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!
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!)
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-
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 (Paleo or Vegan!)
- Total Time: 8 minutes
- Yield: about 1 1/4 cups 1x
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
- 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
- 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.
- If a thinner texture is desired, add a few tablespoons of coconut milk or water.
- 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: condiments, Salad, salad dressing
- Method: Blender, No-Cook
- Cuisine: American, Mexican, Tex-Mex
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 Tbsp
- Calories: 101
- Sugar: 0.4 g
- Sodium: 269.2 mg
- Fat: 9.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 2.7 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Recipe re-tested and re-photographed in July 2018. Originally posted April 2016.
Best dressing ever. Made it like 10 times now.
Right!? I can put it on basically anything!
How is the ranch tomatillo dressing on a salad, for any leftovers
It’s FANTASTIC! I love it on salads!