Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing Cafe Rio Copycat Favfamilyrecipes

Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing

If you’ve followed us for any time at all, you will know we are big fans of Mexican cuisine. When Cafe Rio first opened in 1997 in St. George, Utah, we were huge fans. Now they have locations all over the western United States and Maryland, but back in the day, we lived in California, Nevada, and Washington. Many of our first copycat recipes were from Cafe Rio trying to achieve the “Fresh Mex” flavors at home. We’ve had some success, if we do say so ourselves. Please let us know if you agree! Most people say that their favorite menu item at Cafe Rio is the Sweet Pork, but I say without a MOMENT of hesitation that mine is the Creamy Tomatillo Ranch Dressing! It is spicy and tangy and SO GOOD. I seriously put it on everything — our Cafe Rio Burrito and Cafe Rio Salad for sure, plus quesadillas, sandwiches, I even dip veggies in it! I can’t keep it in the fridge for more than a few days before the bottle gets licked clean!Our Cafe Rio recipes are what first made our site take off. We posted the recipe for Sweet Pork and people went crazy over it. Little by little we figured out more recipes and now we have a huge collection! We get great feedback and positive comments from our fans out there. Check them out and you will see why we are the #1 site for Cafe Rio recipes! Make sure to send us your feedback, too! We have had some great feedback and very positive reviews on all the recipes! Check em’ out and then add your own comments after you try them! We love hearing from our readers! ENJOY!

Recipe Tips

We’ve had some comments about the dressing being too runny. This is easy to prevent. Remember, it is much easier to thin a dressing than try to thicken it later without messing up the flavors. Follow these tips for perfect dressing thickness every time.

Use Hellman’s/Best Foods mayonnaise.Use real buttermilk – not a substitute. If you don’t have buttermilk and need to substitute milk with lemon or vinegar, start with only ½ cup of the substitute in the blender and then add a little at a time until your preferred consistency is reached.Limes can vary in size and juiciness. Typically a juiced lime will yield 2 tablespoons. Start with 1 tablespoon in the blender. After blending, continue to add 1 teaspoon at a time until the consistency is right for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

The recipe is seriously so simple — just toss all the ingredients in the blender and blend away! But, here I will answer some questions we’ve had from our readers over the years.

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