5-Minute Cilantro Lime Sauce

Cilantro lovers, this sauce is for you! It’s *the* creamy, easy-to-make, homemade sauce recipe that is gonna elevate taco night, become a go-to salad dressing, and be the condiment you wanna drizzle on just about everything – from roasted cauliflower steaks, to burrito bowls, to loaded kimchi fries.

There’s just about nothing this sauce can’t do. It adds freshness, creaminess, and the just-right balance of herbs, lime, and tang. It’s naturally gluten-free and vegetarian, too.

Ingredients You’ll Need

This sauce only needs 6 ingredients, including the essential salt! The simple ingredients work together so well, each contributing its own punch of flavor.

• Cilantro: the star of the show! Use the leaves and the stems of the cilantro for the most flavor.
• Fresh Lime: use both fresh lime juice and lime zest to get the most flavor out of those little green citrus fruits.
• Garlic: because ya gotta have the punch of fresh garlic, right? If not, you can omit or substitute with a half teaspoon of garlic powder.
• Cumin: the citrus and floral essence of cilantro pair so well with cumin’s slightly bitter earthiness.
• Sour Cream: the creamy base of this sauce recipe. Easily swap out with plain Greek yogurt or do a mix of the two. It adds a cooling, creamy, tangy element.
• Salt: brings out the flavor of food, so be sure to add salt and taste test, adjusting as needed.

Want a spicy variation? Throw in a few jalapeno slices, or try our spicy jalapeno sauce!

How to Make Cilantro Lime Sauce

This recipe is made in a blender or food processor to make it smooth in texture, and a super quick recipe. If you don’t have either, you can easily make it without, too.

With a Blender

As I mentioned, definitely use the stems and leaves of fresh cilantro for the most flavor. This is also a great way to reduce food waste. Since the stems of cilantro are so flavorful, and tender enough to add to recipes, it’s best to use them.

I do recommend roughly chopping them before blending, or simply cut into pieces using kitchen shears (or tearing with your hands, really). In my experience, if they’re not cut beforehand, the long stems can get wrapped around the blades of a blender.

Other than that, add all of the ingredients and blend them together until smooth.

Make it Without a Blender

I get it, maybe you don’t have a blender or a food processor…or you don’t want to clean one. You can make this recipe without a blender, but you will need to use those knife skills.

Finely chop the cilantro and garlic and whisk together the ingredients until combined. The sauce will likely be a little thicker this way, so add extra lime juice or even a little water if you need to thin it out to your desired consistency.

Use it on Everything!

This sauce is truly so versatile – whether you use it as a drizzling sauce, a dressing, or even a dip – there are no limits! The cooling creaminess with cilantro and lime is a perfect match with Mexican food, but it doesn’t end there. Try it on one of these recipes, and let us know your favorite way to use this sauce!

• Serve it up as a dipping sauce with tortilla chips or fresh veggies. Mix it instead of blending if you want it thicker for dipping.
• Drizzle it over black bean tacos, crispy or pan-fried fish tacos, as a topping for burrito bowls, or over a sheet pan of vegetarian nachos. Be sure to amp up the lime and cilantro flavors with some cilantro lime rice, too!
• Toss it with greens for a flavorful salad dressing! It’s pretty thin as is, but if you’d like it even thinner to use as a dressing, add extra lime juice.
• Pair with other bold flavors like these oven-roasted cauliflower steaks, or curried chickpea burgers.

Did you make this recipe? Please leave a star rating and review in the form below. I appreciate your feedback, and it helps others, too!