Elevate all your summer meals with this Creamy Cilantro Dressing. It’s bursting with fresh flavor and comes together in just 5 minutes. Drizzle it over salads, grilled meats, or roasted vegetables for a savory experience.
Cilantro is one of those love it/hate it kind of foods, and I fall hard on the side of loving it. As a garnish, it adds a nice touch to recipes like Mexican Cauliflower Rice or Thai Cucumber Salad. But it can also be more central to the flavor profile in recipes like this heavenly Cilantro Dressing.
This is more than just a keto salad dressing, my friends. It’s one of my favorite ways to add flavor to summer meals like roasted salmon or Peruvian Chicken. And I love dipping fresh veggies in it too. It’s herbaceous and tangy, with a little kick of heat.
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I started making this recipe out of necessity many summers ago, when I had too much cilantro and not enough uses for it. My biggest complaint about this delicious herb is how you have to buy a bunch of it but most recipes call for just a smidge.
Then you are left with the rest going slimy quickly in the refrigerator. My husband eventually bought me an herb-keeper that works really well and allows me to keep cilantro for much longer. But whenever I have too much, I make this cilantro lime dressing.
My friends love it so much I often just make a jar of it and drop it by their house!
Why you will love this Creamy Cilantro Dressing
- Super easy: This recipe requires only a good blender and 5 minutes of your time.
- Zesty flavor: With lime and sour cream, this dressing adds tanginess to all of your meals.
- A touch of spice: Using just a little jalapeño adds a kick of heat without overwhelming the other flavors.
- Creamy texture: Sour cream and mayonnaise give it a rich, creamy consistency.
- Multitasker: It works as a dressing, a dip, or a delicious sauce.
- Prep ahead: This delicious dressing is good in the fridge for days.
- Easy pairings: It goes well with any Mexican inspired meals, salads, seafood, and chicken!
Ingredient Notes
- Cilantro: I specified cups, tightly packed, because bunches of cilantro come in slightly different sizes.
- Sour cream: You can also use Greek yogurt.
- Mayonnaise: I usually use avocado oil mayonnaise.
- Lime juice: Use freshly squeezed juice for the best flavor.
- Jalapeño: About half a medium pepper works well for a slight kick without being too hot. You are free to add more!
- Garlic: I recommend fresh garlic for this recipe.
Tips for success
This recipe is so easy, you really don’t need many instructions or tips. Just add all of the ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. That’s all there is to it!
You can taste the dressing and adjust the seasonings a bit. Do be forewarned that the spiciness from the jalapeño tends to develop as it sits for a bit so don’t over-do it until you know how you like it as written.
The dressing can be served right away but like many things, the flavors develop a bit more as it sits in the fridge. I like to make it and chill it about an hour before I serve it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Like many herbs, cilantro has some added health benefits such blood sugar management and reducing inflammation. It’s also high in many vitamins and anti-oxidants, including vitamins A, C and K, as well as potassium and folates. However, most recipes don’t call for enough cilantro to provide much of these nutrients in one serving.
This recipe has less than 1 gram of carbs per 2 tablespoons.
Store the dressing in the fridge in a glass container for up to 7 days. As long as your ingredients were fresh, it can even last a bit longer.
More recipes you will love
Cilantro Dressing Recipe
Servings: 8 servings
Elevate all your summer meals with this Creamy Cilantro Dressing. It’s bursting with fresh flavor and comes together in just 5 minutes. Drizzle it over salads, grilled meats, or roasted vegetables for a savory experience.
- 1 1/2 cups (24 g) packed cilantro leaves
- 3 tbsp (36.52 g) sour cream
- 3 tbsp (42.61 g) mayonnaise
- 2 tbsp (30.43 g) fresh lime juice
- 1/2 medium jalapeño, more as desired
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Prevent your screen from going dark
Serving: 2tbsp | Calories: 46kcal | Carbohydrates: 0.9g | Protein: 0.3g | Fat: 4.6g | Saturated Fat: 1.1g | Fiber: 0.2g
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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