Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
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The sweet and vibrant flavor of this Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette homemade salad dressing will bring life and flavor to any salad. Serve it on any Mexican-inspired salad, like our Southwest Chicken Salad or Mexican Chopped Salad, for a delicious, crowd-pleasing side dish.
Why to Make Your Own Salad Dressing?
- Less ingredients – You know exactly what’s in the dressing. Unlike store bought kind.
- It is easy – Homemade Salad Dressings only take minutes to make.
- It tastes better – Fresh ingredients area always better. Same goes for our Cilantro Lime Aioli!
Ingredients
Here are the main ingredients you’ll need:
Ingredient Notes:
- Olive oil – Avocado oil will work as well
- Lime juice – Preferably from fresh limes
- Fresh cilantro – Yes, it needs to be fresh
How to Make Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
There are basically two ways you can go with this recipe.
Method 1
Mix all the ingredients together in a salad dressing container like this one. A mason jar will work as well. Give it a good shake until the ingredients are well combined. I’ve used it this way and, as long as you don’t mind bigger pieces of cilantro in your salad, it will totally work.
Method 2 (Preferred)
Blend it up. Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process it until the cilantro is well incorporated. Once the dressing is blended, transfer it to an airtight container for storage.
Storage Tips
Refrigerator Storage: This dressing can be stored in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. When ready to use it after storing, let it set on the counter for a few minutes and then give it a good shake.
Freezer Storage: You can also freeze this dressing in a mason jar (leave 1 inch of head room at the top), a freezer container with lid, or a freezer bag for up to 6 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or in a cold water bath. Set on the counter for a few minutes and shake well until re-combined.
What Salads Go Well with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette?
This dressing is a tangy-sweet combo with a cilantro twist. So, it goes great on either of these salads:
Southwest Chicken Salad
Marinated chicken, colorful Tex-Mex toppings, and our creamy Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette top a bed of crispy lettuce for this mouthwatering salad. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and packed with all the good things your body craves. Prep ingredients ahead and enjoy all week long.
Mexican Chopped Salad
This gluten-free, dairy-free Mexican Chopped Salad is fresh, vibrant, and makes a great lunch or a meal for groups of people. Top if off with our Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette for a delicious side dish that will go well with almost any meal.
Fiesta Salad
This fresh, delicious, and super healthy Fiesta Salad works as a light lunch, side dish, appetizer, or snack anytime. Eat on it throughout the week on its own or scoop it with tortilla chips or crackers.
You can also serve these salads alongside Mexican favorites like our Ground Beef Quesadillas, Dutch Oven Carnitas, or Crockpot Mexican Chicken.
FAQs
Storage times will vary depending on what ingredients are in the dressing but always store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. Most vinaigrettes (oil-based) can last for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator or in the freezer for months. Dairy-based or mayonnaise-based dressings last about 1 week in the fridge and don’t freeze well at all.
More Salad Dressings You’ll Love
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice (juice of 2-3 limes)
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (plus more to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper (plus more to taste)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. Process/blend until the cilantro is incorporated. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if desired.
- Store in the fridge for 2-3 weeks or in a Mason jar (leave 1 inch of head space) or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Notes/Tips
- If you don’t want to blend it, the dressing will still work. The cilantro will just be in bigger pieces.
- It’s important to use fresh cilantro in this recipe.
We loved this dressing with the Mexican Chopped salad recipe from this site! Delicious and fresh!
This is one of my favorite dressings Dianna… on the Mexican Chopped salad as well as just a weeknight dinner salad. So glad you enjoyed it as well. Thanks for the review Dianna!
Excellent recipe. The only change I would make is cutting back 1 TBSP on the honey. If you want your vinaigrette sweeter then add in small amounts to desired sweetness. Vinaigrette had an excellent flavor just a little too sweet for my palate.
Thanks for the feedback Deanna. It’s amazing how different our palates are. Definitely a good suggestion for those that don’t like things quite as sweet.
Simple and delicious
Glad you enjoyed it Michelle. Thanks for leaving a review.
This might sound like a silly question, but is there anything you would sub in for the cilantro if we are not fans of it? I’m assuming it’s kind of important, since it’s in the title of the recipe. I know that parsley is often suggested, but is really quite a different flavor.
OK. I made the dressing as is and we loved it with the Chopped Mexican Salad! The cilantro is not overpowering, and I made sure to pulverize it in my blender. I had done a little research, and it seems that breaking it up a lot may minimize the intense cilantro flavor. I took the salad to a pot-luck and received a lot of compliments. 🙂
Thanks for the tip! I bet pulverizing was delightful.
I haven’t tested parsley, but I think it would work.
Delicious on salad and as a chicken marinade. Love having recipes like this.
I bet it would make a great marinade for chicken, too!
Yes, it does!
Yum that sounds really good! I don’t make my own salad dressings very often either, but I’d like to give this one a try.