Cafe Rio Salad Dressing

This copycat recipe for the famous Cafe Rio Salad Dressing can help you make this creamy tomatillo Ranch dressing at home! And if you’re a fan of this dressing with cilantro, lime, and just a touch of spicy flavor, you’ll want to make it over and over.

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I’ve loved Cafe Rio Salad Dressing since the first time I tried it! And every place has its own food culture, and if you live in Utah, Cafe Rio is a big part of that culture. So many years ago my brother-in-law Kelly gave me a copycat recipe for Cafe Rio Dressing, which I posted on my then brand-new food blog.

This recipe is the adapted version I’ve made over and over since then. And it really does taste just like the famous creamy Cafe Rio salad dressing.  This recipe is a big favorite in my huge family of Cafe Rio fans, so you know it must be good!

But even if you’ve never eaten at Cafe Rio, if you like these flavors I bet you’ll love this dressing! And for this week’s Friday Favorites pick I’m reminding you about this favorite salad dressing recipe that so many people have loved; enjoy!

What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)

• Ranch Dressing (I would use my BYU Creamery Ranch Copycat Recipe)
• cilantro
• tomatillos
• Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
• fresh squeezed lime juice, I use my fresh-frozen lime juice
• Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) or 1 small diced jalapeno pepper

What makes Cafe Rio Dressing so flavorful?

It’s partly the slightly sharp tomatillo flavor that makes this Cafe Rio Style Creamy Tomatillo Dressing so good! When I have lots of tomatillos, I sometimes increase the number of tomatillos and decrease the amount of buttermilk in the ranch dressing. Try that if you want more tomatillo flavor. And this tasty dressing also has lots of other flavors from Ranch dressing mix, cilantro, fresh-squeezed lime juice, and Green Tabasco sauce.

Are fresh Tomatillos a must in Cafe Rio Rio Salad Dressing:

I’ve seen versions of this dressing around the web using canned tomatillos, but I love to use fresh tomatillos when I make Cafe Rio Dressing. However, there’s a note in the comments from someone who replaces tomatillos with a little over a cup of Herdez Salsa Verde (affiliate link). I haven’t tried that myself, but I think it sounds great for a shortcut!

Should you roast the Tomatillos when you make Cafe Rio Dressing?

An anonymous commenter shared the tip of roasting the tomatillos before using them in the dressing. I’ve tried it both ways and feel the roasting step is completely optional. (If you’re interested in trying the version with roasted tomatillos, cut them up and roast for 15-20 minutes in a 400F oven. Watch them, and remove when they start to get barely browned.)

How low in carbs is this Copycat Salad Dressing?

This creamy Cafe Rio Salad Dressing has only about 1 carb per tablespoon! So even if you like a lot of dressing like I do, it won’t be that much of a splurge on carbs.

How to make Cafe Rio Salad Dressing:

(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.

1. I first made this recipe using a package of Hidden Valley Ranch Buttermilk Style Salad Dressing Mix (affiliate link) to make Ranch Dressing for the base. But now that I have BYU Creamery Ranch Copycat Recipe on the blog I would definitely use that!
2. Whichever version you’re using, mix up two cups of Ranch dressing in a small bowl. (If you’re using the package mix, it will seem thin because the dressing needs to chill for an hour or so. If you’re planning to increase the amount of tomatillos, remember to put a little less buttermilk or milk in the dressing.)  
3. Here’s a photo of the tomatillos that add so much flavor to this recipe; remove the papery skins and chop them coarsely.
4. Remove large stems from the cilantro, wash and spin dry or dry with paper towels, then finely chop it in the food processor.
5. Add the chopped tomatillos, Minced Garlic, lime juice, and Green Tabasco Sauce or a small chopped jalapeno pepper and process about 30 seconds, until ingredients are finely pureed.
6. Then add the 2 cups of Ranch dressing and pulse a few times, just until ingredients are well combined.
7. Chill Cafe Rio Salad Dressing for an hour or two and serve!

My Favorite Cafe Rio Inspired Recipe:

Check out my recipe for Chopped Chicken Salad that uses this dressing if you want to see my favorite thing to make at home with Cafe Rio flavors!

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Yield: 20 servings

Cafe Rio Salad Dressing

Prep Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

This copycat recipe tastes just like the famous Creamy Tomatillo-Ranch Dressing at Cafe Rio! And if you're a Cafe Rio fan, I bet you'll make this tasty dressing over and over.

Ingredients

• 2 cups prepared Ranch Dressing (I usually use a packet of Hidden Valley Ranch buttermilk mix, but you can make your own; see notes.)
• 1 small bunch cilantro, large stems removed (about 1/2 cup chopped cilantro)
• 4 small tomatillos
• 1/2 tsp. minced garlic
• 2 T fresh lime juice (see notes)
• 1 tsp. Green Tabasco sauce or 1 small diced jalapeno pepper

Instructions

1. Prepare Ranch dressing according to directions on the package or recipe you’re following and put in the fridge to chill. (See notes.)
2. If you have time, chill the dressing made from the package mix or homemade dressing for an hour or two so it can thicken.
3. Remove papery skins from the tomatillos and coarsely chop.
4. Remove large cilantro stems, then wash leaves and spin dry or dry with paper towels.
5. Add cilantro to food processor fitted with the steel blade and pulse until finely chopped. (If you don’t have a food processor, I’d chop all ingredients well by hand and then blend dressing in a blender.)
6. Add tomatillos, garlic, lime juice, and Green Tabasco Sauce (affiliate link) or chopped jalapeno to the food processor and pulse until ingredients are finely pureed.
7. Add the 2 cups of prepared Ranch dressing and pulse just a few times, until ingredients are well combined.
8. Chill dressing for an hour or two and serve.
9. This makes about 2 1/2 cups dressing, or 20 servings if you use a serving size of two tablespoons.

Notes

I would use my copycat recipe for BYU Creamery Ranch Dressing to make this.

I use my fresh-frozen lime juice.

Variations:

~To make a roasted tomatillo dressing, dice tomatillos, place on a baking sheet, and roast at 400F for 15-20 minutes before adding them to the food processor.

~If you’d like even more tomatillo flavor, use 4-5 large tomatillos and decrease the buttermilk or milk in the Ranch dressing by about 1/4 cup.

This recipe adapted from a very old recipe for Cafe Rio Dressing that I got from my brother-in-law Kelly.

Nutrition Information

Yield

20

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 106Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 6mgSodium 223mgCarbohydrates 2gFiber 0gSugar 1gProtein 0g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

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Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
As long as you use low-carb ingredients or a low-carb Ranch dressing as the base. this Cafe Rio Salad Dressing would be good for low-carb or Keto eating plans. It’s also good for any phase of the original South Beach Diet. I often use this dressing on a salad with leftover roast chicken, which makes a great low-carb meal.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Salads to find more recipes like this one. Use theDiet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted many years ago for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted by Anna’s Cool Finds. Anna has some Utah roots, so I think she liked the recipe! It was last updated with more information in 2026.