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This zesty cilantro lime dressing is made with freshly squeezed lime juice, cilantro, olive oil and a little maple syrup for sweetness. It tastes better than any store bought salad dressing you’ve tried!

Cilantro lime dressing blended in a mason jar.
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The Best Cilantro Lime Dressing

As a cilantro lover, I can safely say this is the best cilantro lime dressing recipe you’ll try. It perfectly pairs fresh cilantro and lime juice with a sweet and spicy kick that tastes delightful on just about any bed of greens. It can also be used as a sauce on your bowl recipes, marinade for protein or even as a dip for veggies.

I love that this nutrition packed dressing recipe is so versatile and comes together in just a few minutes. All you need are 6 easy ingredients (plus salt and pepper!) and a blender and you’ve got the best cilantro lime dressing on your table.

Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Dressing in the blender.

Ingredients in Cilantro Lime Dressing

  • Olive oil – Ideally use extra virgin olive oil
  • Lime – you’ll use both the zest + juice
  • Cilantro – Chop off the browned ends of the stems but you can use the stems and the leaves in this recipe. The stems contain a lot of flavor and blend nicely.
  • Garlic – Ideally use fresh garlic that you mince rather than the jarred kind.
  • Maple Syrup – or honey if not vegan
  • Jalapeno – for a little kick. Feel free to keep or remove seeds depending on spice level.
  • Salt and pepper – add more or less, to taste.

Pro-tip: Make it creamy! Add 1/4 cup of plain greek yogurt to your blender to make a creamy cilantro lime dressing.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Dressing

The instructions for making this dressing could not be easier! Just throw everything into the blender and blend! If you don’t have a blender, a food processor will work. You could also chop all your ingredients very finely and then shake together in a mason jar. It won’t have the same consistency but the flavors will all be there.

Cilantro lime dressing blended up in a Vitamix.

How to Use It

On a bed of greens – you can’t go wrong using this dressing on a bed of your favorite greens. From romaine, to arugula to kale greens are a great source of fiber and pair perfectly with this dressing.

As a protein marinade – marinate your chicken, steak, pork or even tofu in this vinaigrette for at least 4 hours in the fridge. It will help all the flavors to soak in.

Drizzle on your bowls and entrees – love me a good bowl recipe. This cilantro lime dressing pairs perfectly with these chipotle burrito bowls, this taco salad and these black bean enchiladas.

Use as a dip – for pita chips or fresh veggies. This is a delicious dip!

cilantro lime dressing in a small mason jar in front of a salad.

How to Store Cilantro Lime Dressing

Store your dressing in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 1 week. I would not recommend putting this in the freezer.

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Cilantro Lime Dressing

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This zesty cilantro lime dressing is made with freshly squeezed lime juice, cilantro, olive oil and a little maple syrup for sweetness. It tastes better than any store-bought dressings you’ve tried!

  • Author: Davida Lederle
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Dressing
  • Method: Blend
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • zest + juice, 1 lime
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro, base of stems removed
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup (or honey)
  • 1 jalapeño (seeded if desired)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

  1. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
  2. Store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
  3. See suggestions above for pairings.

Meet the Maven

Hi! I'm Davida and welcome to my corner of the internet. I'm a wellness blogger, yoga teacher, certified herbalist, and green beauty lover.

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