Cilantro Lime Dressing (Best 5-Minute Recipe)

Bright, creamy, zesty, and with just enough of a kick to elevate your favorite salad or dish. This homemade, vegan cilantro lime dressing is one that can please everyone. Why buy premade from the store when you can whip up this deliciousness in just minutes? It’s one of my favorite ways to add a zippy layer of flavor to everything from salads and veggie sides to tacos, burritos, and more!

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Glass bottle with white metal lid filled with green salad dressing.

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Quick and easy: All you need to do is stick the ingredients in your blender and you’ll have this fresh dressing ready in a pinch!
Flavor-packed: Cilantro, along with additions like citrus and jalapenos, makes the avocado base of this dressing pop with punchy flavors.
Versatile: While it’s amazing on salad, it can be drizzled on top of so many other things. Tacos, burritos, rice bowls – you name it!

Nutrition For Mental Health

Cilantro (Coriandrum sativum) contains vitamins A, C, and K., as well as trace amounts of many more vitamins and minerals. In an animal study, a minimum dose of 100 mg/kg of hydroalcoholic extract from cilantro was found to have anti-anxiety effects.

Ingredients + Notes

Simple, fresh ingredients are what’s needed to make this tasty 5-minute creamy cilantro dressing.

Avocado: Creamy by nature, avocado is the perfect base. It’s nutritious too, and even if you’re not a vegan per se, you’ll get that full creaminess without missing any dairy.
Cilantro: The distinctive flavor of cilantro is one that can bring out the best in any dish, plus it adds even more green color for an herby and outstanding dressing.

A full list of ingredients with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.

Substitutions + Variations

Enjoy this creamy lime and cilantro dressing as is or make modifications as needed.

Garlic: Fans of garlic will no doubt love tossing an extra clove of garlic into the mix. Alternatively, if you don’t have fresh garlic on hand, you can use garlic powder.
Lime juice: Add more fresh-squeezed lime juice to dial up the tanginess.
Sour cream (vegan): While the avocado makes a creamy base, you can make it even more indulgently creamy with vegan sour cream.
Maple syrup: Feel like you’re on tanginess overload? Add just a hint of maple syrup to help balance those flavors beautifully.

How To Make Cilantro Lime Dressing

Gather your ingredients together and get your blender ready. It couldn’t be any easier to make this winning dressing that everyone absolutely loves!

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Add avocado into a small blender, followed by all remaining ingredients.

A bowl with limes, lemons and other ingredients on a tiled floor.

Blend on high for 30-45 seconds (until well combined).
Pro tip: If the dressing looks a bit thick, add up to 1/4 cup of water.
Serve on your favorite tacos, nachos, or salad.

Cilantro lime dressing in a Le Parfait bottle with fresh lime and cilantro surrounding it.

Servings Ideas

Naturally, cilantro lime dressing is a perfect way to make any salad disappear. The rich creaminess of the avocado adds healthy fats, making your salad more substantial. You’ll also love it on a variety of other things – any Mexican dish is even better with a drizzle of this stuff on top.

Storage Tips

Grab an airtight container, preferably a glass jar, and store your cilantro lime dressing in there for up to a week in the fridge. This is not something that freezes well, but since it’s so quick and simple to make, you can easily make a new batch in a pinch.

A green juice with limes and lemons on a tiled floor.

A bottle of lime juice on a tiled floor.

FAQ

What is cilantro lime dressing made of?

Cilantro lime dressing is made with avocado that serves as the creamy base and cilantro. Adding lime gives it that zesty flavor profile, and you can add garlic, jalapenos, vegan sour cream, and other ingredients as you see fit to give it even more of a commanding presence in your meals.

What is creamy cilantro dressing made of?

Many people love Trader Joe’s cilantro dressing, but it’s not vegan. It contains mayonnaise, milk, cilantro, red wine vinegar, garlic, chiles, pumpkin seeds, and Cotija cheese.

What is in Brianna’s cilantro lime dressing?

This cilantro lime dressing also has ingredients that aren’t cohesive with a vegan lifestyle, including egg yolks. It features garlic puree, lime juice concentrate, vegetable juice, and more preservatives than the Trader Joe’s option.

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Recipe

A bottle of green dressing with limes on a tiled table.

5 from 2 votes