Cilantro Dill Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

close up of cilantro dill vinaigrette marinade

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This Cilantro Dill Vinaigrette Dressing and Marinade Recipe are so versatile and perfect for a hearty taco salad, fish topping, or a delicious grilled chicken or pork marinade. The herb ingredients can easily be grown in your backyard garden, on the porch, or on your balcony in a pot!

Overhead close up of Cilantro Dill Salad Dressing and Marinade in a white bowl with a blue towel and lemons, tomatoe and cilantro.
Fresh Cilantro Dill Salad dressing. Straight from the garden!

Seriously, Cilantro Dill Viniagrette Dressing is truly one of our favorite things to ever hug a piece of lettuce! My daughter and I could drink this stuff! It’s that good! Hey, if some of your family members aren’t big fans of Cilantro then try my version of Italian Dressing or my recipe for America’s favorite…Ranch Dressing with Jalapenos!

Cilantro dill lemon salad dressing in a clear bowl on a blue plate

Grow Your Ingredients!

Cilantro and dill are cool weather herbs. The early summer or fall months are perfect for these sweet herbs to thrive in an Oklahoma garden.

Since we have had an abundance of homegrown herbs this year, it has become our “go-to” salad dressing and chicken marinade. These delicious herbs are also available in most grocery stores, but they are so expensive!

Besides being a delicious chicken marinade, it’s also good as a pork marinade and as a topping on fish…, especially Salmon.

Ingredients for Cilantro Dill Salad Dressing-Marinade

Don’t have time to garden or the interest? Cilantro is usually stocked in most grocery stores. Dill, on the other hand, is a bit more elusive. I’ll usually buy a big bunch and use it for a kitchen bouquet in the winter until I’m ready to use it. Kitchen Nose Joy!

Overhead shot of Cilantro Dill Dressing ingredients in a single serve blender before it is blended.

How to Make Cilantro Dill Viniagrette Dressing and Marinade

Making this dressing is really easy and only takes about 5-10 minutes. It’s best if it’s refrigerated for a while if using it on a salad. If you’re using it for a marinade then it can go directly on the meat or veggies and be stored in the fridge until it’s time to cook.

  • Start out with a handful of fresh cilantro and dill placing them whole in a blender, I love my Ninja Blender. It comes with 2 single serves plus a 2 full size blender units!
  • Add the garlic, lemon, oil, vinegar, salt, mustard and garlic paste.
  • Blend all up until everything is emulsified.
  • Taste. Add more seasonings and lemon if desired.
  • Add Mexican season if you’re going to use it as a marinade.
  • Note: It gets better the longer it’s in the fridge!

Ingredients

  • 2 handfuls Cilantro & Dill
  • 2/3 cup light virgin olive oil
  • .5 lemon or to taste
  • 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar or to taste
  • .5 tsp salt
  • 2 cloves garlic or 4 cloves & omit garlic paste
  • 1-2 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1-2 tsp Mexican seasoning optional or to taste
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning

The Best Chicken Marinade!

Chicken Kabobs marinating in Mexican Cilantro Dill marinade and leftover marinade in a single serve blender
Mexican Cilantro-Dill-Lemon Marinade for Chicken Kabobs

Cilantro-Dill Marinade…more Mexican seasoning was used in this along with 5 or 6 garlic pods. The chicken and veggies pictured above were marinaded for 6 hours. It was unbelievably good!!!!

Herbs are easy to grow!

Reseeded Dill in the garden
Wild and Free Dill

If you’re into gardening like I am then growing these two garden staples is a must. And if you let them go to seed then you’ll have lots of free herb volunteers the following year.

If you live in the northern, cooler climates then I’m sure you will be able to grow these all summer, lucky! Check out the pics below…volunteers from last year! In fact, the dressing was made completely from these beauties!

Cilantro growing in the herb garden from last years seeds
Cilantro from last year’s planting

In the sport of gardening, there are not a lot of fast and hard rules. Plenty of water, sun, and good healthy soil are the three big players in a successful garden.

Same goes for creating yummy salad dressings and marinades; a healthy fat like a good quality olive oil, a tasty acid like vinegar or citrus juice, seasoning of your choice, and a willing finger to test taste.

Adding all the other ingredients is up to your taste buds and your audience!

overhead picture of cilantro dill dressing with lettuce tomatoes onions lemons and cilantro on the side.

Salad Must Haves👇

Other Yummy Ideas to use Cilantro Dill Vinaigrette Dressing

This dressing would be amazing on tacos or a taco salad!

As a dip for these Mexirolls appetizers!

These Sausage Balls would be wonderful dunked in this yummy dressing!

Spoon it on this Simple Spicy Chicken Tenders Recipe before you roll it up into an enchilada!

The possibilities are endless!!!

Enjoy!

Elise

Use this garlic peeling hack to make your cooking life easier!

Overhead Close up of Cilantro Dill Dressing
Salad Dressing & Marinade

Cilantro Dill Viniagrette Dressing

Elise
Bright, fresh salad dressing or marinade made with garden grown herbs and healthy ingredients. This viniagrette is really easy and only takes about 5-10 minutes. It's best if it's refrigerated for a while if using it on a salad. If you're using it for a marinade then it can go directly on the meat or veggies and be stored in the fridge until it's time to cook.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
1 hour
Total Time 20 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 8
Calories 70 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 2 handfuls Cilantro & Dill
  • 2/3 cup light virgin olive oil
  • .5 lemon or to taste
  • 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar or to taste
  • .5 tsp salt
  • 2 cloves garlic or 4 cloves & omit garlic paste
  • 1 tsp garlic paste
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Mexican seasoning optional or to taste
  • 1 tsp Italian Seasoning

Instructions
 

  • Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth. Add more or less of the lemon, vinegar, garlic and Mexican seasoning to taste. 1/2 tsp of chili powder and cumin can replace Mexican seasoning.

Nutrition

Serving: 0gCalories: 70kcalCarbohydrates: 0gProtein: 0gFat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgPotassium: 0mgFiber: 0gSugar: 0gVitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 0mgIron: 0mg
Keyword cilantro, dill, dressing, lemon, marinade, mexican, viniagrette
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
close up views of cilantro dill marinade
close up view of the best chicken marinade
cilantro dill vinaigrette marinade

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