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Looking for a Creamy Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing that’s healthy and delicious? Ready in 10 minutes, this easy recipe combines the best of guacamole, Green Goddess and Ranch dressings into one magical sauce.
If you love Chick-Fil-A’s Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing, you’ll love this version. In addition to pouring this velvety avocado dressing over green salads, tacos and tostadas, grilled vegetables and grains, scoop it up with crackers and tortilla chips.
Reasons We Love This Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
- This avocado dressing is fresher and more flavourful than bottled varieties.
- So easy to make you can whip it up in just 10 minutes!
- If you love Chick-Fil-A’s Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing, you’ll love our version. You’ll also save yourself a whack of sodium and saturated fats! A one serving package of Chick-Fil-A’s Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing contains 310 calories, 32 grams of fat and 520 mg of sodium.
- This dressing features buttermilk and yogurt, which are lower fat options.
- Avocados contains good-for-you, heart-healthy monounsaturated fat and almost 20 vitamins and minerals.
- The ingredients can be changed up a bit to match your personal tastes.
- It’s so versatile you can get creative and enjoy it on salads, tacos, grilled vegetables or as a dip for tortillas and crackers.
- This dressing is creamy like green goddess dressing but contains no anchovy or capers typical to the classic topping.
- There’s no cilantro in this dressing! For some people, a genetic quirk means cilantro tastes like soap! They’ll be grateful there’s no cilantro in this dressing.
How to Choose Avocados for Salad Dressing
The secret behind making creamy avocado dressing is choosing the best avocados. While there are more than 50 varieties of avocados to choose from, the best avocado for dressing is the Hass avocado (persea americana), easily identifiable by its dark green bumpy skin.
It’s the creamiest, richest in taste and easiest to remove from the skin. It also happens to be the widely available in supermarkets across North America.
Another key to making creamy dressing, is choosing an avocado that’s perfectly ripe. During my market visits around Guatemala, I’m always amazed at the leathery skin of avocados and how light they feel.
This is what you should look for when choosing avocados for your avocado salad dressing.
Generally, if an avocado has a tough skin or cascara on the outside, it will be soft in the inside. A ripe avocado should yield to firm, gentle pressure, but not collapse or feel mushy.
At many markets in Guatemala, Mexico and around the world, vendors don’t want you touching the fruit or vegetables. Instead you ask the vendor to choose you an avocado for today, tomorrow or a few days in the future.
So how can you tell if an avocado is ripe if you can’t touch it? If the stem has fallen off and the skin is not wrinkled, blemished or dented, then it’s likely at perfect ripeness.
If your avocados aren’t yet ripe, ripen them on the counter or in a brown paper bag, never in the fridge. Within a few days it will be ready to use in your avocado salad dressing.
If you have a bounty of avocados, you can also use them to whip up a batch of Easy Guatemalan Guacamole.
How to Store Avocados
- If you don’t use up all of an avocado for your avocado salad dressing, be sure to store leftover avocado in the refrigerator.
- Once it’s cut open it will turn black and look rather unappetizing.if not protected.
- The key to preventing an avocado from turning black is to store it with the seed inside. Cover the inside flesh to prevent air from discolouring it.
- I love to use the Evriholder Avo Saver Avocado Holder, 2 pack. Not only does the holder have a strap for holding the avocado in place, but there’s a nice indentation for the seed.
- It’s also possible to freeze fresh avocados. Just wash the avocado throughly, slice it in half, remove the seed, cover each half tightly in plastic wrap and place inside a freezer bag. Remove the air with a straw or vacuum sealing machine. Store in the freezer for three to six months.
Step by Step Instructions on Making Avocado Lime Salad Dressing
1. Wash the avocado thoroughly. Then, slice each one in half, remove the pit and scoop out the pulp.
2. In a food processor or blender, puree the avocado, onion, mayonnaise, garlic (crushed), yogurt and buttermilk until smooth.
3. Add the vinegar, olive oil, oregano, fresh lime juice and salt and pepper and blend until incorporated.
4. Add water until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.
5. Serve immediately. Or chill and store covered in refrigerator.
How to Serve Avocado Lime Salad Dressing
- Prepare all the elements of your salad in advance. But dress it just before serving to preserve its bright green colour.
- While the avocado adds a wonderful rich texture to fresh green salads, fresh lime contributes a burst of freshness.
- It’s also delicious when served as a topping for tacos or tostadas. I love it drizzled on Salpicón de Pollo – Chicken Salad Tostadas.
- Slather it inside chicken, beef or veggie wraps before you roll them up.
- Also enjoy as a topping for grilled meats, vegetables and side dishes. It adds a wonderful creamy lime-infused tang to Black Beans and Rice – Arroz Negro.
Variations of Avocado Dressing and Sauce
- For a lower calorie version of this avocado dressing, increase the amount of plain yogurt and substitute water for the buttermilk. Add water by tablespoon until you get the desired consistency.
- Reduce the amount of buttermilk and serve it as a guacamole dip for vegetables, crackers or tortilla chips.
- Add cumin, thyme and more mayo to get a version closer to Chick-Fil-A’s Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing.
- You might also like to try our Prickly Pear and Chia Salad Dressing.
Tips on Storing Creamy Avocado Salad Dressing
- When it comes to storing your avocado salad dressing, avoid using metal salad dressing containers as they will cause a reaction and discolour your dressing. Opt for a plastic or glass container.
- Anther tip for helping prevent your avocado dressing from turning an unappetizing black colour is to store it in the refrigerator in a container that doesn’t allow much air space. I’ve found that a 12 ounce (355 ml) plastic or glass container works perfectly for leftover dressing. If there’s any space at the top, cover it with plastic wrap.
- If stored properly, this dressing will look and taste delicious for up to five days.
Creamy Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing
Equipment
- blender or food processor
- Knife
Ingredients
- 3 ripe avocados hass
- 1/3 cup onion white and chopped finely
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup Hellman's light mayonnaise or homemade
- 1 clove garlic (small) crushed
- 1 Tablespoon cider vinegar
- 2 Tablespoon lime juice freshly squeezed
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon oregano
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Wash the avocados, cut each in half, remove the pit. Scoop out the pulp.
- In a food processor or blender, puree the avocado, onion, mayonnaise, garlic (crushed), yogurt and buttermilk until smooth.
- Add the vinegar, olive oil, oregano, fresh lime juice and salt and pepper and blend until incorporated.
- Serve immediately or chill and store covered in refrigerator.
Notes
- Store avocado salad dressing in a plastic or glass container to preserve its bright green colour.
- Anther tip for preventing avocado dressing from discolouring is to store it in the refrigerator in a container without much air space. I've found that a 12 ounce (355 ml) plastic or glass container works perfectly for leftover dressing. Cover with plastic wrap.
- If stored properly, this dressing will look and taste delicious for up to five days.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and was retested, updated and rephotographed in 2021.
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Linda ~ Journey Jottings
We’re blessed with avocados growing on the trees around us here on the east coast of Australia so I’m always grateful for new avocado recipes!
Another one I tried recently was avocado/cacoa mousse which seemed like an odd combination for a dessert, but which was delicious!! 🙂
santafetraveler
Santiago Atitlán looks like a beautiful place. I love avocados and my mouth watered looking at that big bag. Bet is was really reasonably priced, too. We used to make avocado dressing when we lived in Florida and they were always around and perfectly ripe. Brought back memories.
Irene S. Levine
Looks like such an unspoiled place that you visited. The dressing looks delectable!
Corinne
I will definitely have to try this dressing. It looks yummy. I need to go to Guatemala still.
Nancy D. Brown
I love the picture of the women washing their laundry in the lake and no one wanting to use the modern structure.
Clicked over here for your avocado dressing recipe. Sounds delicious.
Colleen Friesen
What a beautiful post Michele…so much pain and so much beauty…
And thanks too, for solving my dinner quandry for tonight!
I love avocadoes and this dressing looks divine.
I’m off to the market 🙂
Patti
Whenever I get the perfect avocado it just makes me happy happy happy. I love Hass avocados, there is just something about them; give me some salt and pepper and a fork and I’m in heaven. And as much as I love avocados, I’ve never made a dressing with them so I guess it’s about time to start!
noel
That dressing looks nice and easy, something I would love to try making…i love visiting markets like this and tasting local foods.
Lesley Peterson
Glorious photos! I’d love to visit Guatemala someday. Oh to have so many fresh avocadoes at hand. The dressing sounds delicious.
Neva @ Retire for the Fun of it
Beautiful and amazing views of this place that you captured so well. I’m curious now if the women want to continue washing clothes and not change or if the new area doesn’t have the cleanest facilities for them to want a change.
Michele Peterson
Hi Neva…thanks for stopping by! From what I heard the women prefer to wade right into the cool lake waters and wash their clothes on a rock rather than do their laundry beneath a hygienic (but sterile) washing facility. I don’t blame them….the water looked very inviting. I noticed abandoned washing facilities in other villages and heard the same reason so I suspect it may have some truth to it.
esperanza
Such a beautiful country and so much sorrow which I hope is just a sad memory. The recipe for avocado dressing sounds delicious and I wish I could buy a big bag of them as pictured. Will have to make do with the local produce but I’m sure it will taste lovely
Anda@ Travel Notes & Beyond
What a gorgeous picture of Lake Atitlan! Your recipe sounds very tasty. I love avocado, so I think I’ll try it for my next party.
Michelle
Guatemala looks so heavenly and I’m so happy to find a recipe that me ( a vegetarian) can eat that looks so mouth watering! Thank you for the directions on how to make this dressing!
Carole Terwilliger Meyers
What a yummy souvenir!
Anita @ No Particular Place To Go
We visited Santiago Atitlan and three other villages located on Lago Atitlan for a few days last year and I have to agree with you that it’s one of our favorite destinations as well. The colorful dress of the people who live there, the beauty of the weavings that the women’s co-ops make and the stunning scenery are hard to describe. Great job with the photos!
A Cook Not Mad (Nat)
That looks like a great recipe! Will definitely try it.
Lori Bosworth
I have to bring a summer salad to the annual family barbecue so I think I’ll make your avocado dressing for that occasion! Amazing that the women are still washing their clothes in the lake. It must be quite clean!
Agness
It looks delicious and very easy to make. I love avocado and I have it regularly in my smoothies :).
Kristin Henning
Thanks for the recipe, and gorgeous photos.
Susan
You had me at “avocado”….
sarah
Your photos are beautiful and bring back memories of our recent stay at Lake Atitlan. We only had 3 weeks in Guatemala but we absolutely loved it and can’t wait to go back. I never got even a whiff of the crime that is reported to be so prevalent…not to say it isn’t there but it certainly isn’t as in your face as some report. I will definitely be trying that recipe!
Suzanne Jones
She was a savvy vendor! There’s nowhere like a local market for picking up a real feel for a place. The dressing looks delicious…
alison @GreenWithRenvy
Nothing better than a good recipe inspired by a wonderful travel experience. Can’t wait to try this as a dip with all the great vegetables appearing at the farmers market this time of year. Looks delicious!
Heather
This looks scrumptious – trying it out tonight!
Emily Kydd
Great photos, Atitlan is gorgeous! Loved it when I was there, and mmmm the foooooood!!!!
Raquel
This dressing looks fantastic for salads and as a nice sauce for Mexican dishes too!
Kristina Tipps
Everything about this salad looks and sounds so refreshing. I am not particularly fond of mayo, so I am going to double up on the yogurt. Do you think this will work? I absolutely love using yogurt for marinades and dressings. I love how healthy this salad is, right in time for spring and summer. I think it’s going to become one of my weekly lunch salads.
Michele Peterson
Yes, you can totally vary the combination of mayo, yogurt and buttermilk according to your taste preference.
Lilly
I love this dressing! I put it on everything!
Genevieve | Fitty Foodlicious
This salad dressing looks so creamy and delicious!
Addison
So creamy and delicious!! Yum!
Maureen
This dressing can literally go on almost anything. Love!
ANGELA
Delicious! Never missing on my salads is this Avocado Lime Ranch Dressing. Thank you
Chef Dennis
I am really loving this dressing! It looks really tasty.
Sangita
What a delicious recipe!