22 Tangy Lime Recipes to Make Your Mouth Pucker

Non Alcoholic Sherbet Punch in glasses and in a punch bowl — The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

Summer is the perfect time to introduce a little lime to your palate. Lime perks up every dish you add it to, from cookout-ready grilled meats, to easy sheet pan chicken dinners, Asian-style stir-fries, blended slushies, and the most delicious key lime pie. Use it to bring a fragrant, zesty flavor to all your summer desserts, drinks, and mains with this summer-ready recipe collection featuring the bright green citrus fruit.

All About Lime Season

Home-grown American limes, including the stronger, sweeter key limes, are at their peak in summer. Beginning in May, until the late fall, you can find locally-harvested limes at grocery stores, farmer's markets, and fruit stands. However, limes from Mexico and Central America, including key limes, are typically available throughout the year at North American supermarkets.

A Complete Guide to Citrus Fruits

Variety of citrus fruits whole, cut in half and quarters and peeled

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Homemade Lime Cordial

The Spruce

Lime cordial is a drink mixer with a tart lime flavor. It's a hybrid ingredient that's sweeter than lime juice and more sour and bitter than lime syrup; it can be a substitute for either. Useful in cocktails, shots, and nonalcoholic drinks, lime cordial is as easy to make at home as any flavored simple syrup.
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Non-Alcoholic Mojito

The Spruce / Rachel Riesgraf

Cool and refreshing, the mojito is a favorite summer cocktail. While it typically includes a shot of rum, the mojito mocktail proves that alcohol is not necessary. This mocktail offers the same mint-lime flavor, it's just as easy to mix up, and everyone can enjoy its fresh taste. The family-friendly beverage is a great addition to showers and parties, and a fantastic way to cool down on a hot summer day in the backyard.
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Lime Rickey

The Spruce

The lime rickey is a classic non-alcoholic drink perfect for outdoor parties. Just three ingredients and a lime wedge garnish make this the ideal way to quench your thirst on a hot July evening. It can easily be converted to a cocktail if you wish—gin or tequila would be a wonderful pairing.
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Non Alcoholic Sherbet Punch

The Spruce / Preethi Venkatram

This sherbet punch is packed with both frozen limemade and lime sherbert to deliver all the lime flavor. It is a favorite family recipe that has been enjoyed on many special occasions. It is also called a wedding punch, and it has a brilliant green color that can suit a variety of events, including Halloween, showers, graduations, or anytime you need an easy, fun punch to satisfy a crowd—without alcohol.

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Mexican Chelada Beer Cocktail

The Spruce/Julia Hartbeck

Bright and bracing, the chelada is the ultimate summer drink. This classic Mexican beer cocktail is the simpler, less spicy cousin of the michelada, and needs only 3 simple ingredients — beer, lime, and salt. It's a great Father's Day tipple, and always hits the spot when you are in the mood for something cold and light on warmer days.
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Frozen Lime Daiquiri

The Spruce/Cara Cormack

Boozy and cooling, frozen daiquiris are a fun way for grown-ups to cool down on hot summer days. Our bright-tasting blender drink is a cinch to whir up when guests visit your porch, balcony or backyard. Give it a big flavor boost by using freshly-squeezed lime juice, and a high-quality aged rum.
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Spicy Ginger and Lime Sauce

The Spruce / Julia Hartbeck

This sauce was inspired by Thai and Vietnamese flavors. This zesty sauce has amazing fresh flavors that are slightly tart, sweet, gingery, and definitely spicy. You may use it for dipping fresh spring rolls into it, for marinating either poultry or seafood, or also as a condiment for grilled meat and fishes.
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Creamy Avocado Lime Salad Dressing

Elaine Lemm

Fresh lime juice adds wonderful brightness to this essential avocado salad dressing. It's super creamy, but uses very little oil, thanks to the naturally rich texture of ripe avocado flesh. Ground cumin adds earthy balance, but you can leave it out for a simpler dressing.

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Nimbu ka Achaar (Lime Pickle)

The Spruce/Ahlam Raffii

Trendy fermented foods are a restaurant secret for adding surprising twist to sandwiches, burgers, and even cocktails. Jump on the pickling trend with this popular, East Indian recipe for quick-pickled lime. Enjoy the sour and spicy pickles in the traditional way over rice, or get creative and work them into other dishes.
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Lime Agave Salad Dressing

The Spruce/Emily Hawkes

Add zest to salad greens with this light and lovely lime agave salad dressing. Dairy-free and vegan, with a sweet citrus flavor that can't be beat, it is ideal for dressing a spinach and strawberry salad, adding to buffet-style bean salads, and even steamed vegetables.
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Tahitian Poisson Cru (Marinated Raw Fish)

The Spruce/Qi Ai

Poisson cru is translated from French as "raw fish." In Tahitian, it is called ia ota (ee-ah oh-tah). It is generally considered the national dish of Tahiti and the islands of French Polynesia. With ceviche, the fish is "cooked" in the acidity provided by lime juice, whereas poke usually has Asian flavors, not Latin ones. Although poisson cru uses lime juice, the addition of coconut milk sets it apart from the other two preparations.
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Elote (Mexican Street Corn)

The Spruce/Nyssa Tanner

Elote, also known as Mexican street corn, is salty, sweet, crunchy, and creamy in every bite. It hits all the right flavor notes, especially hot off the grill in the summer months when fresh corn is at its peak and abundantly available at every market. It's a popular street food in Mexico and can be served as a snack or side dish

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Peruvian Ceviche

The Spruce/Ali Redmond

Ceviche is a delicious, refreshing cold appetizer of raw seafood "cured" or "cooked" in highly acidic citrus juices. While some ceviches are mild in flavor, this classic Peruvian recipe packs a bold punch from a trio of fresh-squeezed citrus fruits, and a helping of spicy chile rocoto.
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Copycat Chipotle Cilantro Lime Rice

The Spruce/Kristina Vanni & Eric Kleinberg

Recreate the signature cilantro lime rice from Chipotle with our copycat recipe. The flavorful blend of tangy lime juice and zest, and chopped, fresh cilantro, livens up a simple pot of steamed white rice. Add it to your burritos, fold it into a bowl of beans to make a meal, or plate it with spiced meats at summer barbecues.
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Thai Chicken Stir-Fry With Coconut, Chili, and Lime

The Spruce/Diana Chistruga

Skip delivery and whip up this 20-minute Thai stir-fry that tastes like you ordered in. Tender strips of chicken mingle with green beans, mushrooms, bell peppers, and fresh basil in a zesty, lime-spiked sweet and sour sauce. Serve it over rice or vermicelli noodles for an everyday meal that will wow your family.
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Spiced Lime-Marinated Eye of Round Steaks

The Spruce/Julia Estrada

Inspired by Cuban flavors, this grilled steak recipe is sure to satisfy a carnivore craving. An easy marinade of bright lime juice, flavored with earthy cumin and coriander, brings outstanding balance to inexpensive eye of round steaks, and tenderizes the meat to allow for quick cooking on the grill.

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Thai Rice Noodle Salad With Chili-Lime Vinaigrette

The Spruce / Maxwell Cozzi

This Thai rice noodle salad is fresh and flavorful, and it's quick to make, too. It features vermicelli rice noodles and lots of fresh summer vegetables—feel free to add or substitute depending on what's available at your local market. You also have the option of tossing in cooked baby shrimp or tofu.
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Cilantro Lime Grilled Tofu

The Spruce / Andrea Livingston

Delight vegan guests at your outdoor barbecues with our Mexican-inspired cilantro lime grilled tofu. Served on skewers or in steak-like slabs, and flavored with a spiced cilantro and lime marinade, it's a fantastic meatless main dish for summer cook-outs that may even convert some carnivores.
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Key Lime Pie

The Spruce/Julia Hartbeck

Tart, sweet, creamy, and incredibly easy to make, classic key lime pie is a great addition to your summer baking. The popular Florida dessert features a crunchy graham cracker crust, and a silky lime filling that is the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Bake one up in just 30 minutes, for an outstanding summer treat.
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Key Lime Pie Fudge

The Spruce/Elizabeth LaBau

Key lime pie fudge turns the iconic pie into an easy snackable treat. Using white chocolate fudge, lime zest, and fresh juice, this recipe can be made and served at a party or given as a gift.

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French Lime Sorbet

The Spruce / Dave Carlin

For those seeking a refreshing frozen treat, try this vibrant lime sorbet. The recipe is so easy to make at home and lighter in taste than cream-based popsicles or ice cream. It's the best way to cap off a summer cookout.
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Lime Coconut Bars

The Spruce / Elizabeth LaBau

For a limey twist on the classic lemon square, try these lime coconut bars. Smooth, sweet and tart, with a buttery, coconut-flecked shortbread crust, they make a great hand-held dessert for buffets and bake sales. Feel free to boost the custardy filling with some green food coloring for extra brightness.

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22 Tangy Lime Recipes to Make Your Mouth Pucker

A Squeeze of the Fragrant Fruit Can Transform a Dish

All About Lime Season