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Home Recipes Sauces & Dressings Cilantro Lime Sauce

Cilantro Lime Sauce

by Jennifer Debth May 18, 2021
17 Comments
5 from 13 votes
JUMP TO RECIPE
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

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

spoon in jar of cilantro lime sauce

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 you really 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 and Zest – 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 on tacos

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

jar of cilantro lime sauce

Cilantro Lime Sauce

5 from 13 votes
This Cilantro Lime Sauce is 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 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes minutes
Yield: 32 tablespoons
Print Pin Rate Recipe

Equipment for this recipe

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric
  • 2 jalapeños roughly chopped*
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • ¼ cup chopped green onions
  • ¼ cup cilantro
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 lime zested
  • ½ 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!
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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
Enjoy this recipe?
Tag @showmetheyummy on Instagram and hashtag it #showmetheyummy
Course: Appetizer, Sauce
Cuisine: Mexican
Author: Jennifer Debth

Filed Under: Gluten Free, Recipes, Sauces & Dressings, Vegetarian

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  1. Anonymous

    United States

    June 6, 2025 at 10:57 pm

    5 stars
    Reply
  2. Tiffany

    United States

    May 15, 2025 at 5:29 pm

    5 stars I’ve been trying to recreate this recipe for fish and I think you’ve nailed it!!
    Reply
    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      May 16, 2025 at 10:49 am

      Aw yay!! Thanks Tiffany! This is one of my favorite recipes! We make this once a week! We use it for everything, ha!
  3. Sally

    United States

    February 22, 2025 at 3:36 pm

    5 stars So easy and bursting with flavor. Wouldn’t change a thing,
    Reply
    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      February 24, 2025 at 10:12 am

      Thanks Sally!
  4. Anonymous

    United States

    January 19, 2025 at 8:42 pm

    5 stars
    Reply
  5. Anonymous

    Petaling Jaya, Selangor

    May 11, 2024 at 8:44 am

    5 stars
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  6. Anonymous

    Boulder, Colorado

    April 8, 2024 at 6:27 pm

    5 stars
    Reply
  7. Anonymous

    United States

    February 19, 2024 at 7:04 pm

    5 stars AMAZING
    Reply
    • Jennifer @ Show Me the Yummy

      February 24, 2024 at 11:56 am

      Thank you!
  8. Marta

    Waukesha, Wisconsin

    February 8, 2024 at 11:26 am

    5 stars
    Reply
  9. Anonymous

    Burnaby, British Columbia

    August 17, 2023 at 3:39 pm

    Reply
  10. Anonymous

    Panama City, Provincia de Panama

    November 8, 2022 at 5:33 pm

    5 stars
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  11. Anonymous

    United States

    November 4, 2022 at 6:32 pm

    5 stars
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  12. Anonymous

    Portland, Oregon

    July 26, 2022 at 2:32 pm

    5 stars
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  13. Anonymous

    United States

    July 24, 2022 at 6:30 pm

    5 stars
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  14. Anonymous

    Homestead, Florida

    December 2, 2021 at 4:45 am

    5 stars
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