Cilantro Lime Sauce - Fresh, Creamy, and Tangy - 10-Minute Recipe! (2024)

Home Recipes Cilantro Lime Sauce

by Jennifer Debth

9 Comments

5 from 7 votes

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ThisCilantro Lime Sauceis fresh, creamy, tangy and makes the perfect dip, sauce, or dressing. Serve it with french fries, in tacos, on fish, and more!

Quick Navigation

  • General
  • Ingredients
  • How to make
  • Get the recipe
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Why is my sauce runny?
  • Variations
  • Pairing suggestions
  • How to store
  • Can you freeze?
  • Nutrition information

Drizzle this cilantro lime sauce on fish, chicken, salmon, pork, fries, roasted veggies, nachos, tacos, or simply drink it with a straw — it’s THAT good my friends.

Ingredients

The cilantro lime sauce is loaded with bright, fresh, tangy, spicy flavors and is made with the simplest ingredients!

  • Jalapeños– I left the seeds in one jalapeño and took the seeds out of the other for a mild spice level. If you don’t like spice, remove the seeds from both. If youreally like spice, leave them in!
  • Garlic– provides a slight nuttiness.
  • Green Onions– adds a fresh, earthy flavor.
  • Cilantro– adds a bright, fresh, lemony flavor.
  • Mayonnaise and Sour Cream– a creamy base for the sauce. Sour cream adds a tangy flavor and mayonnaise adds richness to offset the tang.
  • Lime Juice andZest– give the sauce delicious citrusy tang that heightens the flavor of the cilantro.
  • Salt– brings out other flavors.

Pro tip

If you want to lighten your cilantro lime sauce up, try swapping the sour cream out for plain Greek yogurt instead!

How to make

Just a few ingredients, a food processor, and 10 minutes and you’ve got an absolutely delicious sauce that pairs so well with a number of different foods!

  1. Place jalapeños, garlic, green onions, and cilantro into a high powered food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  2. Add in mayo, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, and salt and process until smooth.

Pro tip

If you don’t have a food processor, try using a high powered blender like a Vitamix instead!

Why is my cilantro lime sauce runny?

If your sauce is too thin it may just be too warm. Place it in the fridge for a bit so the sauce can chill and thicken up! If it’s still too runny, you may have added too much lime juice. Stir in an additional scoop of mayo to thicken, then taste and re-season!

Pro tip

If you’d like additional lime flavor, but have already reached the desired consistency, add more lime zest!

Variations

  • Make it creamier.This sauce is already creamy from the sour cream and mayonnaise, but feel free to blend in some fresh avocado for an even creamier texture and some healthy fat.
  • Lighten it up.Swap the sour cream for plain Greek yogurt for a lower calorie option.
  • Make it vegan.Swap the sour cream and mayo for dairy free versions of each.
  • Use a different herb.I love the bright flavor of cilantro but if it’s not your thing, feel free to swap it out for basil or parsley.
  • Make it spicier. Swap one or both of the jalapenos with serrano peppers.

Cilantro Lime Sauce - Fresh, Creamy, and Tangy - 10-Minute Recipe! (2)

How to serve cilantro lime sauce

Cilantro lime sauce is so flavorful and versatile! Here are a few ways you can use it:

  • Sauce.Serve it on fish tacos, chicken fajitas, tilapia, or carne asada.
  • Dressing.Drizzle it over burrito bowls or a simple green salad.
  • Topping.Serve it over loaded chicken nachos, Mexican sweet potato cheese fries, or tater tot nachos.
  • Dip.Use it as a dipping sauce for french fries, crab cakes, salmon patties, potato wedges, fish sticks, carrots, celery, etc.

How to store

Leftover cilantro lime sauce will last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Can you freeze cilantro lime sauce?

I don’t recommend freezing the sauce because the mayonnaise and sour cream will separate and become watery when thawed.

– Jennifer

Cilantro Lime Sauce - Fresh, Creamy, and Tangy - 10-Minute Recipe! (3)

Cilantro Lime Sauce

5 from 7 votes

ThisCilantro Lime Sauceis fresh, creamy, tangy and makes the perfect dip, sauce, or dressing. Serve it with french fries, in tacos, on fish, and more!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 0 minutes

Yield: 32 tablespoons

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

  • 2 jalapeños roughly chopped*
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 1/4 cup cilantro
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 lime zested
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste

Instructions

  • Place jalapeños, garlic, green onions, and cilantro into a high powered food processor, then pulse until finely chopped.

  • Add in mayo, sour cream, lime juice, lime zest, and salt.

  • Process until well combined and smooth.

  • Taste and re-season, if necessary.

  • Serve with salmon, chicken, fish, on tacos, with chips, etc. and enjoy!

  • Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!

Rate This Recipe

STORING

Room Temp:N/A

Refrigerator:3-4 Days

Freezer:N/A

*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions

Notes

*I left seeds in one and de-seeded the other. For a more mild sauce, de-seed both jalapenos. For a spicier sauce, leave seeds in both. Heat level will vary from pepper to pepper.

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Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Cilantro Lime Sauce

Amount Per Serving (1 tablespoon)

Calories 21 Calories from Fat 18

% Daily Value*

Fat 2g3%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Trans Fat 1g

Cholesterol 2mg1%

Sodium 90mg4%

Potassium 15mg0%

Carbohydrates 1g0%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 1g1%

Protein 1g2%

Vitamin A 38IU1%

Vitamin C 2mg2%

Calcium 5mg1%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.

Keywords: creamy, lime juice, mayonnaise, sour cream

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Course: Appetizer, Sauce

Cuisine: Mexican

Author: Jennifer Debth

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  1. Anonymous

    United States

    Cilantro Lime Sauce - Fresh, Creamy, and Tangy - 10-Minute Recipe! (11) AMAZING

    Reply

    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      Thank you!

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    Waukesha, Wisconsin

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    Burnaby, British Columbia

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Cilantro Lime Sauce - Fresh, Creamy, and Tangy - 10-Minute Recipe! (2024)

FAQs

What is cilantro cream sauce made of? ›

Directions. Place sour cream, lime juice, cilantro, and green onion in the jar of a blender. Puree into smooth.

How do you thicken cilantro sauce? ›

Mayonnaise: To help thicken the sauce and get it nice and creamy. You can also use sour cream if you can't stand mayo but the taste will be slightly different. Plain Whole Milk Yogurt: This helps lighten the sauce and also get it creamy.

Why is my cilantro lime sauce too watery? ›

If your sauce is too thin it may just be too warm. Place it in the fridge for a bit so the sauce can chill and thicken up! If it's still too runny, you may have added too much lime juice. Stir in an additional scoop of mayo to thicken, then taste and re-season!

What can I eat Hellmann's cilantro lime sauce with? ›

Our Cilantro Lime Sauce is made with hatch chiles, tomatillos, and creamy avocado oil for a slightly spicy, zesty taste. Try it with tacos, fish, and anything else that could use some big, bright flavor.

What is a cilantro lime sauce made of? ›

In a food processor, place the cilantro, garlic, lime juice, maple syrup, coriander, and salt and pulse to combine. With the blade running, pour in the olive oil and process until smooth.

What is cilantro lime crema made of? ›

Cilantro Lime Crema is a tangy sauce made from sour cream, mayonnaise, cilantro, garlic, and lime. Great on tacos, enchiladas, and taquitos!

How do you thicken sauce quickly? ›

Cornstarch (and other starches, such as arrowroot or tapioca) are powerful thickeners. Adding just a small amount into a sauce can quickly and easily change the consistency of the dish.

What ingredient makes sauces thicker? ›

The most readily available sauce-thickener is flour. For a too-thin sauce, try adding a slurry (equal parts flour and water, whisked together) or beurre manie (equal parts softened butter and flour, kneaded together to form a paste)—both are ideal thickeners for rich and creamy sauces, such as steak sauce recipes.

How do you thicken sauce without losing flavor? ›

If flour's the classic then cornflour is the gold-standard in thickening agents. Why? Because it is flavourless so it won't change the taste of your sauce, it's translucent when heated so it won't make your sauce cloudy and most importantly, it works.

What happens if you eat a lot of cilantro? ›

5 potential side effects of cilantro

Throat swelling. Severe diarrhea. Stomach pain. Darkened skin.

Why does my cilantro taste bitter? ›

Cilantro is a flavorful herb to grow indoors or in your garden. But if you've noticed a bitter taste from the leaves of your plant, it has likely started to bolt. This means that your plant is beginning to flower and form seeds, as it's nearing the end of its life.

What foods pair best with cilantro? ›

Cilantro Sweet, sour avocado, bell pepper, coconut milk, corn, cucumber, rice, figs, yogurt, carrots, potatoes, soups, stews, root vegetables basil, chives, dill, garlic, ginger, lemon grass, mint, parsley Cilantro will keep for 3-5 days in the refrigerator vegetable crisper.

What to use Costco cilantro lime crema on? ›

Don Pancho Cilantro Lime Crema is a quick and easy topping for all your favorite meals from Mexican dishes like tacos, enchiladas, and nachos to burgers, eggs, veggies, potatoes and so much more. This delicious, creamy sauce is made with fresh cilantro, lime juice, and sour cream.

Does cilantro lime sauce have egg? ›

Water, Avocado Oil, Canola Oil, Tomatillo Puree, Sugar, Distilled Vinegar, Modified Corn Starch, Egg Yolks, Salt, Hatch Chili Peppers (Dried), Onions (Dried), Lime Juice Concentrate, Jalapeno Pepper Puree, Green Bell Peppers (Dried), Citric Acid, Cilantro (Dried), Sorbic Acid and Calcium Disodium EDTA (Used to Protect ...

What is cilantro made of? ›

Cilantro and coriander come from the plant species — Coriandrum sativum ( 1 ). However, they are named differently in different parts of the world. In North America, cilantro refers to the leaves and stalks of the plant. The word “cilantro” is the Spanish name for coriander leaves.

What ingredient is cilantro? ›

Cilantro is an herb from the same family as celery and parsley, and is sometimes called “Coriander” especially when referring to its seeds. Using more herbs, like cilantro, while cooking can help add fresh, savory flavor without adding extra sodium.

What is cream sauce made of? ›

None of them are really needed to make a full flavour cream sauce for any types of pasta. No need to build more suspense though. Truth is all you need is cream, freshly grated parmesan cheese and a pinch of salt. Some recipes include milk or flour.

What type of ingredient is cilantro? ›

Cilantro refers to the leaves of the coriander plant. It is commonly eaten as a food or used as a spice. Cilantro can also be used as a medicine. Cilantro is used for cancer, measles, toothache, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support these uses.

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