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Creamy Chili Lime Dressing

ByNicole Langdon Hours Updated on
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Our creamy chili lime dressing is zesty, a little spicy, absolutely packed with flavor, and comes together in just 5 minutes. While it’s based off of Panera’s version that sadly no longer exists, we’ve found far more uses for it than just salads from vegetarian southwest black bean sliders to burrito bowls.

A white ceramic bowl with freshly made chili lime dressing in it, being drizzled off a wooden spoon.

Panera was my go-to for quick, healthy meals between classes and study sessions in college. My favorite order (when not getting their mac n cheese!) was always their southwest chili lime ranch salad, which came with this zesty, spicy dressing I absolutely loved. Honestly, a good dressing can make or break a salad – which is why I had to recreate it at home!

Even though the idea for this creamy chili lime dressing came from a salad, we’ve been using it on just about everything since we created it. It’s great on southwest sliders, burrito bowls, tacos, and fries – really, anything you want to give a little zesty kick to!

What To Expect

  • Great for: Making our copycat Panera southwest chili lime salad, southwest vegetarian sliders, and many more recipes.
  • Ready in: 5 minutes
  • Makes: ¾ cup
  • Flavor profile: Creamy, citrusy, and a little spicy.
  • How to make it: Whisk together the mayo, lime juice, and water, adding more water if needed to get a smooth pourable consistency. Add the seasonings and whisk again until combined. Use immediately or store in the fridge for later.

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Key Ingredients

Ingredients for making chili lime dressing: light mayo, lime juice, salt, onion powder, turmeric, chipotle powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and water.
  • Mayo – Unlike Panera’s chili lime ranch dressing, our salad dressing is mayo-based. Light mayo is the perfect blank canvas for recreating our favorite sauces, dressings, and spreads since it’s plain, but super creamy.
  • Lime juice – A little lime juice gives this dressing a slight acidic punch to balance the creamy mayo and bring out the flavors of the seasonings. 
  • Water – We use water to adjust the texture of the dressing. We like for it to be creamy yet pourable. If you are looking for a thinner or thicker dressing, adjust the water accordingly. 
  • Seasonings – Cayenne, chipotle powder, paprika, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt make up the flavorings needed.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Creamy Chili Lime Salad Dressing

A glass liquid measuring cup with a mixture of mayo, lime juice, and water being whisked in it.

Step 1: Add light mayo, lime juice, and water to a small bowl or glass measuring cup. Whisk carefully to combine until the consistency is smooth and pourable (add more water if you’d like it thinner).

A glass liquid measuring cup with freshly whisked chili lime dressing in it.

Step 2: Add the seasonings and whisk vigorously until combined.

Expert Tips

  • Get a mini whisk – To make mixing small batches of dressings like this one even easier, we use our trusty mini whisk. If you like making your own sauces, spreads, and dressings, we highly recommend getting one. Plus, it’s really cute. 
  • Storage – You can also prepare this dressing ahead of time and store it in a glass bottle or jar in the refrigerator. We like to use these glass bottles for homemade dressings, sauces, and syrups – they’re the perfect size and clean easily in the dishwasher between uses. Or, you can also use a mason jar. Stored properly, this chili lime dressing will stay good for up to 1 month – so you can keep enjoying it over and over!
  • Consistency – We like this dressing best at a texture of just pourable. But if you want it to be more of a spread, leave the water out. And if you want it to be thinner for an easily pourable, lighter dressing, add another tablespoon or two of water. Adjust it to your preferences and use cases.

Serving Suggestions

While we originally made this dressing to go on our southwest chili lime salad, we’ve found so many great ways to use it. Here are some of our favorites to serve as inspiration for you!

No matter how you choose to use it, this bright and flavorful chili lime dressing adds a southwest flare to any recipe. Give it a try and let us know your favorite use for it in the comments below!

Other Homemade Condiments To Try

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Tell us what you think!

We hope you enjoy this recipe! When you try it out, please leave a review and a star rating in the comments below. Happy cooking! – Nicole and Alex

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A white ceramic bowl with freshly made chili lime dressing in it, being drizzled off a wooden spoon.

Chili Lime Dressing

Nicole & Alex Langdon
Our creamy chili lime dressing is zesty, a little spicy, absolutely packed with flavor, and comes together in just 5 minutes. While it’s based off of Panera’s version that sadly no longer exists, we’ve found far more uses for it than just salads from vegetarian southwest black bean sliders to burrito bowls.
4.80 from 5 votes
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Course Ingredient, Sauce
Cuisine American, Mexican
Servings 0.75 cups
Calories 393 kcal

Equipment

Ingredients
 
 

  • ½ cup light mayo
  • 2 tablespoons lime juice
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon ground red cayenne pepper
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric
  • ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions
 

  • Add mayo, lime juice, and water to a small bowl and whisk gently until combined.
  • Add remaining ingredients and whisk thoroughly until well-combined. Transfer to a glass bottle or other airtight container for storage, or use immediately.
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Notes

Consistency: The lime juice and water help thin the mayo so it becomes pourable. Lime juice is potent, though, so if you want this dressing thinner just add more water.
Serving suggestions: Use this dressing on salads, burrito bowls, and tacos. It’ll add some heat and zest to any of these dishes!
Storing: Store this dressing in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month (just remember to give it a quick shake before using again). We use these glass bottles to store dressings, sauces, and syrups we make at home – they’re great! We definitely recommend having a set if you like to make these types of things frequently, too.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 393kcalCarbohydrates: 23gProtein: 2gFat: 34gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 20gMonounsaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 24mgSodium: 2027mgPotassium: 225mgFiber: 2gSugar: 7gVitamin A: 1083IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 30mgIron: 1mg
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90% of Nicole’s thoughts are about food. She’s had a passion for cooking (and eating) for as long as she can remember! Growing up, she started cooking with her mom at a young age, learned family recipes from her Italian grandmother, took every opportunity to make cookies (so many bake sales), and always loved going out to restaurants to try new foods.

Nicole currently works part-time as a marketing professional for OmieLife while also working nonstop on The Candid Cooks. As a former mechanical engineer, Nicole has consistently found herself at the intersection of creativity and logical reasoning. She credits not only her passion for photography, design, and writing, but also her problem-solving nature and desire to learn, as the foundation on which The Candid Cooks was built.

Nicole’s hobbies include anything that gets her moving - mainly hiking, skiing, ice skating, and dancing - as well as reading fantasy novels and scrapbooking. Her favorite food is a big plate of nachos, as long as they’re cheesy enough!

4.80 from 5 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    We use this dressing on so many different things. I think my favorite use is as a sandwich spread with some grilled chicken.

    Reply