Creamy Cilantro Dressing

A delicious Creamy Cilantro Dressing that can also be used as a salad dressing, and is fantastic served with your favorite Mexican dish.

Creamy Cilantro Sauce in glass carafe with Ingredients in background including lime, jalapeno, and cilantro.

I made this Creamy Cilantro Dressing to accompany the Carne Asado Flank Steak I made recently but I’ve found so many reasons to use it for a lot more than a drizzle on that steak.

It’s so easy to make too; this list of ingredients is short and everything is made in a food processor (or blender). That’s it!

You Will Need:

  • Yogurt
  • Cilantro
  • Jalapeno (optional if you don’t like spicy)
  • Garlic
  • Lime
  • Cumin
  • Salt
  • Pepper

While I originally made this Creamy Cilantro Dressing to accompany the Mexican Flank Steak I shared recently, it is so good that I’ve found a bunch of other uses for it too!

Want to save this recipe?
Enter your email & I’ll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
Save Recipe

I always make extra flank steak when I’m preparing it; I know we’ll want to use the leftovers for Mexican Flank Steak Tacos…and this last time was no exception. I’ll be posting my ‘recipe’ for those too but you can imagine, they’re not hard to whip up once you have the meat already prepared…and this delicious Creamy Cilantro Dressing ready to go!

I loved this dressing so much that I made more after we had tacos. I added some olive oil to thin it out a bit, making it an official Creamy Cilantro Salad Dressing! Fantastic on a salad with lettuce, fresh garden tomatoes, and avocado.

I did not get a photo for you but we also loved it mixed with rice. I love this Mexican Cilantro Rice, it’s basically a spicy seasoned olive oil based dressing that’s added to rice, so I decided to try adding some of this Creamy Cilantro Dressing to rice and it was so good. A really great side dish we enjoyed with grilled burgers and fresh garden tomatoes.

I simply love the combination of ingredients in this dressing. I have a feeling that this particular combination of ingredients will become a mainstay in my fridge; it’s so easy and SO delicious…make it, you’ll see!

To store Creamy Cilantro Dressing after you’ve made it, keep it in an air tight container, a dressing bottle, or even a mason jar. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to one week…but I promise you it will be gone before then!

PIN IT! ‘Creamy Cilantro Dressing’

Creamy Cilantro Sauce in glass carafe and flank steak tacos in background.

Creamy Cilantro Dressing

Barbara Baker
A Creamy Cilantro Dressing that is perfect with tacos, salads, or other Mexican inspired dishes.
5 average from less than 50 votes
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Course Salads, Dressings, Marinades and Sauces
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 10 Servings
Calories 52 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems lightly packed
  • 1 to 2 large garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 tablespoon jalapeno finely chopped (optional)
  • ¾ cup Greek yogurt plain unsweetened , see Notes
  • ½ cup heavy whipping cream Can substitute mayonnaise if not available
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lime zest
  • ¾ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground cumin
  • teaspoon black pepper Add more to your preference

Instructions
 

  • Add the cilantro and garlic to a food processor and pulse until finely chopped.
  • Add all remaining ingredients and process until well-combined (you’ll have flecks of green from the cilantro). Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
  • Transfer to a jar, cover, and refrigerate until serving.

Notes

Substitute for Greek Yogurt:  Instead of using 3/4 cup Greek yogurt, you can use a mixture of half Greek yogurt and half mayonnaise for a richer sauce.
For a Spicier Kick:  Add more chopped jalapeno
Storage:  Store sauce in a covered glass jar in the fridge for up to 7 days.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Cilantro Dressing
Serving Size
 
2 tablespoons
Amount per Serving
Calories
52
% Daily Value*
Fat
 
4
g
6
%
Cholesterol
 
14
mg
5
%
Sodium
 
184
mg
8
%
Carbohydrates
 
1
g
0
%
Protein
 
2
g
4
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Calories
52
Keyword cilantro, flank steak, garlic, mexican, salad dressing, sauce, tacos, yogurt
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Some Oldies but Goodies!

One Comment

5 from 1 vote

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating