This copycat recipe for Café Rio Dressing is so good, I’ve had people tell me they want to drink it! It is delicious on taco salads, burritos, and even as a dip for veggies.
If you’ve made my Cafe Rio sweet pork recipe, you know this dressing is a must make! Creamy, fresh, and perfectly spicy, it is simply out of this world.
Every time I go to Cafe Rio (or Costa Vida), I order the sweet pork salad. With the creamy cilantro lime dressing of course. Pure heaven.
I like to order my tortilla on the side. After finishing my salad, I like to dip the tortilla in the leftover dressing. When a salad dressing is this good, you don’t want to waste a drop of it!
Addicting Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing
I’ve served this dressing at dozens of potlucks, and no matter how much I make, It ALWAYS gets finished off. People seriously can’t get enough of it!
Of course it’s perfect with any Mexican dish, but you’ll probably find all kinds of ways to use it. I think it’s a perfect dip for carrots and other fresh veggies.It is so easy to whip up, and being able to make it at home saves a lot of money!
Frequently asked questions:
A tomatillo is a small, round, green vegetable (technically a fruit), that resembles a green tomato in appearance. But unlike tomatoes, tomatillos are covered with a papery husk that needs to be removed before they are eaten.
They have a bright, acidic flavor, and are less sweet than tomatoes. While not spicy themselves, they are often used in spicy dishes.
You can find them in the produce section of your grocery store, usually close to the peppers.
No, it isn’t a good idea to freeze creamy dressings. The mayonnaise and buttermilk (or milk) tend to separate as they thaw, so you dressing will get a curdled texture.
HOW TO MAKE CAFE RIO CILANTRO LIME DRESSING
- PREP – Remove husks from tomatillos; wash and cut in half. Wash jalapeno and remove seeds & membranes if desired. Juice your lime. Remove stems from the cilantro.
- BLEND – Place all of the ingredients in a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
- CHILL – Pour into containers (I like to use mason jars). Let chill for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to blend.
Now that your ranch cilantro lime dressing is ready, it’s time to enjoy it! It will be delicious served over taco salad, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, or just about any Mexican dish.
You can also drizzle it over a plate of leafy greens, or use it as a dip for crunchy vegetables. Just try not to actually drink it. 😉VARIATIONS:
- I like to use my homemade ranch dressing mix, but you can use Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix instead. Use 3 tablespoons of original dressing mix, or 1 1/2 -2 tablespoons of buttermilk dressing mix.
- If you want a thicker dressing, only use 3/4 cup of buttermilk.
MORE COPYCAT RECIPES:
- Cilantro Lime Rice
- Biscoff Cookie Recipe (Crumbl copycat)
- Applebee’s Blondie
- Chick Fil A Cobb Salad Recipe
- Red Lobster Biscuits
- Alice Springs Chicken Recipe
- Rosemary Bread (Macaroni Grill copycat)
- Southwest Eggrolls
- Easy Naan Recipe
- Vanilla Bean Cheesecake (Cheesecake Factory copycat)
Cafe Rio Dressing Recipe
Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tbsp. ranch dressing mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ⅓ of a bunch of cilantro with stems chopped off
- 1 small jalapeno if you don’t like it spicy, remove the seeds
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 small tomatillos remove outer papery skin
- 1 garlic clove peeled
Instructions
- Rinse cilantro, jalapeno, lime, and tomatillos. Remove stems from cilantro. Cut tomatillos in half. Juice the lime.
- If desired, remove the seeds and membranes from the jalapeno. (I usually just remove half. )
- Place all of the ingredients into a food processor or blender. Blend until smooth.
- Pour into pourable containers and chill for at least 30 minutes.
- Serve over sweet pork salad, burritos, enchiladas, taco salad, or any Mexican dish. It also makes a great dip for fresh veggies!
Notes
Nutrition
Note: Recipe was originally published October of 2008, post was updated July 2023.
If you’re looking to add a zesty extra layer of flavor to your salads, wraps, and tacos, then look no further than this delicious cilantro lime ranch dressing!
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This copycat recipe is impressive! It is flavorful and rich, my guests love it!
Definitely one of my favorite copycat recipes, that’s for sure! 🙂
Tastes just like the restaurants! I love this stuff. Will make this all time.
It’s so good, right?