Creamy Lemon Lime Dressing

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Liven up your favorite salads with this 5-ingredient creamy Citrus Dressing! Made with Greek yogurt plus fresh lemon and lime juice, it’s a delightfully zingy way to add a pop of sweet-tart citrus to salads and more. You can even use it as a marinade for chicken!

A tall bottle of creamy citrus dressing in front of fresh vegetables.
  • Cuisine Inspiration: American
  • Primary Cooking Method: No-cook
  • Dietary Info: Gluten-free, Dairy-free option
  • Skill Level: Easy

Why You’ll Love Citrus Salad Dressing

This honey lime dressing is tart and tangy, with a little sweet creaminess swirled in. You’ll pair lemon and lime juices (freshly squeezed, please), then add Greek yogurt and a touch of honey to balance the acidity.

This dressing is amazing for adding a burst of fresh flavor to a Fruity Grilled Shrimp Salad, and it makes my Strawberry Quinoa Chicken Salad nice and creamy. You can even use it as a marinade when you make Lemon Chicken Foil Packets. Or simply set out a plate of fresh veggies and dip away. Here’s why you’ll love this citrus dressing:

  • Bold flavors. Lemon and Greek yogurt create a strongly flavored dressing that suits so many dishes.
  • A nice balance of ingredients. Combining Greek yogurt with a bit of olive oil gives the dressing a richer texture and consistency without being heavy.
  • Light yet rich. This dressing is so luxe-tasting, adding creamy richness to whatever you serve it with. But, it’s not heavy! Greek yogurt is your failsafe for turning basic dressings into something extraordinary.
Creamy citrus dressing is drizzled over a salad.

Recipe Ingredients

I highly recommend freshly squeezed lemon juice because I find the bottled kind to be too bitter. However, if you need to use bottled juice, you will likely need additional honey to cut the bitterness. Here’s a look at what else you’ll need to make honey lime dressing, with the full ingredient amounts included in the printable recipe card at the end of this post.

  • Greek Yogurt: Full-fat, low-fat, or non-fat yogurt works fine. Make sure to use plain yogurt.
  • Lemon Juice: As noted, fresh-squeezed lemon juice is best.
  • Lime Juice: I also recommend using fresh-squeezed lime juice.
  • Honey: If needed, you can swap maple syrup for the honey, although the overall flavor of the dressing will change slightly. For another natural sweetener option, you can try agave.
  • Olive Oil: I always use extra virgin olive oil.
  • Salt and Pepper: To taste.
The ingredients for creamy citrus dressing are text-labeled.

Tips and Variation Ideas

  • Adjust to taste. Not every brand of Greek yogurt tastes the same, and you may find that yours is tarter (or milder) than you would like. Feel free to adjust the amount of honey to suit your taste, and if you like a lot of lemon or lime flavor, you can also add a little more juice.
  • Add herbs. Throw in some chopped fresh mint or basil leaves.
  • Other citrus. Swap one of the citrus juices for another type, like orange or grapefruit, for a slightly different flavor.
  • To go dairy-free: Substitute a dairy-free yogurt for the Greek yogurt (again, make sure it is plain).
  • Make it vegan. For a vegan version of this dressing, use dairy-free yogurt and maple syrup for the honey.
  • Double the batch. Help yourself out later by doubling up on the ingredients to make a bigger batch of dressing! Use some in the moment, then save the rest for another salad later in the week.

Storing Citrus Dressing

Keep dressing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. I prefer to store my dressing in a small mason jar with a tight lid because this makes it easy to quickly shake up the dressing before I add it to a salad. (You can make the dressing directly in the jar for easy storage.) And yes, it’s always a good idea to give your dressing a few vigorous shakes if it’s been sitting in the fridge to reincorporate all of the ingredients.

Citrus dressing drips down a bottle.

Ways to Use It

I love that you can use this honey lime dressing on almost any salad you can think of! I like it on salads that already contain fruit, but it is very adaptable and can even be used as a marinade for chicken or meat. Here are some ideas to get you started:

More Dressing Recipes

A tall bottle of creamy citrus dressing in front of fresh vegetables.
5 from 3 votes

Creamy Citrus Dressing

Liven up your favorite salads with this 5-ingredient creamy citrus dressing! Made with Greek yogurt and fresh fruit juice.
Prep: 5 minutes
Servings: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper or to taste

Instructions

  • Combine ½ cup plain Greek yogurt, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper in a bottle, jar, or other sealed container, or a bowl, and shake or whisk until thoroughly combined.
  • Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 or 4 days.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Citrus Dressing
Amount Per Serving (2 Tablespoons)
Calories 59 Calories from Fat 36
% Daily Value*
Fat 4g6%
Saturated Fat 1g5%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 6mg0%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 8IU0%
Vitamin C 3mg4%
Calcium 17mg2%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Disclaimers: Please discuss your individual dietary needs (i.e. gluten free) with a physician. Even when not specified, be sure to verify all ingredients are gluten free, if needed, by reading labels on all packaging and/or confirming with the manufacturer this varies by brand and can change at any time. Nutrition information shown is an estimate and not guaranteed to be accurate.

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18 Comments
  1. Angela

    5 stars
    Yum! I used all lemon juice and added some zest. I also threw in 1/2 tsp of chia seeds to thicken it up a little. Made with vegan Greek yogurt (because I’m lactose intolerant) and it worked like a charm!

  2. Donna Moody

    My family and really love the yoghurt dressing. I did add some fresh mint and coriander leaves.
    Thank you for the recipe.

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