Flavours That Go With Lime: 60+ Ingredient Combinations To Try Now

Fresh limes are a wonderful way to add a burst of flavour to your favourite dishes, both sweet and savoury. The tart but slightly sweet taste of limes makes them surprisingly versatile ingredients. Limes go well with a range of herbs and spices, fruits and vegetables, and a range of other sweet and savoury ingredients. Discover some of our favourite flavour combinations in this list of more than 60 flavours that go with lime.

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Herbs that go with lime

Fresh herbs are and easy and healthy way to add flavour to your cooking. Like other citrus fruits, limes go well with a range of different herbs. Use lime zest and juice with these herbs in sweet and savoury dishes as well as drinks.

• Basil – basil and lime smell wonderful together and taste delicious too. Thai basil, lime and chili or coconut are all good combinations.
• Coriander (Cilantro) – lime and coriander (or cilantro) is a classic combination in Thai and South East Asian foods. Try it in our coconut and lime rice with cilantro. Or use ths comination in Mexican style dishes, like tacos, nachos or lime juice in tomato salsa. Coriander is also an ideal flavour with lime for savoury dishes like chicken and seafood.
• Mint – enjoy mint and lime in a refreshing flavoured water, limeade or even a Mojito cocktail.
• Parsley – parsley and lime go together well in everything from salads to seafood dishes,
• Thyme – thyme is another herb that works well with lime to flavour chicken and seafood, or use these two ingredients to flavour drinks and cocktails.

Spices that go with lime

Lots of different spices go well with zesty lime. Mexican, Thai and Indian recipes are a great place to find inspiration for combing lime with different spices.

• Cardamom – lime and cardamom are a great combination in everything from savoury pickles, chutneys and preserved limes to delicious sweet desserts. Our citrus fruit salad combines lime juice with cardamom and vanilla in a sweet syrup.
• Chili (chilli/chile) – chili peppers and lime are a fool proof flavour combination, popular in Mexican and also Asian cuisines like Thai and Vietnamese. Try this sour and spicy combination in a chili lime dressing or marinade.
• Cumin – try adding cumin to a lime vinaigrette for a wonderful salad dressing, or use lime juice, cumin and olive oil to marinade chicken and seafood dishes.
• Ginger – lime and ginger works in both sweet and savoury dishes, and ginger adds a lovely kick to lime marmalade or lime pickle.
• Lemongrass – Asian style dishes love lemongrass and lime together, in everything from soups to chicken and pork dishes.
• Pepper – black pepper and lime chips (crisps) are one of my favourites, but pepper and lime can be used together to flavour everything form fish and chicken to vegetables. Our preserved lime recipe also include black peppercorns for flavour.
• Saffron – I love lime and saffron flavoured rice, seafood and chicken, but this combination also works well in sweet dishes like sorbets and slices.
• Star Anise – star anise adds depth to dishes with lime, including sweets like panna cotta or sorbet, as well as sweet syrups and cocktails.
• Vanilla – vanilla and lime are delicious together in baked goods and desserts, especially with coconut or spices such as cardamom – like in our citrus fruit salad,

Lime with nuts, seeds and berries

Tart limes are a lovely match with tart berries, and also combine well with a range of nuts and seeds.

• Almonds – use mild tasting almonds and almond meal with lime in cakes, tortes and biscuits, or try marinating almonds with lime for a tasty snack.
• Blueberries – lime and blueberry together is very similar to lemon and blueberry, and is perfect for cakes, muffins and bars.
• Blackberries – blackberry is another good option with lime in cakes and desserts, and also makes wonderful berry-flavoured limeade, mocktails and cocktails.
• Cashew – roasting cashews with chili and lime is a great way to combine these two ingredients.
• Coconut – lime and coconut make the perfect tropical match in everything from cocktails, ice creams and desserts through to rice, prawns and fish. It’s also a great combination of flavours for muffins, cookies and cakes, like this easy vegan coconut and lime cake. Or use in a breakfast coconut lime chia pudding.
• Cranberry – cranberry is another berry that goes well with lime in cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. Dried cranberries also go well with coconut and lime in sweet treats like cakes, cookies and slices.
• Hazelnut – lime and hazelnut go together in all sorts of baked treats including cakes, muffins, cookies and slices.
• Macadamia – creamy macadamia nuts go well with lime in cookies and baking.
• Pistachio – use lime and pistachio together in cakes, pastries and slices.
• Pomegranate – pomegranate and lime are delicious together in flavoured water, limeade and cocktails. Or use pomegranate seeds in a salad with a tasty lime dressing.
• Poppy seeds – citrus and poppy seed is a classic combination for cakes and muffins, and lime tastes just as good as lemon or orange with poppy seeds in baked goods.
• Raspberries – lime and raspberry is perfect for summery sweets and desserts.-
• Sesame – whether you use seeds or tahini, sesame and lime work together, especially in tangy sauces and dressings.
• Strawberry – strawberries and lime make a delicious combination for limeade, cocktails and mocktails. Try marinating strawberries in lime juice and basil for a lovely summer dessert. Or make strawberry and lime granita.

Limes with fruit and vegetables

Citrus fruits go together, ad limes are no exception to this. They also work with many other fruits in drinks, fruit salads and baking. Lime juice or zest can also be used to add flavour to salads. These are some of our favourite combinations with lime.

• Apple – apple and lime are perfect in a refreshing juice (try it with cucumber too). Or use apple and lime together in cakes and desserts.
• Arugula/Rocket – peppery rocket (arugula) leaves are delicious with zesty lime. Try this combination with haloumi, or seafood, on it’s own or with pasta.
• Avocado – not only does a squeeze of lime juice stop avocado going brown, it also tastes delicious together. Avocado and lime are probably best known together in guacamole.
• Cherries – cherry and lime make a refreshing mocktail with soda, or add cherry syrup or puree to limeade for a tasty twist.
• Cucumber – try a lime dressing over a cucumber salad or add cucumber and lime slices to water for a refreshing summer drink.
• Fennel – just as oranges go with fennel, so do limes. Lime and fennel salad is a favourite, especially with added olives. Seafood cooked with fennel and lime is also delicious.
• Garlic – garlic is a natural combination with any citrus, including lime.
• Grapefruit – lime and grapefruit combine beautifully in a Paloma cocktail, or a non-alcoholic spritzer. These two citrus fruits are also a perfect match in marmalade or in citrus fruit salad.
• Kiwi – these two green fruits go well together in not just colour, but taste. Lime and kiwi are a great combination in smoothies, juices, cocktails, sorbets and desserts.
• Lemon -lemon and lime are wonderful together, with the slight sweetness of limes moderating the acidic bitterness of lemons. Use lemon and lime together in everything from cakes and desserts to marmalade.
• Lychee – lychees in a simple lime syrup make a delicious dessert, or mix lychee and lime in cocktails and rinks or a refreshing tropical flavoured sorbet.
• Mango – sweet tropical mango and lime go perfectly in fruit based desserts, but are equally tasty in savoury dishes. Try lime dressing on a mango salad, or a mango salsa with chili and lime with chicken or fish.
• Papaya – like other tropical fruits, papaya is delicious with a squeeze of lime juice, or try adding a little chili too.
• Pineapple – lime and pineapple are delicious together in juices, sorbets and desserts like panna cotta. Both go well with flavours like coconut and mint.
• Rhubarb – a surprisingly good combination, rhubarb and lime make a delicious icecream or sorbet flavour. They even go well in cocktails like mojitos. Rhubarb, lime and ginger are a tasty trio in tarts and jams.
• Rockmelon (Canteloupe) – try lime and honey dressing on a melon salad, or sprinkle fresh rockmelon with lime and chili.
• Tomato – lime juice and tomatoes feature in lots of Mexican style dishes. Enjoy these two ingredients together in Pico de Gallo, salsa, Mexican lime and tomato soup and more
• Sweetcorn – from chunky corn salsa to corn chowder, Mexican style street corn or corn ribs, lime and sweet corn are a perfect match.
• Watermelon – lime juice adds a lovely bright flavour to watermelon, like the lime dressing in a watermelon, cucumber and feta salad.

Lime with meat, poultry, fish, cheese and other proteins

Limes make a wonderful marinade or glaze for a lot of different proteins, including poultry, pork and seafood as well as cheeses and plant-based options.

• Chicken – lime makes a fantastic marinade for chicken, and can be combined with honey, chili, ginger, coriander/cilantro or coconut for wonderful flavours.
• Crab – lime juice and crab meat is sublime, whether you are simply squeezing lime juice over crab meat or enjoying a crab pasta dish.
• Duck -like chicken and other poultry, duck also goes well with similar flavours like lime and chili. ginger or honey.
• Feta – salty Feta cheese and sweet tart lime are another great match, wither in pasta, a salad or even in whipped Feta.
• Fish – lime is a favourite ingredient with white fish and seafood. Use fresh lime juice to make delicious ceviche with kingfish pieces, bake salmon with a lime juice marinade or simply serve your favourite fish with wedges of fresh lime – there are so many possibilities,
• Goat’s Cheese – Like Feta, goats cheese and lime are a perfect match.
• Haloumi – Haloumi is another delicious cheese that pairs beautifully with lime, whether you squeeze lime on the haloumi while you are cooking it or serve your haloumi in a salad with a tangy lime dressing.
• Ham – while orange is a more traditional citrus to use with ham, limes make an interesting twist. Instead of an orange glazed ham, try lime and macadamia instead.
• Oysters – if you prefer oysters with a topping instead of natural, they are delicious with lime. Try lime, ginger and gin or mirin.
• Pork – marinade your pork with ginger and lime or garlic and lime for a tasty flavour burst.
• Prawns – lime adds wonderful flavour to prawns and other shellfish. Marinate prawns with lime and chili and grill or serve cold in a salad.
• Tofu – for those who prefer vegetarian or plant based proteins, tofu is delicious cooked with flavours like lime, soy and ginger.

Other ingredients and flavours that go with limes

Still need more inspiration? Here are some other interesting flavours that go with limes.

• Polenta – just as lemon is a great way to flavour polenta, so is lime. Lime and herb polenta makes a lovely side dish or make a lime polenta cake.
• Soy sauce – salty soy sauce and lime juice are a perfect combination for marinades, sauces and dressings. Use to flavour fish, poultry, haloumi or tofu.
• Tea – lime iced tea is delicious and refreshing, or add another flavour with the lime like strawberry or mint.
• Whiskey – use lime to make a whiskey sour cocktail.

More about cooking with limes

Inspired to cook with limes? Find out how to freeze kaffir lime leaves so that you always have them handy for your Asian recipes. Try our simple recipe for lime marmalade or discover other ways to use up lots of limes. And find out which essential citrus tools you’ll need to help juice, zest, peel and slice limes for your favourite dishes.

Or for more citrus flavour combinations, see our lists of over 60 flavours that go with orange, lemon flavour combinations and flavours that go with grapefruit.

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