Cafe Rio’s Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
Cafe Rio’s Creamy Tomatillo Dressing is as close as it gets to the original. I’ve made this copycat Cafe Rio’s dressing times and would drink it if I could but I usually pour it over Mexican dishes like salad, tacos, and burritos.
Cafe Rio’s Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
I was away last weekend at the Fins annual Fishing Tournament down in South Beach.
While my husband was fishing in the tournament, I took the kids to the beach and pool.
If you’ve never been to South Beach just know that a surprising amount of people consider swimsuits optional.
I can see why tan lines could be annoying but I would think sand in your naughty parts would be even more annoying.
I tried to cover my kid’s eyes but thankfully they were too busy in the waves to notice.
My husband caught a huge Tuna that we cooked up for dinner tonight!
Last night I hosted Bunko and made the whole Cafe Rio meal for the ladies. Cafe Rio is a restaurant that we loved when we lived in Utah. The copycat recipes are one of the very first recipes I ever posted on this blog so I thought I would dig them out of the archives for those of you who are new.
The famous Cafe Rio’s Creamy Tomatillo Dressing is part of the whole Cafe Rio Meal. Start with this Cafe Rio Barbacoa Pork, Cafe Rio’s Cilantro Lime Rice, and this Pico de Gallo.
OTHER MEXICAN RECIPES:
- Grilled Shrimp Tacos with Avocado Salsa
- The Best Bean Dip
- Mini Chicken Chimichangas
- Grilled Chicken Tacos with Feta Cream
- Baked Chicken Chimichangas
- Taco Pizza Rolls
- Horchata
- Taco Lasagna
Cafe Rio’s Creamy Tomatillo Dressing
This version of Cafe Rio's Creamy Tomatillo Dressing is as close as it gets to the original.
Ingredients
- 1 (1 ounce) package Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing mix
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 1 large or 2 small tomatillos (they are green and by the tomatoes)
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
- 1/2 to 1 small jalapeno, seeds removed
Instructions
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Blend all ingredients together in a blender or food processor and store in the refrigerator to let the flavors meld. Beware that the dressing tends to get hotter the longer it sits.
-
Serve over Cafe Rio's Sweet Barbacoa Pork Salad or burritos with Cilantro Lime Rice.
Recipe Notes
Source: Sheri Denney
I followed the directions to the letter, double checked everything because I was so excited to find this recipe (I live in Oregon, originally from Utah) and have been dying for some Cafe Rio! I found the dressing to taste more like the ranch packet and it was incredibly runny. Super disappointed…
If it was really runny you might have use the wrong size?
I love this recipe and am even happier to have it now because I can’t even get it at cafe rio anymore! Has anyone else noticed that cafe rio’s recipe has changed? It is thick and goopy and tastes like chunky Mayonnaise now. Yuck! I have tried 3 differ Cafe Rio restaurants trying to get my hands on the good stuff and it appears to be gone!
I haven’t noticed that.
I used sour cream instead of the mayo and measured the garlic with my heart (3 cloves) and it came out so close! Definitely will make again
Glad you liked it and I like the way you measure.
I made this and I’m not sure what I did wrong it was pretty tangy, I used Dukes Mayo could that be the issue? Thank you! Our cafe rio closed recently and I really missed the dressing !
It’s definitely Dukes! I’ve tried all the mayos and that one definitely has a distinct taste that can alter the overall taste.
This has been a family favorite for years. It is great on salads, tostadas, and tacos (or if you’re my 9 year old, on a spoon). Long after my family has tired of Cafe Rio, we are still loving this dressing. It has earned a special place in my recipe book. Thank you!
So happy to hear that!
Super novice question—-but, do you peel the tomatillos? Also, I hope all is well for your family in Utah! I completely disengaged from social media, but I do miss following your Instagram feed. Your family is amazing!
No need to peel them. There is a papery outside sometimes on it so if that’s on it take it off. And thank you!
Do I slice the tomatillo before putting it in the blender?
You don’t need to. It will all blend up.
Can you tell me how long this stays good for in the fridge? I love the dressing, but I keep thinking we can’t eat it all before it will go bad.
I saw the other post asking this question–after I posted this. Haha. Never mind. 🙂
How long does this last in the fridge??
Actually quite a while. I’ve had it up to two weeks.
In the Blendtec, we blended two cups of BYU Creamery Ranch dressing as a base, your recipe ingredients, added more lime juice and 1/2 of a small avocado. It was perfect (for us)!
Thanks Christy!
Yum!
This was super easy to make in our vitamix. The ranch flavor was a little strong for my liking. Not sure I would use the whole packet next time. I’ll have to play around with it.
I just made this and it is amazing. You need to make this now
How much is a serving size? It says it makes 10 servings but just wondering how much a serving is 🙂
Yeah that’s the tricky part. I just divided it into how many people it serves,
Oh my, I am in love! With this dressing! I had to stop myself from drinking it, it was SO good :-D. I didn’t mince the garlic nor chop the cilantro, just threw it all in the blender and it turned out perfect. Eat your heart out Cafe Rio! Thanks so much for this recipe! <3
You’re welcome!
What’s the best way to store this? Can I freeze small jars of it or how long will it last in the fridge? I live alone and won’t be able to use all of it with one meal 🙂
I usually leave it in the fridge for about a week and a half. I haven’t tried freezing it but I don’t see why not?
How cool it’s quite similar.
I don’t normally bother to rate recipes that I try, but I couldn’t help it this time. I have tried other copycat recipes of this dressing because I love the original from the restaurant so much, but none of them have come close to the real thing. This one is AMAZING! After my first taste, I couldn’t stop dipping my spoon in for another. This will become a permanent fixture in our fridge.
Yes!! That makes me so happy!
Awesome recipe! I roasted the tomatillos and jalepeño pepper for 20 minutes on 400 degrees. Squeeze out most of the seeds from the tomatillo before adding it to the blender. This will make it less runny and add a Smokey flavor. I also add a little less buttermilk and used a buttermilk ranch packet.
Thanks for the tip HEather!
Now this dressing is really delious❣ It is company good! It has earned a place in my oft used recipe box. Thank you for sharing.
You’re welcome!
I make this dressing also and LOVE it….we moved to Nebraska from Utah and sadly, no cafe Rio no Costa Vita……so its my homemade that is the best ! Have you ever used light mayo? do you use Hellmans or Best Foods?
I have used light and don’t find a huge difference between Hellemans or Best Foods.
They are the exact same mayo, just have a different name depending on which part of the country you live on. 🙂 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellmann%27s_and_Best_Foods
Hellman’s is the same as best foods. I used to live in CA and that’s best foods they often change the names from different coasts. Like we have dryers ice cream and they have eddys Carl’s Jr. Is called Hardies(?) I believe is how it’s spelled. 🥰
Hellmans and Best Foods are the same mayo. Best foods is on the west coast area, and Hellmans is east. Its like Hardee’s and Carls Jr. Same company, but different names.
Awesome recipes for the Cafe Rio dishes we love the most! Thanks for publishing this for all of us to enjoy!!!
how many people will it serve?
How much does this make? I need to make enough for 100 people.
We made it for a group of 100 and I made 4 batches and it was plenty.
So Christy!! I made the recipe last night (minus the jalapeno because I forgot to pick one up at the store) and yes it is a MARVELOUS recipe!! My question is: Do you use the whole 1 oz package of Ranch dressing? I did and it’s fine, but I just wanted to make sure. I let it sit in the refrigerator for several hours and then tried some on a Chick Fil A tender and mmmmmmmmmboy…deeelish!! This morning I’m using it on my scrambled eggs. I thought my husband was going to drink down the batch I made, I had to stop him.
Anyway, great recipe (and yes, it’s my favorite on the steak salad at Cafe Rio!!) – but do you use the whole packet of Ranch?
Yes, you use the whole packet of ranch otherwise it will be runny!
This salad and dressing is one of our favorite meals. I have made your recipes many times. Every time, my dressing turns out very runny, so much so that it doesn’t stick to the lettuce. I’ve tried draining the tomatillos before mixing, but the dressing still is very thin. Am I doing something wrong? Both the barbacoa and dressing are delicious, but I would like the dressing thicker.
Jan, I made it for the first time last night and left out the jalapeno because I’d forgot to purchase at the store.. but I used 3 small tomatillos and the whole package of ranch. It seemed to be pretty runny last night, but left overnight, it is nice and thick this morning. Maybe just letting it ‘gel’ a bit before use?
Are you sure it was the 1 ounce packet? There are two different sizes (a smaller one) which would make it runny.
Family favorite!! I actually buy creamy ranch salad dressing instead of using the packet. It keeps it nice and creamy. And add half the mayo. Super easy and so tasty! My son keeps begging for Cafe Rio salad…lol. Huge plus so much cheaper then actually eating there. I think it even tastes better homemade.