Quick and Creamy Cilantro Lime Sauce (5-Minute Taco Sauce)
You need this easy, zesty Cilantro Lime Sauce! It comes together in five minutes and is perfect as a versatile dipping sauce, dressing, or topping for tacos and grilled chicken.
- Prep Time: 5 min
- Cook Time: 0 min
- Total Time: 5 min
- Yield: About 1 cup
- Category: Condiment
- Method: Blending
- Cuisine: Mexican Inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup fresh cilantro, packed
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise or Greek yogurt for a lighter option
- 1/4 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Optional: 1/2 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped (for a spicy kick)
Instructions
- Prepare your ingredients. If you are using jalapeño, remove the seeds and stem, and chop it roughly.
- Place the fresh cilantro, mayonnaise (or Greek yogurt), sour cream, lime juice, minced garlic, salt, and pepper into a food processor or high-speed blender. Add the optional jalapeño now if you want heat.
- Process the mixture until it is completely smooth and creamy. Stop and scrape down the sides as needed to incorporate everything.
- Taste the sauce. Add more lime juice for tang or salt for flavor balance if necessary.
- Transfer the finished sauce to an airtight container. You can serve it immediately or chill it for 30 minutes to let the flavors blend further.
Notes
- For a healthier, lower-fat version, substitute all the mayonnaise with plain Greek yogurt.
- If you do not have a food processor, you can finely chop the cilantro and garlic by hand, then whisk everything together vigorously in a bowl until combined.
- This versatile green sauce is excellent on fish tacos or as a dressing for a Mexican-inspired salad.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 tablespoons
- Calories: 85
- Sugar: 0.5
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 8
- Saturated Fat: 1.5
- Unsaturated Fat: 6.5
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 1
- Fiber: 0.2
- Protein: 0.8
- Cholesterol: 5