This delicious Pollo Tropical inspired Cilantro Garlic Sauce is so easy to make and versatile! It can be used as salad dressing, dip, or a taco topping. Just throw all of the ingredients into the food processor and blend.
Homemade sauces, like this one, my Chipotle Crema or Jalapeño Crema taste way better than store bought. Prep one at the beginning of the week to use throughout.
I love to use this creamy cilantro garlic crema with mayo on tacos, like my Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos, Instant Pot Turkey Tacos, or Steak Street Tacos.
Use this recipe on steak, chicken, or fish too! It adds so much flavor to a simple grilled or pan seared protein.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- This creamy cilantro sauce only requires a few simple ingredients, like garlic, fresh lime juice, fresh cilantro, and onion powder. It is different from a Brazilian herb sauce, which is more like a chimichurri.
- It is a cross between a garlic cilantro aioli and crema because it has both sour cream and mayo.
- Garlic cilantro lime sauce is super versatile. Use it as a dip for fries, veggies, or chips, on tacos, or as a salad dressing. This list goes on!
- This recipe is inspired by the dip served at Pollo Tropical. It is kind of a Pollo Tropical copycat, but better.
- It only takes 5 minutes or less to make in the food processor.
- This recipe is great for meal prep because it can be used in so many different ways.
- It is gluten free, keto/low carb, and vegetarian. It can be made vegan by using dairy free sour cream and egg free mayonnaise.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Sour Cream: Both full fat and low fat will work. I like to use full fat because it makes the flavor a little richer and creamier. You can also use Greek yogurt.
- Mayonnaise: Use a high quality mayo, like Sir Kensington's.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Cilantro Garlic Sauce
Quick Overview
- Throw everything in the food processor and blend until smooth.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Place the sour cream, mayo, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and onion powder in the bowl of the food processor.
Step 2: Pulse until smooth and there are no garlic chunks left. Add water to thin if needed.
There should not be any large pieces.
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Expert Tips
- Use good quality mayo. I highly recommend Sir Kensington's mayo. It has a great flavor.
- Use the cilantro stems. The stems have just as much flavor as the leaves.
- Use a spatula. A spatula is very helpful for scraping down the sides of the food processor bowl and for transferring to an airtight container.
- Blend until completely smooth. Stir the mixture and make sure there are no large pieces of garlic or any unblended cilantro leaves stuck to the bottom or sides.
- Taste as you go. Add more lime or salt if needed.
- Thin the sauce if needed. You can add a little water to it if you prefer a runnier consistency.
Variations
- Spicy: Add ½-1 jalapeño with the seeds and membrane or ¼-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Taste as you good so it does not get too spicy.
- Vegan: Use a vegan mayo, like Primal Kitchen’s, and a dairy free sour cream, like Kite Hill.
- Cooked garlic: If the raw fresh garlic is too strong, roast it in the oven or sauté it on the stove.
Recipe FAQs
These are normally made with fresh herbs, something acidic like citrus juice or vinegar, and something fatty like mayo, sour cream, or olive oil.
Toum is a traditional Middle Eastern creamy sauce made from garlic, lemon juice, and oil. It is similar to this recipe, but does not have a cilantro flavor.
It is typically made with garlic and something creamy, like mayo, oil, sour cream, buttermilk, or heavy cream.
More Sauce Recipes
Easy Cilantro Garlic Sauce
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup sour cream*
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise*
- 1 cup cilantro leaves & stems, packed
- 1-2 limes, juiced
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- salt to to taste
Instructions:
- Place the sour cream, mayo, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and onion powder in the bowl of the food processor.
- Pulse until smooth and there are no garlic chunks left. Add water to thin if needed.
Notes:
- Sour Cream: Both full fat and low fat will work. I like to use full fat because it makes the sauce a little richer and creamier. You can also use Greek yogurt.
- Mayonnaise: Use a high quality mayo, like Sir Kensington's.
- Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container or jar in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- Use the cilantro stems. The stems have just as much flavor as the leaves.
- Taste as you go. Add more lime or salt if needed.
- Thin the sauce if needed. You can add a little water to the sauce if you prefer a runnier consistency.
- Spicy: Add ½-1 jalapeño with the seeds and membrane or ¼-1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes. Taste as you good so it does not get too spicy.
- Cooked garlic: If the raw fresh garlic is too strong, roast the garlic in the oven or sauté it on the stove.
This looks super quick and easy to make, but best of all it looks delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Ooh this was so great as a dipping sauce for our air fried chicken, and I also snuck some in for snacking on carrots throughout the day. Super creamy and great flavors.
We love the simplicity of this delicious sauce! We especially love it as a salad dressing.
I loved making this and eating it was even better. And I never considered using the stems of cilantro before so thanks for that. Waste not want not!
One of my favorite sauces to make. I just love the combination of cilantros and garlic. Its so delicious dipping my fries in it!
As suggested, I added some jalapeno to spice it up and I couldn't have been happier with the result. I just love how simple and versatile it is! I've been enjoying it for days on tacos, with raw veggies, and even as a dressing for salad.