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Close-up of creamy cilantro lime sauce with fine cilantro flecks falling slowly from a spoon.

Cilantro Lime Sauce with Greek Yogurt

This creamy cilantro lime sauce blends fresh cilantro, lime juice, garlic, honey, and Greek yogurt into a bright, versatile sauce for tacos, chicken, rice bowls, vegetables, and salads. Keep it thick for dipping or gradually add cold water for an easy drizzle or dressing.
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Servings: 8 small servings
Course: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Calories: 25
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cilantro Lime Sauce
  • 1 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt Made with pasteurized milk
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems Lightly packed, rinsed and thoroughly dried; remove thick, tough, damaged, or discolored stems
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 1 small clove garlic Peeled
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt Approximately 1.5 g; volume can vary with crystal size
  • 1 small pinch black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon cold water Plus up to 2 tablespoons more as needed for the desired consistency
  • jalapeño Optional; use a small piece for extra heat

Equipment

  • Small blender or food processor
  • Citrus juicer
  • Measuring spoons
  • Small kitchen scale
  • Clean airtight storage container

Method
 

  1. Rinse the cilantro and lime under plain running water. Dry the cilantro thoroughly so excess moisture does not unintentionally thin the sauce.
  2. Add the cilantro, lime juice, garlic, honey, salt, black pepper, and optional jalapeño to a small blender or food processor.
  3. Blend until the cilantro and garlic are finely chopped, stopping to scrape down the sides of the container when needed.
  4. Add the Greek yogurt and pulse just until evenly combined. The finished sauce should be creamy with fine green flecks; avoid blending longer than necessary.
  5. Blend in 1 tablespoon of cold water. For a thinner consistency, add up to 2 additional tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, stopping when the sauce reaches the texture you want.
  6. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt, lime juice, or honey only if needed. Transfer to a clean container and refrigerate promptly if not serving immediately.
  7. For a no-blender version, finely mince the cilantro and garlic. Whisk them together with the lime juice, honey, salt, black pepper, and Greek yogurt, then gradually whisk in water until the desired consistency is reached.

Notes

The recipe makes about 1 cup, with eight servings calculated as one-eighth of the batch. For a thick dip or dollop, use 0 to 1 tablespoon of water. For a taco or bowl drizzle, use about 1 to 2 tablespoons. For a pourable salad dressing, use about 2 to 3 tablespoons. Greek yogurt thickness varies by brand, so add water gradually.
If the sauce becomes too thin, stir in additional Greek yogurt one spoonful at a time. If it is too thick, add cold water one tablespoon at a time. A small amount of separation during storage can usually be corrected by stirring thoroughly.
Plain 2% Greek yogurt or sour cream can replace the nonfat Greek yogurt by volume, although flavor, texture, fat, protein, and nutrition will change. Finely grated lime zest can be added for extra lime aroma, and a small piece of jalapeño can be blended in for heat.
Keep the sauce refrigerated at 40°F/4°C or below and refrigerate within 2 hours of preparation, or within 1 hour when temperatures exceed 90°F/32°C. As a conservative home-storage guideline, use within 3 to 4 days. Freezing is not recommended when texture is important because yogurt-based sauces may separate after thawing.