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    Home » Sauces » Cilantro-Lime Sauce

    Cilantro-Lime Sauce

    Published: Oct 4, 2019 · Modified: Oct 14, 2022 by Sula · This post may contain affiliate links · 44 Comments

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    The right sauce can make a big difference

    Sometimes all you need is a great sauce to take a dish from good to great. Some people like a little, others a lot, so a sauce on the side pleases all palates.

    The idea for this cilantro-lime sauce was inspired by Café Rio’s Creamy Tomatillo dressing. Like so many others, I am a big fan of Café Rio. For those not familiar, Café Rio is a fantastic casual restaurant chain based in Salt Lake City. My daughter lives there, and a Café Rio visit is mandatory every time I visit. Hey Café Rio people: your brand would be HUGELY popular in Madison, Wisconsin. Hint, Hint.

    How to make Cilantro-Lime Sauce

    There are many copycat recipes for Café Rio’s dressing; but the one I used as my starting point was from “the girl who ate everything”. Her recipe starts with buttermilk and a ranch-dressing packet. This sounded brilliant, because most other recipes like this have a much longer ingredient list!

    ingredients for sauce

    I like to simplify even more, so decided to use Hidden Valley’s Buttermilk Ranch dressing, conveniently available in “light.” From there, I played with sour cream, lime juice and cilantro to get the right proportions.

    Since I was not trying for a copycat, I skipped the tomatillo part. I just wanted a cilantro-lime sauce.

    Cilantro Lime Sauce in a small white pitcher

    It turned out great! A light, creamy sauce, which works on any Tex-Mex dish. I particularly like it on a taco salad - yum! Add some salsa and you have a party on your plate.

    Cilantro Lime sauce in a small red bowl with taquitos behind it

    And be sure to check out the recipes for Mini Bell Pepper Poppers and Air Fryer Taquitos. I LOVE dipping them both in this sauce!

    cilantro lime sauce in a small red bowl
    5 from 70 votes
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    Cilantro-Lime sauce

    the perfect dipping sauce for everything Tex-Mex
    Prep Time10 mins
    Total Time10 mins
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Servings: 8
    Calories: 86kcal
    Author: Sula

    Ingredients

    • ½ cup Hidden Valley Buttermilk Ranch dressing light
    • ⅓ cup light sour cream
    • 1 clove garlic minced
    • ½ bunch cilantro chopped
    • Juice from one lime

    Instructions

    • Prep all ingredients.
    • Place in a food processor or blender and process until smooth.
    • Adjust taste as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

    Video

    Nutrition

    Calories: 86kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 8mg | Sodium: 171mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 40IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.

    pin for cilantro lime sauce

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    Need some other sauces for your Tex-Mex buffet? Try making Roasted Salsa, Guacamole or Avocado Dip. I love them all!

    Another great sauce inspired by a fast food restaurant: Taco Bell (Copycat) Quesadilla Sauce. So good!

    « White Russian
    Mini Bell Pepper Poppers »

    Filed Under: Sauces Tagged With: appetizers, Snackatizer

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Colette Zaharko

      November 16, 2021 at 8:13 pm

      5 stars
      This cilantro lime sauce was absolutely delicious! I made chicken tacos tonight, so I made this sauce to go with it; everyone in the house loved it. I had to adjust the taste a because I used too much lime juice but it was still so good.
      This recipe is a winner! Thanks for the recipe 👌🏼

      Reply
      • Sula

        November 18, 2021 at 5:17 pm

        Thanks for the kind review Colette. Chicken tacos sounds like the perfect meal for this sauce!

        Reply
    2. Swathi

      September 07, 2020 at 3:42 pm

      5 stars
      Cilantro lime sauce looks delicious and perfect dip anyday, Thanks for sharing with me.

      Reply
      • Sula

        September 07, 2020 at 6:38 pm

        You are welcome, I hope you try it soon!

        Reply
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