It only takes a handful of ingredients and less than 5 minutes to whip up this sweet cilantro sauce recipe with lime and honey.
This cilantro garlic sauce brings a kiss of sweetness, thanks to the addition of honey.
The fresh herbs bring so much flavor to so many dishes and the slight sweetness is a great way to balance out a spicy dish or it is the perfect complement for sweet seafood.
This is one of our favorite sauces to make for friends and family who hate spicy foods.
While we could eat spicy foods all day, it’s good to have a mild green sauce option for those who despise the heat. It’s a great way to meet everyone’s preferences at a salsa or sauce bar.
If you’re hosting a party, quadruple this recipe in order to make a huge batch.
You can even make it ahead of time so you always have it on hand to pair with your favorite Mexican food.
How to Make Sweet Cilantro Sauce
All you need are your ingredients and 5 minutes to make this delicious sauce.
Everything is made in a small food processor. If you do not have a food processor at home, you can use an immersion blender in a bowl or even a smoothie making machine to prepare this sauce.
One of the biggest benefits of this delicious condiment recipe is that there is no prep work involved.
Throw the cilantro in whole, stems and leaves intact, toss in whole cloves of garlic, and let the food processor do all the work!
Sweet Cilantro Sauce Variations
Another benefit of this sauce recipe is that it is so versatile. Here are some variations you can make to the sauce with a few simple swaps.
- Roasted Garlic – We used fresh garlic but one way to make the sauce even sweeter and creamier would be to use confit garlic. Read our post on How to Roast Garlic in Olive Oil, and pop in twice the amount of garlic if you’re looking to substitute fresh garlic with a more mellow option.
- Creamy Sauce – To make this a creamy cilantro lime sauce, all you need to do is all a cream based component to the food processor. You can reach for sour cream or plain greek yogurt. If you are looking for a dairy free option, consider adding an avocado. For a dip vs. a sauce, look to our Avocado Veggie Dip with Greek Yogurt Recipe.
- Spicy Option – We added just a tiny bit of red pepper flakes to add a dimension of flavor, but it does not make the sauce spicy. If you are looking for a kick, consider adding a jalapeno pepper, chili powder, or even hot sauce to the food processor when making this sauce.
What to Serve with this Sweet Cilantro Sauce Recipe
There are so many uses for sweet cilantro sauce. Here are some of our favorite dishes to add the sauce to:
- Lobster Taco Recipe – After you learn How to Grill Lobster, how to make Sous Vide Lobster, or even how to fry Tempura Lobster, you can easily make our Lobster Taco Recipe. The sweetness of the lobster meat pairs perfectly with the herby, sweet sauce.
- All Seafood – The easy cilantro lime dressing will taste amazing on scallops as a drizzled sauce (don’t miss our Sous Vide Scallops Recipe), or would be an awesome addition to our Seafood Boil Recipe as a dipping sauce for shrimp or crab.
- Burrito Bowls – We love making a big batch of Beef Barbacoa (it’s so simple since it roasts in the instant pot or slow cooker) to load into burrito bowls. Add in your favorite toppings and drizzle this herby sauce on top for a kick of flavor.
- Fish or Shrimp Tacos – It’s taco night at least a few times a week at our house. Try this flavorful sauce on our Air Fryer Tilapia Fish Tacos, Salmon Tacos, or even shrimp tacos.
- Mexican or Taco Salad – This sauce can also act as a salad dressing for any latin-themed salads. Add your protein of choice, black beans, sweet potatoes, and top with tortilla chips. It’s a perfect homemade dressing option for any cilantro lover.
- Sandwich Spread – Add a drizzle of sweet cilantro sauce on your favorite sandwiches for a flavorful alternative to traditional pesto.
- Dipping Sauce – Substitute this sauce for salsa as a great dipping sauce for tortilla chips or warm, fresh tortillas. Heck, we’re sure that it would also be a great dipping sauce for french fries or yuca fries!
How to Store Sweet Cilantro Sauce
As with any homemade sauce (like our Cilantro Chimichurri Recipe and our Tangy, Horseradish Mayonnaise Recipe) the key to making batch sauces last is to use an air-tight container.
Once sealed and refrigerated, these sauces will last for about a week.
It’s a great way to meal prep for the week, while planning flavorful additions to make your leftovers stretch longer!
Sweet Cilantro Sauce Recipe with Lime and Honey
Prep Time: 4 Minutes
Yield: About 1 cup of sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch (1 ½ cups) Cilantro
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 2 limes juice Lime
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ cup of oil (olive oil or avocado oil is a great option)
Directions:
- Add the cilantro (both the tender stems and the fresh cilantro leaves), garlic cloves, lime juice, honey, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper to a food processor. Pulse 3-4 times then set the food processor to high for 1 minute.
- As the sauce is blending, stream in the olive oil.
- Blend until smooth, roughly 3 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency.
Note: Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
Sweet Cilantro Sauce Recipe with Lime and Honey
This sweet cilantro sauce recipe is a great option if you hate spicy sauces. From tacos to salads, this 5 minute sauce is very versatile.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch (1 ½ cups) Cilantro
- 2 Tbsp Honey
- 2 limes juice Lime
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 3/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ¼ cup of oil (olive oil or avocado oil is a great option)
Instructions
- Add the cilantro (both the tender stems and the fresh cilantro leaves), garlic cloves, lime juice, honey, crushed red pepper, salt and black pepper to a food processor. Pulse 3-4 times then set the food processor to high for 1 minute.
- As the sauce is blending, stream in the olive oil.
- Blend until smooth, roughly 3 minutes or until it reaches your desired consistency.
Notes
Store in an airtight container for up to 7 days.
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