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This Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing is so incredibly good! Try it over Cafe Rio style salads, burritos, quesadillas, and more!
Featured With This Recipe
- Ingredients in Cafe Rio Dressing
- What Goes with Cafe Rio Dressing?
- The #1 Site For Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
- Getting The Right Consistency
- Recipe Tips
- Check Out These Comments From Our Readers:
- Frequently Asked Questions
- More Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
- How to Make Cafe Rio Dressing
- Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing Recipe
If you’ve followed us for any time at all, you will know we are big fans of Mexican cuisine. When Cafe Rio first opened in 1997 in St. George, Utah, we were some of the very first customers and quickly became their biggest fans. Now they have locations all over the western United States and Maryland, but back in the day, when we lived in California, Nevada, and Washington there were no Cafe Rio’s close by. Because of this, many of our first copycat recipes were from Cafe Rio trying to achieve the “Fresh Mex” flavors at home. We’ve had some success, if we do say so ourselves. Please let us know if you agree!
Ingredients in Cafe Rio Dressing
- Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix (traditional flavor, not buttermilk)
- Mayonnaise – we like Best Foods / Hellmann’s mayo the best
- Buttermilk
- Tomatillos (they look like small green tomatoes wrapped in a husk)
- Fresh cilantro
- Lime
- Jalapeño peppers (if you don’t like spice you can leave the jalapeño out)
What Goes with Cafe Rio Dressing?
Most people say that their favorite menu item at Cafe Rio is the Sweet Pork, but I say without a MOMENT of hesitation that mine is the Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing (also known as creamy cilantro lime dressing, tomatillo dressing, or Cafe Rio house dressing)! It is spicy and tangy and SO GOOD. What I love most about it is that it is so versatile! It can be way more than just a salad dressing. I seriously put it on everything — our Cafe Rio Burrito and Cafe Rio Salad for sure, plus quesadillas, tacos, nachos, sandwiches, I even dip veggies in it! I can’t keep it in the fridge for more than a few days before the bottle gets licked clean!
The #1 Site For Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
Our Cafe Rio recipes are what first made our site take off. We posted the recipe for Sweet Pork and people went crazy over it. Little by little we figured out more recipes and now we have a huge collection! We get great feedback and positive comments from our fans out there. Check them out and you will see why we are the #1 site for Cafe Rio recipes! Make sure to send us your feedback, too! We have had some great feedback and very positive reviews on all the recipes! Check em’ out and then add your own comments after you try them! We love hearing from our readers! ENJOY!
Read Next: All The Best Cafe Rio Recipes in ONE Place
Getting The Right Consistency
We’ve had some comments about the dressing being too runny. This is easy to prevent. Remember, it is much easier to thin a dressing than try to thicken it later without messing up the flavors. Follow these tips for perfect dressing thickness every time.
- If you are picky about consistency, add the buttermilk a little at a time while blending until you get the right consistency. You may not want to use all the buttermilk if you want a thicker dressing.
- Use real buttermilk – not a substitute. If you don’t have buttermilk and need to substitute milk with lemon or vinegar, start with only ½ cup of the substitute in the blender and then add a little at a time until your preferred consistency is reached.
- Limes can vary in size and juiciness. Typically a juiced lime will yield 2 tablespoons. Start with 1 teaspoon in the blender. After blending, continue to add 1 teaspoon at a time until the consistency is right for you.
Recipe Tips
- Use Best Foods / Hellmann’s Mayonnaise. It has the best flavor and consistency.
- If you want a lighter version of this recipe you can always use Greek yogurt instead of mayo. Keep in mind the consistency and flavor won’t quite be the same but it will still taste delicious.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Stir well before serving.
- This recipe does NOT freeze well. Freezing will cause the dressing to separate and ruin the creamy consistency.
Check Out These Comments From Our Readers:
“Loved Cafe Rio, moved to Ohio, then California (NO Cafe Rio!) so I have been making this a lot over the past few years. A funny thing happened. I was visiting Utah and we went to Cafe Rio and I was totally disappointed! I think I have perfected my Cafe Rio cooking skills to the point where I prefer these recipes to the original. Thank you so much! Note- I roast the tomatillos and the jalapeno in the oven for the dressing. I also buy raw tortillas a cook them at home. I think it makes a huge difference.” – LIZ
“Wow!!! This was simply amazing! I made this 4 nights ago to try on my mock Cafe Rio chicken salad and my husband and I were just sitting in our chairs going Mmmmmmmmm the whole time we ate. Guilty confession: I have had this everyday since for lunch because he dressing it so divine. Haha. I am going to try more of your recipes – way to go!!!” – ASHLEY
“Couldn’t love this recipe more. I live in NC and there are NO Cafe Rio’s OR Costa-Vida’s. Makes me so sad, so we make this recipe a lot, and have educated all of our friends on its deliciousness!” – ALEESHA
Frequently Asked Questions
The spiciness is all in the jalapeño seeds. You can eliminate the seeds completely for no spiciness at all, or add as many as you want to turn on the heat.
A tomatillo is a small, tomato-shaped, green fruit with a leaf-looking husk for an outer layer. It is also known as the Mexican husk tomato for this reason. Tomatillos have a similar taste and texture to tomatoes, but they are less sweet and more acidic. There are tomatillos in the photo above on the bottom left.
Remove the husks from the outer layer. You’ll find the tomatillo has a sticky skin on it. Rinse it under warm water and then dry with a dish cloth. Use a sharp knife to remove the stem, then dice as you would a tomato.
Yes. But, a substitute is usually a thinner consistency. Make the substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of either vinegar or lemon juice to a 1 cup measuring cup. Fill the remaining cup with milk – preferably whole. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes. Add only ½ cup of the buttermilk substitute to the blender. Blend. Gradually add a little at a time until the dressing is the consistency you prefer.
More Cafe Rio Copycat Recipes
- Salsa Fresca (Pico de Gallo)
- Cafe Rio Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette
- Cafe Rio Sweet Pork Burrito
- Homemade Flour Tortillas
- Homemade Tortilla Strips
- Cafe Rio’s Cilantro-Lime Rice and Black Beans
- The BEST Guacamole EVER
To view ALL of our Cafe Rio / Costa Vida copycat recipes, click HERE.
How to Make Cafe Rio Dressing
Cafe Rio Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing
Video
Equipment
- Blendtec Blender
Ingredients
- 1 (1-ounce) packet Hidden Valley Ranch Seasoning (original, not buttermilk)
- 1 cup Best Foods mayonnaise
- 1 cup buttermilk (If you like a thicker dressing only use ½ cup)
- 2 tomatillos, husked and diced
- ½ bunch fresh cilantro fresh
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
- 1 jalapeno, stem removed
Instructions
- Add all the ingredients to a blender.
- Blend until smooth. Chill for 1 hour.
- Serve as a dressing over salad or as a dip for veggies and chips.
Notes
Nutrition Information
This recipe is amazing, I’ve honestly lost count of how many times I’ve made it. Now it CAN be runny but that’s usually due to the preparer’s preferences ie adding a dash more of this or that for more flavor but then the downside is that thins out the dressing. Personally, I LOVE spicy so I add significantly more jalapeños than the recipe calls for but then I just swap sour cream for buttermilk and keep adding more in until I reach the desired consistency – its an easy fix. Honestly I now much prefer my own to cafe rio’s because it’s got more of a kick.
Amazing recipe!
Tip for those getting frustrated with the consistency: be patient. Don’t get discouraged on the first try, if you’re willing to play around with it a little, I promise you the end result will never disappoint.
Great tips! Thank you so much for sharing this!
It was just ok. Super thin and liquidy. Dressing isn’t supposed to be the consistency of water and soak into your salad.
I’m not sure why this dressing turned out thin for you. All of the ingredients have a thicker consistency. Did you use Best Foods or Hellmann’s Mayonnaise and regular buttermilk? Maybe you had an extra juicy lime? In any case, I’ve made this dressing many times, and it isn’t watery.
Made this yesterday and it totally reminds me of the taste at Cafe Rio. Delicious!
Hi! LOVED this recipe but I was wondering if there is something I could do to make it thicker?
thank you in advance!
So freaking good, honesty can’t explain how good this is.
So good!! I LOVED this recipe and it was so easy to make. Thank goodness for blenders. I have a question though; once the dressing is made (with fresh from the store ingredients) how long would you say it lasts when stored in the fridge?
I’m so glad you liked it! I would guess probably a week in the fridge.
I’ve made your recipe many times. It’s a big hit. Thanks!
Thank you for this recipe! As I usually do, I altered the recipe to suit my personal preferences. In my opinion, the recipe as written was good (not great). In order to improve upon it, I doubled: the cilantro, garlic, lime, and jalapenos. I also added 1/4 of a white onion and 1/2 of a green pepper. Next time I will use less buttermilk because it was quite watery for my liking (I used it over tacos). Thank you very much for this recipe because it gave me a great base to experiment with!
Ohhh I miss Cafe Rio EVERYTHING. I’ve been looking for this recipe online. YUMM thank you for posting it. Delicious!
Never thought about making my own and this is a great recipe I love the ease of it!
How many calories does a tablespoon have?
Hey Boneta- You can plug in any of our recipes to nutrition apps such as My Fitness Pal or Livestrong and be able to find that information. Hope this helps!
I have buttermilk ranch on hand. Can you tell me: would it be a lot different if I used that?
No, it won’t be a lot different. It should be ok 🙂
I know this will make 2-3 cups of dressing, but how far does the dressing go. We will have 5 adults and 5 kids eating–we are doing a choice of making a burrito or salad. Should I do more than 1 recipe worth of dressing?
Also, I have the ranch dressing mix in a container, not packets. Do you happen to know how many tablespoons/teaspoons I would use in place of a packet?
There are approximately 8 teaspoons which is a little over 2 1/2 Tablespoons in a Hidden Valley Ranch 1 oz dressing packet. I think with that many people I would make a double batch. It is so good. Our family uses generous amounts. Even if you don’t use it all, you won’t regret it if you have leftovers. Thanks for asking!
I love this stuff! Yum!
Followed the recipe exactly and to me it tasted like watery lime and cilantro. Did I not let it set enough? Any suggestions??
HMmm it may have needed more time to set up? I’m not sure :/
I am addicted to this dressing. I sub sour cream for the buttermilk which probably makes it a bit thicker. Also, last summer I grew my own tomatillos and stored them throughout the winter and spring in a single layer in an open cardboard box.
How do you get this to last? Every time we make this it goes bad within a day or two and tastes horrible. We store it in the fridge but it separates and gets gross.
We usually eat it up before having to store it.. I think the longest we have had to store it is maybe a day or two :/ I didn’t know it separated like that. Anyone else have this problem?
I love this dressing! I made it last night and i blended the tomatillos and think thats what made it super runny. i’m not too sure though. but it was still super good! I added onion to mine because we LOVE onion. Thanks for the recipe!
So before I became a stay at home mom, I was an assistant manager at Cafe Rio. This recipe is actually the closest you can get to the original in my opinion after reading it. I haven’t actually tried it yet but after reading the comments I think I know why people are complaining about it too runny. Blend everything besides the mayo and buttermilk and seasoning….separately whisk those 3 items to the constancy you want but remember your adding the blended stuff after this still so that will also make it thin out.
Thank you so much for the tip! That is a great idea for keeping it thicker. Thanks for sharing!
I wish there were estimated serving amounts listed on the dressing recipe. Thanks for figuring this recipe out!
The standard dressing serving size is 2 Tablespoons, but honestly this dressing is so good that I’m sure we use more than that per serving. Having said that, there are approximately 16 servings of dressing in this recipe. Thank you for asking!
I couldn’t love this recipe more. I live in NC and there are NO Cafe Rio’s OR Costa-Vida’s. Makes me so sad, so we make this recipe a lot, and have educated all of our friends on its deliciousness! I even did a review of your recipe on my blog. http://www.everyday-creative.com. Thank you so much for this awesome recipe!
Thank you so much for your review! We are so glad that you like the recipe– it is one of our very favorites!