A zesty, herby cilantro lime dressing that's perfect for drizzling on salads, grilled veggies, chicken and fish or as a marinade!

Close up overhead of small mason jar full of cilantro lime dressing with a whole lime and cilantro leaves in the background.

This cilantro lime dressing is on repeat all summer long. It's tangy, bursting with fresh cilantro and so delicious drizzled over your taco salad, grilled veggies or your favorite protein.

Whenever possible, I ALWAYS make my own dressings and marinades. So many bottled products start with a base of canola oil and have ingredients that I can't even pronounce. Not really something I want to douse my farmers' market veggies in!

When you make your own dressings, you control the ingredients making it a much healthier option. Not to mention, you can always taste the difference! With just eight simple ingredients and a food processor, you can have this delicious dressing ready to go in less time it takes you to read the labels in the grocery store. Let's get into it!

Small mason jar full of cilantro lime dressing with a whole lime and fresh cilantro leaves in the background.

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Ingredients
Method
How to enjoy this Cilantro Lime Dressing
Cilantro Lime Dressing

Ingredients

The ingredients are simple and fresh. Not too many substitutions

Fresh Cilantro - The whole bunch! I just cut off the bottom half of the stems and throw it all in. No need to pick the leaves off. That's tedious and it's all going in the food processor. The stems are packed with flavor! I LOVE cilantro. If you don't like it, this recipe probably isn't for you.

Fresh Limes - Zest and juice!

Garlic - fresh only.

Shallot - onion's delicate cousin. I would only recommend using shallot and not substituting onion.

Honey - just a touch of sweetness to balance the acid from the limes and vinegar.

Apple Cider Vinegar - just a touch adds the right amount of tang and balances the sourness from the limes.

Olive Oil - I always say use the good stuff in your dressings. You will taste the difference! My favorite is The Furies.

Salt & Pepper - a pinch or two of salt and I love to add a dash of cayenne pepper for a bit of heat.

Cilantro lime dressing ingredients on a wood cutting board. A bunch of fresh cilantro, two limes, one shallot, garlic clove, bowl of olive oil, small bowl with vinegar, jar of honey and small tin of salt.

Method

Making this dressing could not be easier. It's a dump and blend kind of method. I like to use the food processor to emulsify the dressing and chop up the cilantro into fine bits. If you do do not have a food processor, a blender will also get the job done!

Peel the shallot and garlic and trim off the root and tough end. Cut the shallot into a few chunks so it breaks down easily in the food processor. Cut off the bottom half of the stems of the bunch of cilantro. Don't worry about picking off the leaves, the food processor will break down the stems and add so much flavor!

Add cilantro, garlic, shallot, honey, apple cider vinegar, salt, lime juice and zest to the food processor bowl. With it running, stream the olive oil into the top until everything is well combined and emulsified and the cilantro is in small flecks. That's it!