Once you taste this creamy cilantro lime sauce, you’ll want to drizzle it on everything in sight! It’s a tasty mix of sour cream, cilantro, salsa verde, lime juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Perfect for grilled meats, salads, tacos, and more!
There’s nothing that ties together flavors like a delicious homemade sauce! Whether it’s chicken enchiladas with avocado cream sauce, or cilantro ranch on literally anything, a creamy homemade sauce will take any dinner from good to great! First, let’s try out this cilantro lime sauce, because it is seriously SO amazing!
Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce
For me, no Mexican dish is complete unless it’s got a tasty sauce drizzled on top. Whether you’re making tacos or grilled meats, trust me, you need to add some of this cilantro lime sauce to it. I know it sounds a little overdramatic, but it’s honestly life-changing. I see a variation of this creamy green sauce at so many of my favorite Mexican restaurants, I don’t know why I didn’t try making it at home until now!
Cilantro lime sauce is made from a tasty blend of sour cream, fresh cilantro, salsa verde, and garlic. This ingredient lineup is the dream team and creates the best flavor ever! Like other homemade sauces, this one is super easy to customize, so if you’re wanting to add in other seasonings or need to omit something, go for it! The good news is that each ingredient in this sauce is so flavorful, it will make up for it if you need to omit something because of dietary reasons or you just don’t like it. Now, if you’re on the fence about cilantro… give it a try just this once for me. This sauce will make you a believer. The cilantro flavor isn’t overpowering at all!
Ingredients Needed
The great thing about this creamy cilantro sauce is that it doesn’t have a never-ending ingredient list. Only some sour cream, fresh cilantro, salsa, and other seasonings that you probably have on hand already! Check out the recipe card below for exact measurements.
- Sour Cream or Greek Yogurt: The base of the cilantro lime sauce that make it creamy and tangy.
- Cilantro Leaves: Add a burst of fresh flavor!
- Salsa Verde: Give the sauce a zesty kick with salsa verde, a mix of tomatillos, peppers, and spices.
- Garlic: For some strong, savory flavor! Fresh minced garlic is best. You could also use roasted garlic for a different twist on the flavor.
- Fresh Lime Juice: So your sauce has some zingy, citrusy flavor. It also helps to keep it light and not too rich. For the best flavor, use fresh limes and not bottled lime juice. Save the rinds! If you love lime flavor, you can add some lime zest as well.
- Salt and Pepper: Season to taste!
Cilantro Lime Sauce Recipe
All you need is a blender and 5 minutes to whip up this tasty sauce. Be sure to make enough – it always goes fast at my house! Plus, if you have any leftover sauce, you can store and use it later for a lot of different dishes.
- Add Ingredients to Blender: In a food processor or blender, add the sour cream, cilantro, salsa verde, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
- Blend: Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth.
- Refrigerate: Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Serve: Enjoy as a dipping sauce with chicken and steak or drizzled on top of salad or tacos!
Ways to Use Your Sauce
Cilantro lime sauce is super versatile and works for so many different dishes. Steak, chicken, tacos, quesadillas, burrito bowls… the list goes on and on! It’s also a great salad dressing! So, whenever you want to add a little extra flavor and creaminess to your favorite Mexican, Southwestern, or Tex-Mex dishes, grab this sauce from the fridge!
Dinner
Blackened Shrimp Avocado Burrito Bowls
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Steak
Carne Asada
2 hrs 22 mins
Mexican
Pork Enchiladas
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Dinner
Pollo Asado
1 hr 50 mins
Storing Leftover Sauce
Store your cilantro lime sauce in an airtight jar or squeeze bottle in the fridge. It will stay good for up to 1 week! Sometimes the ingredients settle as it sits, so give it a quick shake or stir before you use it again.
Try These Other Homemade Sauces!
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Cilantro Lime Sauce
Ingredients
- ½ cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- 1 bunch cilantro leaves
- 1/3 cup salsa verde
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- juice of 1 lime
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste
- pepper, to taste
Instructions
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In a food processor or blender, add the sour cream, cilantro, salsa verde, garlic, lime juice, salt, and pepper.
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Blend all of the ingredients together until smooth.
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Store in an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Enjoy as a dipping sauce with chicken and steak or drizzled on top of salad or tacos!
