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Cafe Rio Copycat Tomatillo Ranch Dressing (Paleo or Vegan)

Dairy FreeGluten FreePaleoVeganWhole30
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July 25, 2018 | 22 Comments |This post contains affiliate links.

Cafe Rio Copycat Tomatillo Ranch Dressing (Paleo or Vegan!) – This creamy tomatillo ranch is perfect with tacos, salads, chicken, and more. Dairy free, gluten free, and delicious!

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing in a jar with a spoon. Jalapeño, lime, and cilantro garnish.

I love summer food. The berries! The watermelon! It’s been hotter than hot (as in, excessive heat warnings hot) lately, and at the end of a warm day, my motivation to cook more or less goes out the window. For heat reasons.

A lot of times that means something low- or no-cook, like salad or burrito bowls, or something that’s done in just 20-30 minutes (like amazing fish tacos or chicken salad). And there’s nothing like a great dressing to pull everything together. This time? Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing that’s a nearly-identical Cafe Rio copycat. (If you’re a west coast-er you know how good that is!)

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing in a jar with a spoon. Jalapeño, lime, and cilantro garnish.

Spoiler: This Ranch is Good on Everything. 

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing is so creamy and bright. I love the tang that tomatillos add, and paired with the fresh cilantro, lime, and a little jalapeño, the end result just begs to be poured on everything. Like, everything. For instance:

  • Fish Tacos (with a yummy Honey Lime Cilantro Slaw)
  • A big veggie taco salad (avocado, black beans, veggies, etc.)
  • Chipotle Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls
  • Breakfast tacos
  • Carnitas or Cafe Rio Pork salads
  • Dipping veggies
  • Chili Lime Shrimp

Chicken salad (use in place of mayo, add some green onion and tex-mex add- Jar of Paleo or Vegan Tomatillo Ranch Dressing.

NOTES ON THIS TOMATILLO RANCH DRESSING

My Top Tool of the Trade. This is a really good job for an immersion blender. It’s my favorite tool for making salad dressings, since the batches are so small. I also use an immersion blender for things like pasta sauce, salad dressings, dips. If you don’t have one or don’t want one, a traditional blender also works!

How Much Does it Make? You’ll end up with about around 1 1/4 cups of ranch with this recipe, which is about 10 (2 Tbsp) servings. It’ll keep for about a week in the refrigerator, but if you’re thinking “how would I ever use that much ranch?,” don’t worry. You can make a half batch if you want, but I find it goes quicker than you’d think, especially if you make it for a family dinner or set it out for a casual dinner party (think taco salad bar).

Mayo or Veganaise. You can absolutely use your choice of mayo or vegannaise for this recipe, depending on your dietary needs and preferences. Our favorite store-bought mayo is Primal Kitchen (made with avocado oil) and our favorite vegannaise is Just Mayo brand (I get it at Kroger or Sprouts). Both work really well in this recipe.

Tips on Tomatillos. You can use fresh or canned tomatillos for this recipe. If you’re buying fresh, look for them next to tomatoes, peppers, avocados, etc. Look for a tight-fitting, green papery husk (rather than a loose, wilted, or grey/brown husk). Otherwise, you can keep canned ones on hand. If you can’t find them, you could swap in 1-2 Tbsp of green salsa, or you can leave them out for a cilantro-lime ranch, which will still be very, very good.

Like this recipe? You might also like…

  • The BEST Fish Tacos with Honey Lime Cilantro Slaw
  • Chipotle Sweet Potato Burrito Bowls
  • Cafe Rio Sweet and Spicy Pork
  • Slow Cooker Beef Carnitas

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing in a jar with a spoon. Jalapeño, lime, and cilantro garnish.

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Tomatillo Ranch Dressing in a jar with a spoon. Jalapeño, lime, and cilantro garnish.

Tomatillo Ranch Dressing (Paleo or Vegan!)


  • Author: One Lovely Life
  • Total Time: 8 minutes
  • Yield: about 1 1/4 cups 1x
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Description

Cafe Rio Copycat Tomatillo Ranch Dressing (Paleo or Vegan!) – This creamy tomatillo ranch is perfect with tacos, salads, chicken, and more. Dairy free, gluten free, and delicious!


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 cup mayonnaise or veganaise (homemade or store-bought–see notes)
  • 1/2 cup cilantro
  • 2 tomatillos, husked and diced (can substitute canned)
  • 1/2 jalapeno, diced
  • juice from 1 lime (about 2 Tbsp)
  • 1 tsp dried dill (or 1 Tbsp fresh)
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper

Instructions

  1. Place all ingredients in a jar and puree with an immersion blender until smooth. Alternatively, you can place all ingredients in a traditional blender or food processor and puree until smooth.
  2. If a thinner texture is desired, add a few tablespoons of coconut milk or water.
  3. Transfer to an airtight container and store ranch in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

Notes

My Top Tool of the Trade. This is a really good job for an immersion blender. It’s my favorite tool for making salad dressings, since the batches are so small. I also use an immersion blender for things like pasta sauce, salad dressings, dips. If you don’t have one or don’t want one, a traditional blender also works!

How Much Does it Make? You’ll end up with about around 1 1/4 cups of ranch with this recipe, which is about 10 (2 Tbsp) servings. It’ll keep for about a week in the refrigerator, but if you’re thinking “how would I ever use that much ranch?,” don’t worry. You can make a half batch if you want, but I find it goes quicker than you’d think, especially if you make it for a family dinner or set it out for a casual dinner party (think taco salad bar).

Mayo or Veganaise. You can absolutely use your choice of mayo or vegannaise for this recipe, depending on your dietary needs and preferences. Our favorite store-bought mayo is Primal Kitchen (made with avocado oil) and our favorite vegannaise is Just Mayo brand (I get it at Kroger or Sprouts). Both work really well in this recipe.

Tips on Tomatillos. You can use fresh or canned tomatillos for this recipe. If you’re buying fresh, look for them next to tomatoes, peppers, avocados, etc. Look for a tight-fitting, green papery husk (rather than a loose, wilted, or grey/brown husk). Otherwise, you can keep canned ones on hand. If you can’t find them, you could swap in 1-2 Tbsp of green salsa, or you can leave them out for a cilantro-lime ranch, which will still be very, very good.

  • Prep Time: 8 minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Category: salad dressing, salad, condiments
  • Method: no-cook, blender
  • Cuisine: tex-mex, mexican, american

Keywords: salad dressing, ranch dressing, tomatillo ranch, paleo ranch, vegan ranch, paleo, vegan, gluten free, dairy free, cafe rio ranch, cafe rio tomatillo ranch

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @onelovelylife1 on Instagram and hashtag it #onelovelyrecipe

A jar of Cafe Rio Copycat Tomatillo Ranch Dressing with a spoon dipped into the top. Jalapeños, cilantro, and lime wedges as garnish. Cafe Rio Copycat Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Cafe Rio Copycat Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Cafe Rio Copycat Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Cafe Rio Copycat Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

Recipe re-tested and re-photographed in July 2018. Originally posted April 2016.

Filed Under: chicken & turkey, condiments, marinades, & spreads, Dairy Free, Gluten Free, Main Dish, Paleo, Salads, Tex Mex, Vegan, Whole30

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Comments

  1. Mama Lynn

    April 21, 2016 at 8:03 pm

    YUM!

    Reply
  2. Kristie

    May 20, 2016 at 7:56 pm

    So excited to try this recipe!!!!

    Reply
  3. Andria

    August 7, 2016 at 12:23 pm

    How long is this good for?

    Reply
    • Emily

      August 7, 2016 at 3:31 pm

      For me, it usually lasts a week in the fridge.

      Reply
  4. Aubrie

    May 21, 2017 at 4:32 pm

    When you say coconut milk, do you mean canned or box? Thanks a bunch! Can’t wait to make this!

    Reply
    • Emily

      May 21, 2017 at 6:56 pm

      Aubrie – Sorry for the confusion! I usually use the canned coconut milk here since it’s a big creamier. You *can* use the carton kind, but it will be much more thin. I’ll clarify that in the instructions!

      Reply
  5. Ellen

    July 25, 2018 at 7:55 am

    I’m always looking for new dressing recipes, and this one looks yummy!
    I’m wondering, have you been using fresh tomatillos – and where do you find those? I live in the southwest so it sounds an ingredient I should be able to find, but I don’t recall seeing them.

    Reply
    • Emily

      July 25, 2018 at 9:09 am

      Ellen – I’ve used fresh and canned with great results. I can get canned ones at my local Kroger (Fry’s) often. For fresh, I can find them LOTS of places (Walmart, Target, Sprouts, Frys, etc.) and usually find them near things like tomatoes, avocados, jalapeños, etc. They’re small and there’s usually not a giant display, so sometimes they’re easy to miss! I hope that helps!

      Reply
      • Ellen

        July 27, 2018 at 11:45 am

        Thanks! I’m going to look for the fresh ones. Still, it’s good to know that canned will work; I could keep a can in the pantry.
        You have gotten me to try new foods and products, which is one of the things I love about your blog!

        Reply
        • Emily

          July 27, 2018 at 2:19 pm

          That’s so nice of you to say! I hope you LOVE it!

          Reply
  6. Lizz

    September 21, 2018 at 4:31 pm

    Would it be terrible to leave the dill out? I didn’t notice that and I’ve bought everything else to make them.

    Reply
    • Emily

      September 21, 2018 at 7:45 pm

      It should still totally work! It’ll be cilantro lime ranch, which is delicious 🙂

      Reply
  7. Tara

    July 9, 2019 at 12:50 pm

    Hello I want to make this recipe and I’m going to use the canned tomatillo how much should I use ?

    Reply
    • Emily

      July 9, 2019 at 1:28 pm

      Tara – You’d actually use the same amount, so instead of 2 fresh tomatillos, you’d use 2 canned ones. You can freeze leftover canned ones to use in future batches, since you’ll puree them anyway. 🙂 Hope that helps!

      Reply
  8. Melina

    March 20, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    Love this recipe!! I add hemp seeds to add some protein and it also helps with creaminess!!

    Reply
    • Emily

      March 20, 2020 at 3:13 pm

      Melina – LOVE that suggestion! Thanks for sharing!!!

      Reply
  9. Cecil

    June 27, 2020 at 12:00 pm

    How can I thicken it, if it came out too thin?

    Reply
    • Emily

      June 29, 2020 at 8:21 am

      Cecil – I usually add more mayo. It’s the easiest way to thicken it back up! 🙂

      Reply
  10. Jb

    July 2, 2020 at 12:52 pm

    I LOVE this stuff and use it on many different things I substitute the Mayo with yogurt and sour cream “to taste”. Yum

    Reply
    • Emily

      July 5, 2020 at 12:36 pm

      I put it on everrrrrything. Your yogurt/sour cream trick sounds great!

      Reply
  11. Steve

    July 26, 2021 at 3:00 pm

    How is the ranch tomatillo dressing on a salad, for any leftovers

    Reply
    • Emily

      July 28, 2021 at 8:30 am

      It’s FANTASTIC! I love it on salads!

      Reply

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about emily

Hi, I’m Emily! I create fresh, flexible family recipes to help you feel more confident in the kitchen. Whether you’ve got picky eaters, food allergies/intolerances to navigate, or just a serious craving to satisfy, I want to help you eat delicious, gorgeous meals without a lot of fuss.

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