Home » Recipe » The Best Cilantro Lime Sauce Recipe
By Author Renee Groskreutz
Posted on Last updated:
Categories Condiment, Recipe
Did you know that there’s a right and a wrong way to use a sauce?
Sauces are made to enhance and complement the flavors of a dish!
When you use a sauce to highlight the flavor profile of a dish and elevate it from “great” to “WHY ARE WE NOT HAVING THIS EVERY NIGHT?”, then you’re using the sauce right!
However, if you’re using a sauce to mask the flavors of a dish, or worse, make it palatable, then you’re not only using the sauce wrong, you should probably skip making that particular dish in the future.
Whether you’re making an amazingbarbecue saucefor your next steak night or you’re want to make this delicious cilantro-lime cream sauce for a Mexican-themed party, you always want to make sure that you’re using the sauce right
Table of Contents
How to pick good fresh cilantro?
Picking fresh cilantro (or any kind of herbs, for that matter) can make or break a dish.
Now, we’re not saying that dried herbs aren’t any good; you can use dried herbs for most recipes if you don’t have access to fresh herbs.
However, using fresh herbs really gives you a different, more floral flavor compared to using dried herbs.
Plus, dried herbs are stronger compared to fresh herbs, so you actually need tocalculate the right amountof dried herbs to use if a recipe calls for fresh herbs.
Look for cilantro that’s vibrant green, springy, and doesn’t have any bruising on the leaves.
As much as possible, avoid wilted, dried out, or damaged leaves as this can affect the flavor of the dish.
How to store cilantro lime sauce
If you have extra cilantro lime sauce, you can keep the sauce in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Don’t use plastic or wood containers to store the sauce, as the sauce can seep into the container and leave behind stains even after you wash out the container.
Can I freeze cilantro lime sauce?
It’s not a good idea to freeze this particular sauce.
In general, cream-based saucesdon’t fare wellwith freezing as the dairy in the sauce tends to split when the sauce is thawed and reheated.
While it’s still safe to eat, it’s unpleasant to look at and it doesn’t taste anywhere near as good.
How to use cilantro lime sauce
This cilantro lime cream sauce recipe is not only super easy to make, it’s also incredibly versatile!
You can use it as a topping forcilantro lime ricebowls.
You can use it to top grilled proteins such as chicken, steak, or fish.
You can use it as a dipping sauce for zucchini orcarrot fries.
If you want a good pairing sauce that’s a bit more savory to contrast the tangy lime, you can also make this yummygarlic aiolisauce.
Chop that cilantro with a sharp knife!
The key to getting the spicy flavors of cilantro without any of the bitterness is chopping the herb with a sharp knife or a herb chopper if you have one.
Using a dull knife tears and bruises the herb rather than chopping it, causing it to become bitter.
Is There a “Right” Type of Lime I Should Use?
Nope! For this recipe, you can use either regular limes or Key limes.
It all comes down on what lime flavors you like.
Key limes tend to be more floral and intense compared to regular limes.
Also, if you used fresh limes to get the juice, you can zest the limes on top of the sauce for an additional tangy punch.
Can I Use Other Types of Dairy Products instead of Greek Yogurt?
Yes! You can use sour cream if you want the sauce to be richer and tangier.
On the other end, if you want to cut down on the fat a little, you can use non-fat Greek yogurt.
Play with the Consistency
Some people like their sauce really rich and creamy, while others want it a bit thinner.
This recipe will make a very creamy sauce, but you can adjust the consistency by adding a bit of milk if you want to thin it out.
What About Other Seasonings?
You can also use other types of premade seasoning packets if you wish, such as ranch, Greek, or Italian seasoning, if you want to have some culinary fusion going on!
Finally, CHILL!
With creamy sauces, you can bring out more flavor by allowing the ingredients to meld together a little bit in the fridge before serving.
Placing it in the fridge for an hour before serving will definitely amp up the tangy lime and spicy cilantro.
Try it and see!
Considering how tasty and easy this recipe is to make, we won’t be surprised if you have a jar in your fridge from now on.
Just make sure that you always keep track of how long it’s been in the fridge.
Food safety, first!
Cilantro sauce recipe
Yield: 1 Cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Use this deliciously creamy and tangy cilantro sauce as a topping, dip, or even a salad dressing! It’s sugar-free, gluten-free, and perfect for those who love that spicy cilantro flavor. Just a single spoonful on top of your meal will transform it into something new and delicious.
Ingredients
- 1 c. plain, full-fat Greek yogurt
- 1-2 T. taco seasoning
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 T. fresh cilantro
- 2 T. lime juice
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Prep your ingredients! Peel and finely mince the garlic. Finely chop your fresh cilantro.
- Place the Greek yogurt into a medium glass bowl.
- Mix in garlic, taco seasoning, and cilantro.
- Season with salt and pepper, to taste
- Stir until well-combined.
- Place in a glass jar with lid and store in the fridge until ready for use.
Did you make this recipe?
Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Pinterest
Ronald Jenkins
Tuesday 27th of July 2021
How do you reheat the sauce?
Andi Reis
Sunday 15th of August 2021
Hi, Ronald. It's a chilled sauce that should be kept cold in the fridge. You can add a bit to a microwave-safe dish and see if you can bring it up to a warm temp if you'd like, but it may "break" so try a little at a time.
