Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing Recipe — Creamy Zesty Sauce for Salads & Tacos

Creamy Cilantro Lime Dressing is one of our favorite Mexican-style accompaniments.

This creamy cilantro lime ranch is essential with a copycat Cafe Rio Sweet Pork salad or the shredded chicken salad.

Making homemade dressing can sometimes seem like extra work, but this recipe is quick and rewarding. Once you try it, you’ll find yourself making it often.
It’s delicious on salads and also makes a fantastic dip — try it with tacos, burritos, nachos or enchiladas for a bright, tangy finish.

Cilantro Lime Dressing — Cafe Rio Copycat Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch dry mix
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1 small jalapeño, seeds removed (leave seeds for more heat)
• 1 tsp lime juice (about 1/2 lime)
• 1–2 tomatillos, papery husks removed and halved
• 1 garlic clove (or 1/2 tsp pre-minced garlic)

How to make Cilantro Lime Ranch Dressing (Cafe Rio)

1. Place all ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth.
2. Refrigerate before serving. The dressing improves as it chills and will keep up to two weeks.

Make it ahead

This dressing develops deeper flavor if made a day or two in advance, which makes it ideal for serving a crowd.

Storage

Store the dressing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

Freezing?

Freezing is not recommended. The texture and flavor change after thawing and the dressing won’t be as good.

Below are a few step-by-step images showing the process. All ingredients ready to go make blending quick and easy.

We like to keep this dressing on hand — it’s excellent on Cafe Rio-style salads and tostadas.

We also love dipping Cafe Rio-style cheese quesadillas into this cilantro lime ranch.

Cafe Rio Dressing Variations

• More heat: leave the jalapeño seeds and ribs in when blending.
• Less heat: remove seeds and ribs before blending.
• Swap the mayo: use sour cream or plain Greek yogurt instead of mayonnaise for a lighter option.
• No fresh tomatillos: canned tomatillos work well and save prep time.
• Salsa verde option: omit tomatillos and use 1/2–3/4 cup of your favorite green salsa for a different flavor profile.

More copycat Cafe Rio recipes

• Shredded Sweet Pork
• Shredded Cafe Rio Chicken
• Sweet Pork Enchiladas
• Cilantro Lime Rice
• Pico De Gallo
• Best Guacamole

This dressing also pairs wonderfully with other Mexican-inspired copycat recipes such as Sweet Green Chile White Rice, Green Chile Chicken Salad, and Green Chile Quesadilla.