This easy cilantro lime sauce is fresh, zesty, and packed with cilantro, lime, garlic, and peppers. It takes just a few minutes to make and is delicious drizzled over tacos, chicken, shrimp, pork, rice bowls, vegetables, and salads.

I make this cilantro lime sauce often, especially for taco bowls and meal prep. It can be made ahead, portioned into small containers, and frozen so you always have a flavorful homemade sauce ready to go.

How to Make Cilantro Lime Sauce

This sauce is not made with sour cream, avocado, or mayo. It uses everyday items you’ll find in your fridge and pantry. Making it accessible anytime you have a craving!

Ingredients for Cilantro Lime Sauce

Cilantro- fresh cilantro is the way to go here!
Lime juice- fresh or bottled (I have always used fresh limes, but while traveling I could not get fresh limes and used bottled. To my surprise, it did not have an off taste like I thought it would
Garlic- fresh cloves or paste
Green onions- shallots are another option
Canned mild diced green chilis- these are mild, so great to add if you do not like spice
Jalapeño peppers- if you like it spicy, or you could use poblano peppers for a mild pepper flavor.
Oil- I prefer avocado oil. Vegetable oil is another great option (olive oil tends to be too heavy-tasting)
Salt- call me fancy, but I love coarse kosher salt. I do not prefer the taste of table salt, especially in this recipe
1 large egg- I have made it many times without the egg, I do like how the sauce stays blended with the addition of the egg.
If you don’t add the egg and want it creamy, add an oz of cotija cheese (it’s like a Mexican feta, not as salty, and gives the sauce great flavor). I prefer to put cotija cheese crumbles on top of what I’m eating and then the sauce, but blending it in is an option.

Equipment

I prefer making it in an immersion blender. A food processor or traditional blender will work too.

How to Use Cilantro Lime Sauce

Like any great sauce, you’ll be putting it on your favorites. Tacos are my first choice, I love it on chicken, pasta, rice, and anything that needs a little flavor! It’s a great salad dressing, drizzle it over beef for a quick appetizer. The possibilities are endless here. It’s also great on pasta salad.

cilantro lime Mexican sauce createdbydiane.com

Can You Make Cilantro Lime Sauce Ahead?

Yes, this can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored in the fridge it freezes well too. Which is why I love it for meal prepping.

Can You Freeze Cilantro Lime Sauce?

Yes, freeze it in any size container you prefer. I freeze in 16 oz containers and in 2-oz plastic containers that I can add to the meal prep containers, or for quick thawing.

What Does Cilantro Lime Sauce Go With?

Pork Tenderloin Veggie Bowls
Shrimp or Scallop Tacos
Taco Bowls (If you haven’t made these, they are a must!)
Skillet Chicken with Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce
Pork Tenderloin Tacos
Cilantro Lime Rice and add some grilled chicken and pour the sauce on top!

How to Make Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce

Place the ingredients in a tall container and use an immersion blender. Place the blender all the way to the bottom, start on low, and pull up to emulsify the sauce. While increasing the speed of the blender. Alternatively, if you’re using a traditional blender or food processor, drizzle in the oil so that it emulsifies. If you pour all the oil in at once on those two items, the sauce will not emulsify and will be very thin.

Over the years, I’ve played around with the sauce quite a bit. I would not be able to guess how many batches I’ve made. I make it almost every week. Unless I decide to quadruple the batch and freeze a whole bunch… then someone usually asks for a couple of containers, and I’m back to making it fresh again!

I do like the 2 oz containers, so if I’m making a salad, I can just grab one out of the freezer, and by the time I’ve made the salad, it’s almost completely thawed. I put the container in a bowl of water.

What else can I put this sauce on:

Meal Prep

This is the perfect item to make batches of for meal prep. Since this sauce is versatile, it’ll go on almost anything. Having it in small containers helps you meal prep your week’s food, and grab a few of these from the freezer to add a punch of flavor to your weekly meals.

I usually have all the ingredients on hand. I love tacos and find myself buying all of these ingredients on a routine basis. I store cilantro in a tall 2-cup glass like this, with an inch or so of water in the bottom and a plastic bag over the top. It lasts for 2 weeks with this method.

my number 1 sauce recipe createdbydiane.com

How do I know this is my number 1 sauce?

It is my most requested sauce to make, time and again. My son says I should sell it, which is probably the biggest compliment I will ever get (he has always been a selective eater, he can pick 1 piece of diced onion out of an entire meal, doesn’t like vegetables, salad dressing, or typically anything that isn’t a hamburger, turkey salisbury steak, meatball or pizza) But we all know fresh tastes way better than items you buy, due to preservatives and additives to make the shelf life longer or more stable, they usually give sauces an “off taste”. Want to know the sauce that comes in a close second, is my Lemon Wine Brown Butter Sauce, it’s lick the spoon delicious and is best with chicken and pasta.

What other options for this sauce are there?

If you’d like this sauce creamy, you can add an egg, or a 1/4 cup heavy cream, or an avocado.

cilantro lime sauce recipe createdbydiane.com

I often make taco bowls for meal prep and have a post here with all the details, at least 15 servings, and believe me, they’re so delicious they get devoured fast! I often place this sauce in 2-oz plastic containers and add it to the meal prep containers, or to freeze for quick thawing and enjoying with so many meals. Makes a great sauce for pasta salad, too.

DO not miss this Simple Mexican Rice Recipe!

Print Recipe

Cilantro Lime Sauce

The perfect sauce for all Mexican food, corn, beef, pork, chicken, tacos, scallops, shrimp, fish, vegetables, great on salad and so much more.

Prep Time5

Total Time5

Course: Condiment, sauce

Cuisine: Mexican

Servings: cups

Author: Diane Schmidt – createdbydiane.com

Ingredients

1 Cilantro 1 medium bunch, about 1 cup chopped
1 lime juiced
1 garlic clove minced
3 scallions chopped
2 tablespoons canned diced green chilies or canned diced jalapenos if you like it spicy or fresh jalapenos for even more kick.
1/2 cup avocado oil or vegetable oil add more oil as needed to get the consistency you want. (I don't typically like the taste of olive oil in this recipe)
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 large egg It can be optional, but I always add it. The sauce stays emulsified and creamy this way, otherwise it can seem oily, with the egg, it's creamy and freezes well also.
1 oz cotija cheese (OPTIONAL) I typically don't add it in the sauce if I'm adding the cheese on top of the dish.
1-2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt (if using table salt adjust to taste) I do not prefer the taste of table salt, it give a metalic taste.

Instructions

This recipe can be easily multiplied. You'll only need 1 egg if you double this recipe, but if you multiply it for more servings like 3-4 times the amount be sure to add an additional egg so it will remain creamy.
You'll process the ingredients with an immersion blender, a traditional blender, or a food processor. (wait until after blending to add salt, so you can add salt to taste)
Add all ingredients together in a blender and drizzle in the oil until the sauce thickens and emulsifies. Or add the oil to the container first, as you lift the immersion blender it looks like a creamy sauce.
The egg helps the sauce to stay emulsified.
This sauce can be refrigerated for 1-2 weeks.
Or freeze the sauce, and thaw it in the fridge.
Avoid using table salt, it never gives this recipe a good taste, I always use coarse kosher salt.
This sauce can be enjoyed at room temperature, hot, or cold. I prefer it cold and often make it a day ahead when having a party or meal prepping.