15 Ways to Use Limes Before They Go Bad (2024)

Cilantro-Lime Dressing

Lime juice is a great addition to salad dressings. It adds tang and balances out the oil. Use your limes to make a batch of this cilantro-lime dressing, and keep it handy in your refrigerator for quick weeknight salads.

• The Easiest Way to Make Salad Dressing, Ever

Chili-Lime Chicken Kabobs

Adding lime juice to marinades yields tender, flavorful meat. The acid in the juice breaks down the proteins in raw meat allowing the spices and oil in the marinade to infuse the meat. This is especially beneficial when cooking tougher proteins like chicken breast.

Crab Ceviche

When raw fish is marinated in lime juice, an incredible transformation takes place. The acid from the limes cures the fish, essentially cooking the meat. Put your leftover limes to work by making this fresh dish.

Summer Veggie Salad

Use lime juice and zest to brighten up simple summer vegetables. This recipe uses corn, tomatoes, red onion, and black beans, but you can add in squash or any other summer vegetable of your choice.

Honey Lime Fruit Salad

Lime juice pairs just as well with sweet flavors as it does savory. Squeeze limes over fresh fruit to add a kick to fruit salad.

Coconut Lime Rice

If you have white rice and limes on hand, whip up this cilantro lime rice. It makes a great side dish for any taco night.

Cilantro-Lime Coleslaw

This unconventional coleslaw recipe uses lime juice to counter the heaviness of the mayonnaise. It makes a great topping for fish tacos.

Spicy Lime Avocado Soup

The addition of lime juice brings this chicken avocado soup to life. Make this quick recipe for an easy weeknight dinner, or a pair it with a margarita to get the weekend started.

Grilled Fish Tacos with Chipotle-Lime Dressing

This recipe for grilled fish tacos uses limes two ways — in a marinade and in a dressing — to pack a citrusy punch.

Garlic Asparagus with Lime

Typically, lemon is squeezed over asparagus for a subtle tangy finish, but there's nothing that says you can't reach for a lime instead.

The Real Mojito

Margaritas aren't the only co*cktail where limes get to shine. Muddle them with fresh mint for a classic mojito.

Agua Fresca de Pepino (Cucumber Limeade)

Looking for a non-alcoholic drink? Use your leftover limes and a few cucumbers to make this refreshing agua fresca.

• 18 Best Mocktails for Sober Summer Sipping

No Bake Lime Mousse Torte

This no-bake torte is a great way to incorporate limes into a dessert. Plan ahead as this torte needs to be refrigerated overnight before serving.

Kiwi-Lime Pops

With just a handful of limes, a few kiwis, and some sugar, you can make these simple summer popsicles.

Fresh Lime Curd

You've heard of lemon curd, but lime curd is just as satisfying, and it's a great way to use up extra limes with other ingredients you likely already have in your fridge and pantry.

• Browse more Lime Recipes.

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