Jalapeno Lime Salad Dressing (Vinaigrette)

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 Salad Dressing (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.

Jump to:

• How do you make Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette?
• Ingredients Needed for Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette
• Instructions - How to Make Jalapeno Lime Dressing
• Substitutions
• Jalapeno Lime Dressing Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Top tip
• Other Condiments To Try
• Jalapeno Lime Vinaigrette

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

Blender or food processor

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.

Top tip

Use the freshest ingredients available. Use a good quality, mild-flavored extra virgin olive oil. I used California Olive Ranch.

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.

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