Zesty Cilantro Lime Dressing pairs magically with just about any salad! Only a handful of ingredients wins you the best tasting salads year round!
For me, a great salad dressing is one of the most important components of any salad experience. It can be a make it or break it type of situation!
Well, this fresh and vibrant Cilantro Lime Dressing is here to put pep in your step and make all of your salads special.
The way I see it, this is the ultimate salad dressing for taco salads, although it can be used on any kind of green salad.
With a handful of simple ingredients, we’re left with the perfect salad dressing worthy of keeping on constant rotation!
Cilantro Lime Dressing Ingredients:
Fresh Cilantro: The main ingredient in cilantro lime dressing! The amount can be adjusted to your personal taste. I think the recipe as written has just the right amount. Use fresh cilantro for the best results with no brown spots and no mushy parts.
Lime Zest and Lime Juice: Pick up a couple fresh limes for lime zest and fresh lime juice. I like using lime zest in addition to juice because it adds a big burst of lime flavor without thinning out the dressing with extra liquid.
Avocado Oil or Olive Oil: The fat portion of this salad dressing recipe, which provides richness. Either avocado oil or olive oil works. Avocado oil doesn’t impart any flavor, whereas olive oil adds deep olive flavor.
Fresh Garlic: A burst of freshness, garlic brings something special to homemade dressings.
Sea Salt and Black Pepper: Season the dressing with salt and pepper to your personal taste.
Other Variations:
- Use ½ cup of Greek yogurt and 2 tablespoons of oil for creamy cilantro dressing.
- Swap out the cilantro for basil or parsley.
- Lemon juice and lemon zest works great as a replacement for limes.
How to Make Cilantro Lime Dressing:
Add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a small blender. Blend until smooth.
Use immediately or store in an airtight container such as a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
If you don’t own a small blender, you can also use a small food processor. As an alternative, finely chop the cilantro and mince the garlic and mix the ingredients together by hand in a small bowl.
Tips for The Best Dressing:
- Counterbalance the acidity with something sweet, like sugar or pure maple syrup. Sugar-free sweetener works too for a sugar-free option.
- Remove the cilantro leaves from the stems and use the leaves only for the best flavor.
- Looking for salad recipes where cilantro lime dressing goes to thrive? Here are my top recommendations.
Use it On:
- Black Bean Salad
- Spring Mix Salad
- Tzatziki Salmon Salad
- Crunchy Kale Salad with Sunflower Seeds
- Grilled Salmon with Strawberry Salsa
And that’s it!
An easy peasy homemade salad dressing to tie all your fresh ingredients together in a magical relationship of color and flavor.
Drop a comment below letting me know how you employ this dreamscape!
Cilantro Lime Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup avocado oil
- ½ tsp lime zest
- ¼ cup fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ cup fresh cilantro loosely packed
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup or sugar
- ½ tsp sea salt to taste
- ¼ tsp black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a small blender. Blend until smooth.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container such as a mason jar in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
Nutrition
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission off items you purchase at no additional cost to you.
