Serrano Lime Vinaigrette Dressing Recipe
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Jump to RecipeThis serrano lime vinaigrette dressing recipe is a little spicy, a little sweet, and so flavorful! Ready in less than 10 minutes, this easy homemade dressing is fresh, herby, and great on green salads or grain bowls.
It’s creamy, easy to make, and has just a few simple ingredients. Elevate your next salad, grain bowl, or taco night with this tasty dressing!
Want more easy salad dressing recipes? Try our apple cider vinegar salad dressing, lemon caper vinaigrette dressing, or our citrus balsamic vinaigrette!
I love when we go out to eat, and I enjoy a salad so much that I have to make it at home! We saw one of our favorite comedy groups (Master Pancake Theater!) at the Alamo Drafthouse in Boston, and also had dinner at the theater one night. Their grain bowl had the best serrano lime dressing, and I had to make it at home!
This simple and quick salad dressing features spicy serrano peppers, fresh lime juice, and a creamy tangy base. It’s the perfect addition to almost any meal.
Add it to rice bowls, grains, or veggie taco bowls for extra flavor! You can’t go wrong with this easy-to-make dressing.
Why This Recipe Works
- A great flavor combination of spicy, sweet, and tangy!
- It’s versatile and can be used on a variety of salads.
- Ready in 10 minutes, this quick dressing is a perfect way to elevate your salad game.
- It’s simple – cooks of any skill level can successfully make this dish.
- This easy serrano pepper dressing is a crowd pleaser!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Serrano Peppers – slightly smaller than a jalapeno pepper, serrano peppers are spicy and delicious! If you can’t find serranos, you can substitute jalapenos instead if desired.
- Lime juice – fresh is best! The fresh lime juice really makes a difference for this dressing.
- Garlic cloves – like the limes, fresh cloves are best for flavor!
- Olive Oil – which gives the dressing a wonderful deep rich texture.
- Honey – as beekeepers, we use honey from our hives, as it’s our favorite natural sweetener.
- Mayonnaise – for a creamy texture and it adds to the tanginess in the dressing.
- Sea salt & black pepper
Additions and Substitutions
- If you love cilantro (we sure do!), add 1/4 cup fresh cilantro for extra flavor in the dressing!
- If you don’t want to use honey, you can substitute any natural sweeter you prefer: maple syrup, agave nectar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar all make good options.
- You can omit the mayonnaise, or substitute it for sour cream or Greek yogurt if preferred.
How To Make This Dressing
Step 1: Prep your serrano peppers – remove the tops and removed the inner ribs and seeds (if desired). Dice the peppers and add to a blender, food processor, or mixing bowl.
Step 2: Add the remaining ingredients in with the peppers: juice the limes, mince the garlic, add the honey, olive oil, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Blend or mix on high speed, until the peppers are well combined into the creamy dressing.
Step 4: Serve dressing on a salad, grain bowl, or on top of tacos. Enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Leave the pepper ribs and seeds from the serrano peppers in the dressing. They add a great heat!
Store any leftover dressing in an airtight container (I like to use mason jars with lids) and refrigerate.
This dressing will last up to 4 days when kept in an airtight container, and properly refrigerated – making it great for meal prep salads!
Yes! Swap out the honey for a vegan sweetener like maple syrup, agave nectar, or sugar instead. Also make sure to use a plant-based mayonnaise.
Serve this Lime Serrano Dressing On:
- Veggie Taco Bowl Recipe
- Oven Fajitas Vegetables Recipe
- Easy Chimichurri Rice
- BBQ Chickpea Tacos
- TVP Tacos Recipe
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If you made this recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!
Serrano Lime Vinaigrette Dressing
Equipment
- Blender or Food Processor
Ingredients
- 2 limes juiced
- 2 serrano peppers ribs and seeds removed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1/4 teaspoon each sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Prep your serrano peppers – remove the tops and removed the inner ribs and seeds (if desired). Dice the peppers and add to a blender, food processor, or mixing bowl.
- Add the remaining ingredients in with the peppers: juice the limes, mince the garlic, add the honey, olive oil, mayonnaise, salt, and pepper.
- Blend or mix on high speed, until the peppers are well combined into the creamy dressing.
- Serve dressing on a salad, grain bowl, or on top of tacos. Enjoy!
Notes
- If you love cilantro (we sure do!), add 1/4 cup fresh cilantro for extra flavor in the dressing!
- If you don’t want to use honey, you can substitute any natural sweeter you prefer: maple syrup, agave nectar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar all make good options.
- You can omit the mayonnaise, or substitute it for sour cream or Greek yogurt if preferred.
This is such a refreshing dressing with a good amount of spice. Delicious!