A simple salad dressing that’s light, zesty, and rounded out with lovely acidity, you’re going to want to put this spicy Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette on everything from garden to pasta salads.
I’m my own biggest fan when it comes to how amazing this spicy Jalapeno Lime Dressing is and have featured it on numerous salads including:
- Cruciferous Crunch Salad - Trader Joe’s bagged salad mix does the legwork on the greens
- Tex-Mex Pasta Salad - A festive pasta salad featuring peppers, onions, black olives, and tomatoes
- Corn and Quinoa Salad - A lovely quinoa salad featuring sweet pops of corn
This homemade Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette is also awesome when drizzled over this Buffalo Chicken Rice Bowl.
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How do you make Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette?
For this Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette recipe, you’ll need just a few ingredients: Fresh jalapeno and lime plus a few choice seasonings and a good quality extra virgin olive oil to bring it all together.
Ingredients Needed for Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette
- fresh-squeezed lime juice
- jalapeno
- ground cumin
- salt
- garlic powder
- dried basil
- extra virgin olive oil (use a good quality EVOO with a mild flavor)
*This recipe makes ¾ cup jalapeno lime dressing.
Instructions - How to Make Jalapeno Lime Dressing
Add 5 tablespoons lime juice, 1 seeded jalapeno, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon dried basil to a food processor or blender.
Blend for 15-20 seconds.
Check to make sure the jalapeno is nicely pulverized. If not, blend for a few more seconds until you achieve a smoother consistency.
Hit blend again and slowly drizzle in ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, blending for 20-30 seconds to emulsify.
For best results, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.
Substitutions
You can make a few substitutions to the seasonings in this homemade Jalapeno Lime Dressing without changing the resulting flavor too much.
- Garlic powder - swap for an equivalent amount of onion powder if you don’t have garlic powder on hand.
- Dried basil - you can use dried oregano or tarragon instead; each herb has flavors that are unique compared to basil but are similar enough that you can use them here successfully.
Jalapeno Lime Dressing Variations
Mix up the flavor of this Jalapeno Lime Dressing with the following variations.
- Spicier - if your jalapeno is a dud or could use some help in the heat department, add some cayenne pepper or a few dashes of hot sauce to add some fire.
- Freshen it up - tag in fresh basil instead of dried; a few fresh leaves should do it. You could also add in a small garlic clove in place of garlic powder. Fresh garlic is quite pungent so be careful how much you add!
Equipment
Storage
Store the Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette in a lidded container (like a Mason jar) in the refrigerator. Shake well before using. For best results, use within 3 days.
Homemade Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette dressing lasts about 3 days in the refrigerator; store in a lidded container like a Mason jar in your refrigerator.
Hey, this can happen. Fresh peppers can be unpredictable. Tame the heat by doing one of the following:
Make another batch, but leave the jalapenos out. Then, combine the two batches.
Transform it into something a little different. Add sour cream to turn it into a Jalapeno Lime cracker dip.
Other Condiments To Try
If you like this Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette recipe, you might want to try one of these other fantastic condiments. They all share a similarity to Jalapeno Lime Dressing as they use fresh and simple ingredients.
Top tip
Use the freshest ingredients available. Use a good quality, mild-flavored extra virgin olive oil. I used California Olive Ranch.
Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette
Equipment
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice (1 good-sized lime)
- 1 jalapeno, seeded
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil (use a good quality EVOO with a mild flavor)
Instructions
- Add 5 tablespoons lime juice, 1 seeded jalapeno, ½ teaspoon cumin, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon garlic powder, and ½ teaspoon dried basil to a food processor or blender.
- Blend for 15-20 seconds.
- Check to make sure the jalapeno is nicely pulverized. If not, blend for a few more seconds until you achieve a smoother consistency.
- Hit blend again and slowly drizzle in ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil, blending for 20-30 seconds to emulsify.
- For best results, refrigerate for at least 2 hours before using.
Denise says
If this is supposed to be a vinaigrette, where is the vinegar portion in this recipe?
Tino Marie says
A vinaigrette is a salad dressing made of oil, vinegar or other acid, and flavorings. There is no vinegar called for in this particular recipe, because the lime juice (aka other acid) is taking the place of the vinegar. Hope this helps!