really well.
Steph says
January 6, 2015 at 7:30 pmThis looks great! But I’m just curious, I’m on a sugar free diet and I wonder if I can use substitute the sugar with honey, agave, or splenda? Thanks!
Erica says
January 6, 2015 at 8:50 pmYou could probably use something like Truvia… that is the closest to sugar that I have found.
Colby says
March 16, 2015 at 7:31 pmWe have tried SO many different recipes for a cilantro lime vinaigrette and I have never been able to stomach them. This dressing is AMAZING!!! Thank you so much.
Echo says
March 18, 2015 at 6:51 pmI’m so glad you like it! We worked really hard on this one to get the taste just right. It really is a favorite!
Emma says
May 26, 2015 at 6:59 pmHad this for dinner last night and it’s dead on! We made a salad with the dressing, but I also marinated some boneless, skinless chicken breasts in some of the dressing overnight and then browned it in a pan. The result was incredible. It’s just like Cafe Rio, but without sitting in traffic! I have a feeling this will be a new staple for our family.
Echo says
May 27, 2015 at 8:57 amThanks Emma! I’m so glad you like it. It has definitely become a staple in our family!
Katie says
December 28, 2015 at 11:39 amThank you so much!! We made the beans, rice, and dressing for a large party and everyone loved it!! The dressing is delicious!
ry says
June 17, 2017 at 2:26 pmAs a cook for Arizona’s Cafe Rio, your recipes for our food are close but are wrong
Favorite Family Recipes says
June 18, 2017 at 10:36 amFeel free to post the actual recipe here 🙂 We would love to make adjustments to make it exact!
TERI M CLIFTON says
April 7, 2018 at 6:20 pmCan you post the recipe?