Avocado Lime Ranch

The beginning of May always triggers sunny vibes in the kitchen! We enjoy fresh spring veggies, cool temperature foods for dinner, and lots of fresh fruit for dessert! Due to Cinco de Mayo, avocados are especially affordable over the next few weeks here in Virginia so we add them to everything. Andrew and I don’t really ‘celebrate’ Cinco de Mayo but we definitely love the fresh foods associated with that holiday.

We already use our guacamole as a topping for lots of meals–but I wanted something more versatile for salads as a dressing and rice bowls as a drizzle. I have always loved the Avocado Lime Ranch at Chick Fil A (yep, vegetarians can still happily eat there!) so I thought I could try making it at home from scratch 🙂

Ways to Use Avocado Lime Ranch

• Drizzled over black beans, rice and side salad for a Taco Bell power bowl at home (my fave!)
• As an accompaniment to grilled chicken, fajita chicken or steak (for all my meat eating friends!)
• As a dressing for a Southwestern salad
• As a sauce on tacos, tostadas or burritos
• As a dip for a veggie tray

Avocado Lime Ranch

thedachshundmom

Copycat Chick Fil A dressing. Cooling avocado lime ranch-style dressing perfect for salads, rice bowls or as a dip for veggies. Delicious, fresh, and homemade without preservatives. Can be made vegan with dairy free/egg free versions. This recipe makes 12 ounces.

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 0 minutes mins

Chill Time 1 hour hr

Total Time 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

Course Dressings/Sauces, Salad

Cuisine American, Californian, Mexican

Servings 12 2-Tbsp servings

Calories 57 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1/2 medium avocado
• 1/2 cup milk or dairy free version
• 1/4 cup sour cream or yogurt or dairy free version
• 2 Tbsp mayonnaise or egg free version
• 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice juice of 2 limes
• 2 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp dried chives
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp onion powder
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 2-3 Tbsp fresh cilantro
• Optional 1/4 tsp hot sauce
• Optional additional salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions

 

• Scoop out the avocado pulp and add to a small blender or food processor along with milk, sour cream (or yogurt), mayo, lime juice and vinegar. Blend until smooth.
• Add in all dried spices and blend to evenly distribute. Scrape down sides if needed.
• Add cilantro (beginning with 2 Tbsp) and pulse to combine. If more cilantro flavor is desired, add in remaining Tbsp. and/or hot sauce if using. Blend once more until everything is smooth and creamy. If you prefer a thinner consistency, add a little more milk and blend again.
• Refrigerate in a sealed container for at least 1 hour before serving. 
• Keep dressing refrigerated and use within 3 days (longer is safe but avocado color may turn).

Notes

• This dressing does not have preservatives or stabilizers like conventional store bought or restaurant packaged dressings. It is best used within a couple days.
• Dressing may thicken slightly the longer it is refrigerated, simply whisk in a little extra milk if desired.
• Calories calculated with 2% milk, regular fat mayo and regular fat sour cream. Using other ingredients can lower calorie totals.

Recommendations to make this vegan:

Tested with So Delicious unsweetened coconut milk and So Delicious plain coconut milk yogurt along with Hellmann’s vegan mayo. I have found this to give a delicious buttermilk-style tang to the dressing.

Nutrition

Calories: 57kcal

Keyword Avocado Lime, Avocado Lime Ranch, Chick Fil A Avocado Lime Ranch, Chick Fil A Copycat

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Are you excited it’s officially May? Or like me, are you as surprised at how fast the year is going by? I’m sure we can all agree that May brings lots of great things with it and we can be happy to enjoy good, springtime foods. I hope you’ll give this Avocado Lime Ranch a go and let me know how you use it 🙂

Happy May Day, friends! Have a great week 🙂

-Emma