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    Home » Recipes » All Recipes

    Garlic Cilantro Sauce

    by Stephenie Published: Aug 24, 2022 · Modified: Sep 10, 2024 . 1 Comment. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Pin Recipe

    You can make a creamy and delicious Garlic Cilantro Sauce in just 5 minutes! A sauce you can use as pasta sauce, or salad dressing, to dip or drizzle over food!

    garlic cilantro sauce next to lemon wedges and cilantro.

    This Garlic Cilantro Sauce is delicious. It is a sauce that goes well with almost anything like my mayo with ketchup sauce. It is delicious when poured over the mofongo twist trifongo.

    I love to drizzle it over a good juicy oven baked chicken or a delicious fried Puerto Rican chicken.

    You will love the taste of this recipe and it even might have a familiar flavor. This sauce tastes like Pollo Tropical’s cilantro sauce.

    What I love about this recipe is that it is very versatile. It is used as a dipping sauce next to some Puerto Rican style bolitas de arroz mamposteao. But also as a salad dressing in my simple ensalada verde.

    Jump to:
    • Why This Recipe Works
    • Recipe Ingredients
    • How to Make A Garlic Cilantro Sauce
    • Recipe Tips
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Add Cilantro Sauce To These Recipes
    • Garlic Cilantro Sauce

    Why This Recipe Works

    • This sauce is different from other recipes because we don’t add mayonnaise to it, making it a very light sauce.
    • It is an easy sauce that can even be made by hand. All you have to do if finely chop your cilantro!
    • This sauce goes well with any meat like chicken wings in garlic butter or seafood like crunchy fried tilapia.

    Recipe Ingredients

    ingredients needed to make garlic cilantro sauce.
    • Cilantro- The star ingredient is cilantro. I use it all even with stems but only chop the ends if they look a little brown. Make sure you don’t get confused when buying cilantro because it looks similar to parsley.
    • Sour Cream- I used sour cream but you can substitute it with plain yogurt. Some people also like using mayonnaise but I don’t because it makes the sauce heavier.
    • Oil- I use vegetable oil but you can use olive oil, coconut, or your preferred oil of choice.
    • Garlic- I always use fresh garlic because I like the flavor but you can use store-bought garlic paste.
    • Lemon- I always use fresh lemons but you can use limes if that’s what you have.
    • Seasonings- I used a little bit of salt and garlic powder to season.

    How to Make A Garlic Cilantro Sauce


    a bowl with all the ingredients needed to make a garlic cilantro sauce.
    • Photo 1: Add all your ingredients to a blender, or a food processor. I always like to chop the cilantro into smaller pieces to make it easier on the blender. Remember that you can also make this by hand.
    a hand blending all the ingredients needed to make a garlic sauce.
    • Photo 2: Blend all your ingredients. I blend until is nice and smooth but you can blend it only for a few seconds and get a chunky sauce.

    Recipe Tips

    • I like storing this sauce in a condiment bottle for easy use but a jar with a lid will do.
    • I will not leave this sauce at room temperature for longer than 2 hours because it has sour cream. Store it in your fridge for up to 5 days.
    garlic cilantro sauce dripping from a spoon.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What does cilantro sauce taste like?

    The sauce has a subtle herby taste that is not very pungent thanks to the acidic taste of the lemon. It is very delicious. Is like a lemony dressing but with a creamier texture.

    Can I freeze a cilantro sauce?

    Yes, you can! But the only thing is that the texture will slightly change. This can be a problem depending on what you use the sauce for. But as far as taste, it will stay the same.

    Can I use parsley to make a cilantro garlic sauce?

    You can use it but not completely substitute the cilantro for parsley because it doesn’t have the same potent flavor. So if you find cilantro too strong you can use half cilantro and half parsley to make a cilantro sauce.

    Add Cilantro Sauce To These Recipes

    • side view of a tray with potatoes chicken and lemons with a couple of parsley twigs on the side.
      Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs
    • a plate with carne frita y mofongo.
      Mofongo
    • Canastas de Platano (Plantain Cups)
    • Chicharrones de Pollo

    💬 If you enjoyed this Garlic Cilantro Sauce recipe, give it a 5-star rating and leave a comment, or question below. 

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    Garlic Cilantro Sauce

    This Garlic Cilantro sauce is deliciously light and perfect for meats, fish and salads.
    By: Stephenie
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Recipe Save Saved!
    Prep :5 minutes mins
    Time :5 minutes mins
    servings :16

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup cilantro
    • 1 cup sour cream
    • 1 tablespoon oil
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ½ lemon
    • ¼ teaspoon garlic paste
    • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Roughly chop your cilantro into smaller pieces. In a medium bowl add your cilantro and oil. Squeeze the lemon over the cilantro and mix everything. Now add your sour cream, garlic powder and salt.
    • Now, with the aid of a hand blender or food processor, blend all together. Do this for about 2 minutes or until the consistency of your sauce is smooth. Last, add your garlic paste and mix. Serve and enjoy.

    Recipe Notes

    1. I used a hand blender but this recipe can be done with a food processor. 
    2. If you like a more intense garlicky flavor you can add ½ teaspoon at a time until is to your liking.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 587kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 59g | Saturated Fat: 24g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 136mg | Sodium: 660mg | Potassium: 381mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 2513IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 248mg | Iron: 0.5mg
    Course :Sauces
    Cuisine :American
    Tried this Recipe? Leave A Comment Below!

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Msjudi B says

      August 30, 2023 at 11:16 am

      5 stars
      I’m so happy to happen to run onto ur site, I’ve always wanted to learn some recipes and now I can, thank u so much 💗

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    I'm Stephenie the creator and cook behind Food Metamorphosis. Here you'll find flavorful and easy-to-follow recipes.

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