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Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Honey-Lime Slaw

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These Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Tacos are everything you want and more. Warm, crunchy, sweet, and a little sour – they’re the perfect way to be transported to a tropical paradise. 

I think I might be a tacotarian. I could celebrate Taco Tuesday just about any day of the week. Tacos are the perfect vehicle for pretty much any food. I have to say these crispy, sweet coconut shrimp topped with crunchy, tangy honey-lime slaw is an ideal combination.

Three air fryer coconut shrimp tacos with a bowl of slaw in the background.

Ingredients for Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Tacos

  • Purple Cabbage: I really like using purple cabbage for this slaw for a nice bright pop of color on my plate, but regular cabbage works well in this recipe too!
  • Pineapple: A little chopped pineapple adds a sweet tropical flavor to the slaw.
  • Cilantro: Fresh is always best when it comes to cilantro. You can always add a little more at the end for garnish.
  • Lime juice: I squeeze mine fresh. I like to take a few extra wedges if I have any extra limes on hand and squeeze on top of my tacos when it’s all finished.
  • Apple cider vinegar: Like lime juice, it adds a nice sour flavor that will be balanced out by the sweetness in this recipe.
  • Honey: Honey is the sweetness that will balance out the sour in the slaw. If you don’t have any honey on hand, you can use agave nectar or even plain old sugar.
  • Shrimp: I like to get the large EZ peel shrimp since they’re already deveined and a breeze to peel.
  • Flour: I used all-purpose flour in this recipe because that’s what I had on hand. You can certainly use whatever flour you have on hand. Coconut flour would work great and help pump up the coconut flavor!
  • Eggs: Eggs help the breading stick to the shrimp.
  • Panko breadcrumbs: Panko has a larger crumb size than regular breadcrumbs, which gives the shrimp more of a crunch. I like to combine panko with the coconut to make the shrimp extra crunchy.
  • Coconut flakes: You can use the sweet or unsweetened, whichever you prefer. I used the unsweetened because the sweet Thai chili sauce had enough sweetness for me.
  • Cooking spray or melted coconut oil: If you can find spray coconut oil in the grocery store, even better! We use this to help crisp up the shrimp in the air fryer. 
  • Sweet Thai chili sauce: This stuff is one of my absolute favorite condiments. I could put it on everything.
  • Six-inch tortillas: You can use corn or flour, whichever you prefer.
  • Sriracha (optional): Not really optional for me as I love heat, but you do you.
Close up of air fryer coconut shrimp tacos.

How to Make Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Tacos

I like to start by making the slaw. It allows all of the flavors to marinate while you make the shrimp. You’ll need to coat your shrimp with the flour, eggs, and panko/coconut mixture. The breading process can be a little messy, so I try to bread the shrimp only using one hand so I can keep my hand clean. 

After you coat your shrimp, you either brush on your coconut oil or use the cooking spray and then air fry away! Once the shrimp are done, you toss them in the sweet Thai chili sauce and layer with the slaw in the tacos. If you’re using sriracha, you can drizzle a little on top at the end.

Air Fryer vs. Oven Method

If you don’t have an air fryer (I highly recommend you get one!), you can make these Coconut Shrimp Tacos in the oven. You would simply need to preheat your oven to 400 degrees. You would bake the breaded shrimp on a sheet pan for 5 minutes, flip the shrimp, then bake for an additional 5 minutes. Air frying will get you crispier shrimp, but the oven method works too.  

What to Serve with Tacos

Air fryer coconut shrimp tacos on a white background.
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Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp Tacos with Honey-Lime Slaw

Overview of air fryer coconut shrimp tacos with honey-lime slaw on a white background.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Tacos
  • Method: Air Fryer
  • Cuisine: Latin
Scale

Ingredients

  • 3 cups shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 ½ cups pineapple, chopped
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 cups of panko
  • 1 cup coconut flakes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • Cooking spray or melted coconut oil for brushing
  • 1/3 cup sweet Thai chili sauce
  • 12 six-inch tortilla (corn or flour)
  • Sriracha, to taste (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat air fryer to 360 F.
  2. Place cabbage, pineapple, and cilantro in a bowl. In a separate small bowl, whisk together lime juice, apple cider vinegar, 1 tsp. salt, and honey. Pour vinegar mixture over slaw and toss. Set aside.
  3. Place flour, eggs, and panko in 3 separate bowls. Add coconut flakes to the bowl with panko. Season the coconut flake/panko bowl with salt and pepper to taste. 
  4. Working in batches, dip shrimp in the flour, then the egg, then the panko/coconut, coating the shrimp all over. Place shrimp in the air fryer basket, evenly spaced apart.
  5. Spray shrimp with cooking spray or brush with coconut oil. Cook in the air fryer for 3 minutes, flip shrimp, brush/spray with more oil, then cook for an additional 2 minutes or until shrimp are opaque when pierced with a knife.
  6. Toss shrimp with sweet Thai sauce. Assemble tacos by layering warm tortilla shell with slaw, then coated shrimp. Drizzle on sriracha, if using.

Keywords: Air fryer, tacos, slaw

How to Make Instant Pot Basmati Rice

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This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This blog post covers how to make Instant Pot Basmati Rice. It doesn’t matter whether you prefer brown or white rice, this recipe works for both!

Truth is, as much as I love to cook and feel that I’m a pretty decent cook, I am terrible at making rice – or at least I used to be. I especially struggled with brown rice – it just never turned out right until I started using my Instant Pot. I think one of the reasons I used to be bad at making rice is that I used to peek and lift the lid of the pot, which you are never supposed to do. What can I say? I’m impatient. 

One of the first things that I made in my Instant Pot, when I got it years ago, was rice. I was initially skeptical about having an Instant Pot in the first place, but how easy and foolproof rice was to make in the Instant Pot sold me. (Don’t worry, I have since discovered the many more benefits of owning an Instant Pot.) I love that I can set it and forget it. Whole grain rice doesn’t take forever as it does on the stove thanks to the pressurization. Plus, there is the fact that I can’t mess it up by “peeking” on the rice. 

So, I thought I’d put together a tutorial on making one of my favorite rice varieties, basmati. It’s fragrant, nutty, and goes perfectly with my Vegan Tikka Masala with Chickpeas. 

Brown and white instant pot basmati rice on a white background.

What you’ll need:

  • Basmati rice: You can use white or brown basmati rice. Did you know that white rice is just merely the inner carbohydrate part of brown rice? Brown rice has retained its outer layer and thus has B-vitamins and more fiber than it’s white counterpart. There is nothing wrong with preferring one or the other. Both are a good source of carbohydrates and energy. One just happens to retain extra vitamins and fiber.  
  • Liquid: Clearly, you could just water for the liquid portion of cooking the rice, but if you want to add more flavor switching to a broth or stock like chicken, beef, or vegetable will add more flavor to otherwise bland food. Basmati rice does have some fragrance to it and more flavorful than you’re typical rice. 
  • Seasonings: You could certainly spice up the rice any way you’d like, but adding at least a pinch of salt adds some flavor. 
  • Oil: Adds some flavor and a more creamy mouthfeel to the rice. Olive oil or butter are my usual choices. 

How to Make Instant Pot Basmati Rice

When it comes to the Instant Pot, the high-pressure setting is your friend. It gets the job done SO much faster! It might seem a little scary, but the Instant Pot makes it perfectly safe compared to the old pressure cookers of yesteryear. Simply dump all of your ingredients in the Instant Pot, make sure the pressure release knob is sealed, and that’s it. Because brown rice retains more fiber, it takes longer to cook, even with the high-pressure setting. Here is a breakdown of the cooking settings that I use: 

  • Brown rice: use the manual setting on high pressure to cook for 25 minutes. The rice button on the Instant Pot is typically used for white rice. 
Bowl of brown instant pot basmati rice with a cilantro garnish.
  • White rice: use the manual setting on high pressure for 12 minutes, or use the default rice setting (on my model it’s 12 minutes on high pressure). 
Bowl of white instant pot basmati rice with a cilantro garnish.

Also, you can use the quick release on this Instant Pot Basmati Rice if you’re in a hurry, but the texture will be best if you let it naturally release for at least 10-15 minutes. 

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Instant Pot Basmati Rice

Brown and white instant pot basmati rice on a white background with an instant pot next to it.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes for brown rice; 12 minutes for white rice
  • Total Time: 17-30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: side dish
  • Method: Instant Pot
Scale

Ingredients

  • 2 cups of basmati rice (brown or white)
  • 3 ½ cups of liquid (water or broth)
  • ½ tsp. salt (plus other seasonings, if desired)
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil or butter

Instructions

  1. Put all of the ingredients in the Instant Pot. Cover with lid and seal the pressure release knob.
  2. Cook on high pressure for 25 minutes for brown rice and high pressure for 12 minutes for white rice.
  3. Allow the pressure to release naturally (ideally 10-15 minutes) before serving.

Keywords: side dish, instant pot

Vegan Tikka Masala with Chickpeas

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This Vegan Tikka Masala has the right hint of spice in a creamy tomato sauce and chock full of protein and nutrients. Plus, you can get it on the dinner table in about 30 minutes – what’s not to love?

This tikka masala has all the flavors you could want in a satisfying meal. It’s got spice, sweetness, tang, and creaminess all wrapped up in one meal. Plus, it’s so filling thanks to being chock full of fiber and protein. Leftovers get even better by allowing the flavors to marry together longer. 

You can get the meal together in just about 30 minutes, and 20-25 of those minutes are hands-off. So really getting to eat this meal from about 5-10 minutes of work is like being on top of the world. 

Vegan tikka masala on a plate next to a pot of vegan tikka masala with chickpeas.

Ingredients

For this recipe, you’ll need:

  • Light-colored oil: I use a light tasting olive oil, but you could use avocado oil to sauté the vegetables. 
  • Onions and garlic: These are the foundation flavors of so many recipes, and this recipe is no different. 
  • Ginger: Ginger gives the dish a nice sweet spice flavor to it. I prefer fresh, but you could use ground ginger. If you use ground ginger, decrease the amount to 1 tsp. instead of 1 tbsp. 
  • Tomato Paste: Tomato paste is known for giving a rich umami flavor, especially when you sauté it a little before adding the rest of the ingredients. 
  • Garam masala: Garam masala is an Indian spice blend that actually is different from region-to-region in India. Mine contained coriander, black pepper, cumin, cardamom, and cinnamon. I used the McCormick brand. 
  • Cumin: Cumin adds a robustly smoky flavor to the tikka masala.
  • Turmeric: This yellow, anti-inflammatory spice adds a bittersweet taste to the dish. 
  • Tomato sauce: I used a large can of the sauce, but if you want a little more texture, you could use diced tomatoes with their juices. 
  • Coconut milk: Coconut milk is responsible for the creamy texture and naturally adds a bit of sweetness.
  • Chickpeas: Chickpeas are chock full of fiber and protein, which makes this dish so filling and satisfying.
  • Cilantro: The cilantro adds a burst of freshness.
  • Cooked basmati rice: You can use either white or brown, whichever your preference. Brown will add a little extra fiber compared to the white. 

How to Make Vegan Tikka Masala

Like I mentioned above, the work of this recipe is contained in a brief 5 minutes. The rest is to set it and forget it. For the actual “work” part, you’ll need to saute the onion for a few minutes and then add the ginger, tomato paste, and the spices. You’ll let that saute for just minute or two. The spices should be really fragrant, and the tomato paste will have changed to a darker color. 

You’ll add in the canned ingredients next: the tomato sauce, coconut milk, and chickpeas. You’ll let it all simmer for about 25 minutes. Serve it over a big pile of rice and fresh cilantro on top. Done and done. 

Vegan tikka masala with rice on a white background with a blue and white towel.

How to Serve 

I consider myself an omnivore – meaning I eat just about everything. I do enjoy going meatless at least 1-2 times per week. This meal makes a great addition to a Meatless Monday and for meal prep for the week. Like I mentioned above, I feel this Vegan Tikka Masala gets better for leftovers. If you wanted to bulk up the recipe with more nutrients and fiber, you could easily add in some broccoli, cauliflower, or peppers to go along with the rice. 

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Vegan Tikka Masala with Chickpeas

Vegan tikka masala with rice on a white background.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Category: Indian
  • Cuisine: Indian
Scale

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. light-colored oil
  • 1 medium onion, diced
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp. freshly grated ginger
  • 3 tbsp. tomato paste
  • 2 tsp. garam masala
  • 1 ½ tsp. cumin
  • 1 ½ tsp. ground turmeric
  • 1 (28-ounce) can tomato sauce
  • 1 cup coconut milk
  • 2 cans (15.5 oz. each) of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
  • Cooked basmati rice, for serving

Instructions

  1. Cook basmati rice according to package directions. 
  2. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté for about 4-5 minutes. Add in garlic, ginger, tomato paste, garam masala, cumin, and turmeric and sauté for additional 1-2 minutes. 
  3. Add in tomato sauce, coconut milk, and chickpeas. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, and simmer for 25-30 minutes. 
  4. Serve with cilantro on top and with steamed basmati rice. 

Keywords: Indian, tikka masala

Air Fryer Tortilla Chips

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This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

These Air Fryer Tortilla Chips are incredibly easy and delicious – they are warm, crunchy, and taste just like restaurant-style tortilla chips, but without all the fuss and excess oil. 

We all know what happens when we go to Mexican restaurants. They bring the basket of chips, and before you know it, 3 baskets have come and gone before the food even gets to the table. There is just something about those crunchy, warm, and salty chips that make us all powerless. 

Tortilla chips at home just aren’t the same. If you buy the bagged, the taste isn’t right. I don’t like frying foods at home, and baking tortilla chips don’t quite get the texture right. These Air Fryer Tortilla Chips are the right answer for a healthy homemade alternative that mimics the restaurant-style chips.  

Ingredients

For this recipe, you’ll need:

  • Corn tortillas: You could use flour, but corn tortillas give the best flavor for chips. I used the six-inch round corn tortillas. 
  • Light-colored oil or spray oil: I usually brush the tortillas after cutting them with light tasting olive oil. You could also use avocado oil. If you have spray oil, that works just as well. The bottom line is to make sure that the oil is light in color. The lighter the color, the less likely the oil will burn.  
  • Seasonings: I sprinkled the chips with salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice. If you really want to mix it up, try seasoning with cumin or chili powder – both would taste great. 
Close up of a basket of air fryer tortilla chips

How to Make Air Fryer Tortilla Chips

You’ll need to cut the tortillas into wedges like a pizza shape. I actually use a pizza cutter and cut them in stacks of 3-4 tortillas at one time. Once you have your shapes, it’s just brushing (or spraying) with oil and seasoning them before tossing them into the air fryer. 

One of the key techniques with air fryers is to arrange the food in a single layer so that the hot air circulates and cooks the food evenly. You don’t have to worry about that with tortilla chips in the air fryer. The first time I turned the air fryer on with the chips, I heard this clinking noise coming from my air fryer. Turns out, the chips are so light that the air circulating around the chips tosses them around while they cook. Long story short, TLDR: just dump all the seasoned tortilla wedges into the air fryer – don’t worry about putting them neatly in a single layer. After cooking them for about 3 minutes, I still go ahead and open the air fryer to toss them around to make sure they are evenly cooking. All that’s left is to cook another 2 minutes, and boom – serve them up with some salsa and gauc. 

Basket of air fryer tortilla chips with salsa

How to Serve 

I really don’t need to tell you what to serve with tortilla chips, but if you’re looking for some recipes to accompany your chips – I got you covered with the following:  

Pepita and Red Pepper Salsa

Buffalo Chickpea Dip

Instant Pot Carne Asada

Cilantro Garlic Sauce

Chicken Tamale Dumpling Soup

Healthier Bang Bang Shrimp Tacos

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Air Fryer Tortilla Chips

Overview of basket of chips with salsa
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Mexican, snacks, appetizer, side dish
  • Method: Air Fryer
Scale

Ingredients

  • 12 corn tortillas (6 inch), cut into wedges
  • Light-colored oil or spray oil (light tasting olive oil or avocado works well)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1 lime (optional)

Instructions

  1. Preheat air fryer to 360 F. Brush oil or spray oil on to tortilla wedges. Season with salt, pepper, and a squeeze of lime juice (if using).
  2. Put all the wedges in the air fryer (it doesn’t matter if they are in a single layer) and air fry for 3 minutes. Then shake the air fryer basket to redistribute, then cook for an additional 2 minutes or until golden all over. Best served immediately. 

Keywords: tortilla, chips, snacks

Instant Pot Carne Asada

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This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This Instant Pot Carne Asada is full of fresh flavors like citrus, cilantro, garlic, jalapeño, and is SUPER easy to make.

I love carne asada. Carne asada means grilled beef in Spanish. While I usually would grill my steak to make carne asada, I’m taking a slightly different approach and not using my grill. Instead, I decided to try making Instant Pot Carne Asada for those times that I don’t feel like firing up the grill, or the weather isn’t grilling-friendly. 

Platter of Instant Pot Carne Asada sliced up with cilantro garlic sauce and tacos on the side.

This recipe is super easy. It involves making a quick marinade, then cooking quickly in the Instant Pot under high pressure. The marinade helps tenderize and flavor the meat, and the high pressure from the Instant Pot helps tenderize and cook quickly. 

Carne Asada Ingredients

For this recipe, you’ll need:

  • Lime and orange juice: The acid in the citrus juice helps tenderize the meat. Plus, the sweetness from the fruit balances the acid. 
  • Worcestershire sauce: Worcestershire has an umami flavor similar to beef, which makes it perfect for including in a beef marinade. 
  • Olive oil: This gives the steak a nice coating of oil to help prevent sticking in the Instant Pot. Plus, flank steak can be lean, so the fat helps with flavor. 
  • Jalapeño: A hot pepper for a little heat. If you’re heat adverse, you can skip the seeds to ease up on the spiciness factor. 
  • Cilantro: Cilantro adds a fresh burst of flavor to the marinade. 
  • Garlic cloves: You can leave the garlic cloves whole if you’d like to make it easier or you can mince them. If you use them whole, just give them a little smash before throwing them in the marinade. 
  • Seasonings and spices: A little chili powder, oregano, salt, and pepper round out the Latin-inspired flavors.  Flank steak: Flank steak can be a bit tough, so that’s why this recipe marinates the steak for a few hours before cooking. Also, you’ll need to make sure to cut the steak into pieces that will fit in your Instant Pot – see below. 
Close of instant pot carne asada on a platter with cilantro garlic sauce drizzled on top.

How to Make Instant Pot Carne Asada

  • First, you make the marinade by combining all of the ingredients except for the steak into a large shallow dish that can be covered or a large ziplock bag.
  • Before putting the flank steak into the marinade, make sure that the steak is cut into pieces small enough to fit the length of your Instant Pot. For example, I used a little less than 2 lbs. of steak, and I only had to cut my steak into two pieces before cooking. 
  • Once you’ve marinated the steak for at least 4 hours, you’ll sear the steak in the Instant Pot using the sauté feature. Note: don’t discard the marinade!
  • After the steak is browned on all sides, you’ll add the marinade to the Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for about 4-5 minutes for a medium-well steak (3-4 minutes should get you medium). Use the quick release to depressurize the Instant Pot. 
  • Allow the steak to rest for about 10 minutes before thinly slicing against the grain, meaning slice in the opposite direction of the muscle fibers. This helps break up the tough muscle of the flank steak, making it more tender and easier to eat. If you’re going to use the carne asada for tacos, you definitely want nice thin strips of meat rather than big tough chunks. 
  • After you’re done, you’ll want to drizzle some of my cilantro garlic sauce on the steak. You can check out the link or the recipe card has a link as well. It technically could be optional, but really, it’s not optional. At least in my opinion. 
Platter of Instant Pot Carne Asada sliced up with cilantro garlic sauce and tacos on the side.

How to Serve Carne Asada

Tacos are my favorite vehicle for this Instant Pot Carne Asada. I’ve included my favorite taco toppings in the notes section of the recipe. But, this steak recipe would be equally good served up on a burrito bowl, salad, or just by itself with a side of rice and beans. You really can’t go wrong any which way you eat it. 

Close up of a taco with instant pot carne asada.
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Instant Pot Carne Asada

Platter of instant pot carne asada with cilantro garlic sauce drizzled on top and a jar of the sauce on the side.
  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 4 hours
  • Cook Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 4 hours, 5 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: beef
Scale

Ingredients

  • juice of 2 limes
  • juice of 1 orange
  • 3 tbsp. Worcestershire
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 1 jalapeño, chopped (with or without seeds) 
  • ½ cup packed cilantro
  • 3 garlic cloves (whole or minced)
  • 1 tbsp. chili powder 
  • 1 tsp. oregano 
  • salt/pepper
  • 1 ½ –2 lbs. of flank steak, cut into pieces that will fit into your Instant Pot
  • cilantro garlic sauce, for topping (optional)

Instructions

  1. Combine all marinade ingredients together. Allow to marinate for 4 hours. 
  2. Preheat Instant Pot on the sauté feature. Sear steak on all sides in Instant Pot (save marinade). Add marinade to Instant Pot to deglaze. Cook steak in the marinade on high pressure for 4-5 minutes for medium-well steak, then quick release Instant Pot valve. 
  3. Allow steak to rest on cutting board for 7-10 minutes. Slice against the grain. Serve with cilantro garlic sauce. 

Notes

To aim for a medium-well steak, aim for 4-5 minutes on high pressure for thicker steaks.

If your steak is thinner, decrease the time to 3 minutes for medium-well. 

If you’re making carne asada tacos – try the following toppings/fixings:

  • Extra cilantro, in addition to the cilantro garlic sauce
  • Red onion
  • Guacamole or avocado
  • Crumbled queso fresco or cojita cheese
  • Corn or flour tortillas 

Keywords: beef, carne asada, tacos, Instant Pot

Cilantro Garlic Sauce

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This post contains links that pay me a small commission at no extra cost to you.

This cilantro garlic sauce is light, fresh, and citrusy, making the perfect sauce that you can use as a salad dressing or drizzle on just about anything. 

I’m always looking for a good sauce or dressing to liven up my meals. Especially during warmer weather, I’m looking for sauces that taste light, fresh, and citrusy. This Cilantro Garlic Sauce is the perfect combination of all three qualities. Made with ingredients that I almost always have on hand, it’s easy to whip up at a moment’s notice to jazz up a boring meal. Plus, if you’re like me, you buy cilantro for recipes but have a hard time using it all up before it goes bad. This sauce will use up all of that leftover cilantro that you have hanging out in your vegetable crisper. 

Jar of cilantro garlic sauce surrounding by a spoon, limes, garlic clove, and cilantro on a white counter.

Ingredients for Cilantro Garlic Sauce

  • Cilantro: Cilantro is one of my favorite herbs. If you add it to anything, it instantly makes it taste fresher. Some people love it; others hate it. Me? I’m squarely in the LOVE it camp. I definitely don’t taste soap when eating cilantro. 
  • Plain yogurt: Plain yogurt adds a little sour tang to the sauce or dressing. You can use Greek or regular yogurt; it doesn’t matter. I used Greek yogurt. But it is essential to get the PLAIN yogurt – you don’t want to add vanilla yogurt to this sauce accidentally. That would not be good.
  • Garlic clove: Raw garlic is super pungent, so I found that adding just one small-medium clove is a perfect balance. If you have a larger clove, I would only use half. 
  • Lime juice: Just like cilantro, lime juice adds a fresh flavor and vibe to anything. I prefer fresh, but if you only have bottled, it’ll do. 
  • Olive oil: When you blend everything in the food processor or blender, adding a little fat from olive oil emulsifies the sauce making it extra creamy and rich. A little goes a long way, so this recipe only calls for two tablespoons. 
  • Seasonings (salt and cayenne): A pinch of salt goes perfectly with the cilantro, lime, and garlic. I like a little heat, so I used 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. It’s just the right amount to give a kick without being all out spicy. 
Food processor bowl with cilantro, lime juice, cayenne pepper, yogurt, and garlic inside the bowl getting ready to be made into cilantro garlic sauce.

How to Make the Sauce 

If you can push a button, you can make this sauce. Everything is added directly into the food processor or blender bowl and pureed until entirely smooth. Once you’re done, inspect the sauce to ensure that the garlic is chopped very finely, so you don’t end up taking a big bite of raw garlic later. If you want to be sure that the garlic is fully pureed, try mincing the garlic before blending. 

How to Use the Sauce

While this recipe is called a cilantro garlic sauce, I like to use it as a dressing as well. If you’re looking for a fresh, tangy dressing to use on salads, this is the ticket. I like blending this up on Sundays when I do some meal prep to use throughout the week. You can use it for:

  • Drizzling on tacos or burrito bowls – it’s an absolute must for my Instant Carne Asada
  • Tossing salads
  • As a dipping sauce 
  • As a marinade for meats 
  • The possibilities are endless! 
Jar of cilantro garlic sauce with a spoon in the jar and cilantro in the background on a white counter.
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Cilantro Garlic Sauce

Jar of cilantro garlic sauce surrounding by a spoon, limes, garlic clove, and cilantro on a white counter.

This cilantro garlic sauce is light, fresh, and citrusy, making the perfect sauce that you can use as a salad dressing or drizzle on just about anything. 

  • Author: Melissa
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Total Time: 5 minutes
  • Yield: 1 small jar 1x
Scale

Ingredients

  • ½ cup chopped cilantro stems removed
  • 1/2 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Juice of 2 limes
  • Pinch of salt 
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp. cayenne (optional for spice)

Instructions

Blend all of the ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth. Serve or refrigerate for up to 1 week. 

Notes

When storing in the fridge for up to 1 week, mild separation may occur. Simply shake or stir until re-incorporated. 

Keywords: dressings, sauces