Cilantro Pesto (No Nuts)

This easy cilantro pesto sauce is perfect for topping tacos, fish, chicken, and more!

Cilantro pesto in a small glass bowl on a white table.

Nothing screams summertime quite like fresh pesto. It's bright, flavorful, and pairs well with just about everything (salmon! chicken! grilled veggies! pesto chicken pizza! and the list goes onnnn).

We're keeping things simple and using fresh cilantro for a fun twist on a classic homemade pesto. This sauce is made without nuts (though we have some suggestions below if you'd like to add nuts!) but the cilantro packs so much flavor that you really don't need much else.

We like making this in a food processor, but you can also make it in a blender if you have a good one (you may just need to scrape the sides down a few times and add a bit of extra oil).

Cilantro, garlic, and parmesan in the bowl of a food processor.

Serving Suggestions

Pesto is extremely versatile - make a batch at the start of the week and add a spoonful to recipes all week long!

Add it to your favorite protein. Spread a layer of pesto over salmon, chicken, or flank steak.
Turn it into a dip. Stir a bit of cilantro pesto into a few spoonfuls of mayo for a quick aioli, fold it into some softened goat cheese for an easy cheese spread, or mix it with plain Greek yogurt for a cilantro pesto dip to serve with veggies (similar to our easy cilantro yogurt sauce!)
Add it to pasta or pasta salads. Toss hot pasta with a few spoonfuls of this pesto and serve warm or cold! Heat pesto with a bit of heavy cream to make a thicker cream sauce for pasta or chicken.
Drizzle it over grilled or roasted veggies. This pesto is great with grilled or roasted carrots, lemon roasted broccoli, cauliflower, and more!
Use it as the base for homemade pizza. Make a quick pizza dough and top it with a layer of pesto, plenty of mozzarella, and your toppings of choice!
Add it to your favorite tacos. We love this taco recipe collection from Isabel Eats!

Some of our favorite recipes to make with cilantro pesto:

Pesto in the bowl of a food processor, on a white table.

Other pesto variations

We love using cilantro as the base for this quick pesto, but this basic recipe works well with a ton of different greens, herbs, and ingredients! Some of our favorite pesto variations:

Close up of bright green pesto in a small glass bowl.

Cilantro Pesto FAQs

Can you freeze cilantro pesto?

Yes - homemade pesto freezes SO well! Freeze in individual containers or fill ice cube trays with pesto, freeze for a few hours, then pop out the pesto cubes and transfer to an airtight container. Pesto will keep 3-4 months in the freezer.

Can I add nuts to this recipe?

Yes! Add up to ½ cup of walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, pepitas, cashews, or pistachios if you like.

Can I make this pesto without cheese?

For a dairy free pesto, leave the parmesan out of this recipe. You can add a teaspoon or two of nutritional yeast if you want to mimic some of that parmesan flavor, but it's also fine to just omit the parmesan entirely!

How long does fresh pesto last?

Fresh pesto will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days, or in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Can this pesto be canned?

Nope! We do not recommend canning this recipe as it has not been tested for proper pH levels and other canning safety markers. If you would like to store your pesto long-term, we recommend freezing it.

How do I stop homemade pesto from turning brown?

Pesto can develop a brown layer on top when it's exposed to air. To prevent this, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top of your pesto before freezing or refrigerating it.

Rigatoni pasta with pesto sauce in a shallow white bowl. — *Serve fresh pesto on pasta, pizza, tacos, and more!*

📖 Recipe

Cilantro Pesto

★★★★★ 5 from 1 review

Author: Jessie
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Cook Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Yield: Makes about 1 cup 1x
Category: Sauce
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Print Recipe

Description

This easy cilantro pesto sauce is perfect on pasta, salmon, tacos, and more!

Ingredients

Scale

3 cups fresh cilantro leaves
½ cup shredded parmesan cheese
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil (you may not need it all)
salt and pepper to taste

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

In a food processor, combine cilantro, parmesan, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Pulse to give everything a rough chop.
With the food processor running, stream in olive oil a tablespoon at a time until pesto has come together. You may not need all of the olive oil – stream it in until your pesto is the consistency you want, and feel free to add additional oil if you want a thinner sauce!
Serve immediately or transfer to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

How much garlic should I use? Use 2 large cloves or 3 small cloves of garlic, and feel free to use more or less depending on your tastes! If you don't love the taste of raw garlic, you can swap roasted garlic or leave it out entirely.

Additions and substitutions. Add up to ½ cup of nuts (walnuts, cashews, pine nuts, and pepitas are all good) if you like. Use kale or spinach in place of some or all of the cilantro. Swap the cilantro for fresh basil for a more traditional pesto. Leave the parmesan out for a dairy-free version (you can add 1 teaspoon of nutritional yeast in its place if you want to mimic some of that flavor, but it's good without it, too).

Serving Suggestions. Add this pesto to your favorite protein (it's great with chicken, salmon, and steak), toss it with pasta, drizzle it over grilled veggies, or add it to your favorite tacos. Read the post above for more serving suggestions!

How to freeze this pesto. This pesto freezes well. Freeze it in small airtight containers or in ice cube trays and then transfer the ice cubes to airtight containers for freezer storage.

Strict vegetarians should look for parmesan cheese made without rennet.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 2 Tablespoons
Calories: 83
Sugar: 0.1 g
Sodium: 3.1 mg
Fat: 9 g
Carbohydrates: 0.7 g
Protein: 0.2 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Keywords: sauce, pesto, summer