30 Tasty Recipes To Use Leftover Limes Before They Go Bad

So, you bought a ton of limes, and now they're slowly starting to go bad in your fridge. You need to find a way to use them, fast. But there are only so many times you can put a wedge of lime in your ice water before you start to get bored. That's why we've collected this list of some of our all-time favorite recipes that call for lime. In some cases, you'll just be using lime juice, while other recipes specify that you should also employ lime zest for a slightly bitter but pronounced citrusy note. Either way, you'll get that delicious zing that only lime can provide.

This list contains sweet and savory recipes alike, so there's something for everyone. Once you get a closer look at how delicious these recipes are, you'll find that it's easier than you may have expected to use up all those limes.

We love a tall, cold glass of lemonade, but limeade might be even more refreshing, thanks to its ultra-bold acidity. In this recipe, it's not just lime that's making this drink irresistible — rather, it joins forces with lime, which provides another layer of refreshment to the drink. Make this stuff on a particularly hot, sunny day, and every drop of it is going to be gone before you know it (along with those leftover limes you're trying to use).

Recipe: Mint Limeade

A lot of home cooks don't realize how easy it is to make potato chips at home. But why settle for average potato chips when you could make them out of sweet potatoes instead? That extra bit of sweetness allows them to pair perfectly with the chili and lime that this recipe calls for. There's a nice touch of heat, but it's not overwhelming, since that citrusy acidity is there to brighten things up in the most delicious way.

Recipe: Chili Lime Sweet Potato Chips

If you follow a vegan diet, you know how difficult it can be to find pie recipes that don't contain animal-derived ingredients. But now you can experience the deliciousness that a tangy key lime pie has to offer with this pie recipe. It's surprisingly rich and creamy for a vegan recipe, and it gets an extra boost of limey flavor, thanks to the lime zest added to the top of the pie. Not only is it vegan-friendly, but it'll be a showstopper at your next dinner party.

Recipe: Vegan Key Lime Pie

We love a good flavored tortilla chip situation, but you don't actually have to go out and buy a bag of fancy (and pricey) tortilla chips when you have this recipe at your fingertips. They have a decent dose of spice that really makes their flavor pop, and you can add more or less chili powder depending on your spice preferences. But it's lime that makes these tangy chips so downright addictive. Pair with salsa, guacamole, or both, and you have an elite homemade snack.

Recipe: Homemade Chili Lime Tortilla Chips

When you think of fajitas, pasta probably isn't the first thing to come to mind, but that's because you haven't tried this recipe yet. Fajita veggies pair exceptionally well with pasta, which soaks up all of those extra spices. What really makes this dish shine, though, is the cilantro lime sauce. The cilantro provides a level of freshness that this otherwise bold dish needs, while the lime cuts through all the fat in the dish to make it mouthwateringly delicious.

Recipe: Fajita Pasta with Cilantro Lime Sauce

You've probably had your fair share of key lime pie in your life, but what if you could capture those same flavors in cake form? That's exactly what you'll get when you make this recipe, which is guaranteed to wow your guests. It's a cake, so it does have a nice sweetness to it, but that's balanced out with the presence of plenty of lime. Sure, it'll help you use up those leftover limes you have on hand, but if we're being honest, it's worth seeking out these ingredients specifically to make this cake.

Recipe: 3-Layer Key Lime Cake

When you're on the hunt for a healthy, filling side dish, there's nothing better than a good three bean salad. There are so many different ways you could season one of these salads, but we think that a combo of jalapeño and lime makes for a really nice touch with just the right combo of spice and acidity. Not only will this recipe help you use up any extra limes in your kitchen, but it's also great for clearing out fresh veggies that are taking up room in your produce drawers.

Recipe: Jalapeño-Lime Three Bean Salad

When the temps are soaring, ice water might not do the trick. You need something that's going to be maximally refreshing, preferably with a bit of flavor that makes it easy to chug. That's why we love this recipe for watermelon lime agua fresca so much. Watermelon is already a super-hydrating fruit, making it perfect for fitting into a drink format. And when you add the lime for some juicy acidity? It makes everything even more thirst-quenching. This is an absolute must-try drink for summer (or really anytime you need a sip of something refreshing).

Recipe: Watermelon Lime Agua Fresca

A fruit salad makes for the most colorful edible centerpiece ever. While you can technically just mix a bunch of fruits together, a good fruit salad also contains a bold dressing, which is what you'll get when you make this recipe. Honey and lime join forces to create a perfectly balanced dressing with the perfect amount of sweetness. It enhances the sweetness of the fruit itself, while also offering that extra burst of acidity that makes it tastes as light and fresh as possible.

Recipe: Simple Fruit Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing

It's easier than you may imagine to make your very own hot sauce. If it's your first time giving the process a try, this is an excellent recipe to start with, because it contains a pretty simple list of ingredients. This recipe calls for Scotch bonnet peppers, which are quite spicy, so keep that in mind before you drizzle any of this stuff over your dish. The addition of lime is a really nice touch, though, and prevents the sauce from being too overpowering.

Recipe: Chili-Lime Hot Sauce

In all of the recipes on this list, lime is adding flavor and a bold zinginess to the dishes it touches. But in the case of this ceviche, it's playing a secondary role. Lime is so acidic that it sort of "cooks" the shrimp that this recipe calls for. The result is the kind of freshness you can only get from raw fish, but with that touch of lime that really makes it shine. Add in the coconut milk for body and richness, and you have a homemade ceviche that tastes like it belongs at a 5-star restaurant.

Recipe: Coconut-Lime Shrimp Ceviche

Coconut and lime also join forces in this simple but outstanding recipe for chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are already pretty moist and tender on their own, but they taste even better after being cooked in a rich and lime-y sauce. It's not complicated to throw together, but it probably tastes better than a lot of the takeout you've ordered. Give it a try when you need to throw together an easy, but deeply enjoyable, weeknight dinner.

Recipe: Coconut and Lime Chicken Thighs

Mexico has the margarita, and Brazil has the caipirinha. This cocktail gets its flavor from a combination of sugar and lime, for a sweet and acidic flavor mix that's perfect for quenching your thirst on a hot day. It's made with a liquor called cachaça, so go ahead and grab that if you don't already have some on hand. This classic recipe is surprisingly easy to make, just a word to the wise: It can be quite strong! Sip slowly, even though this cocktail is tasty enough that you might want to slurp it all down at once.

Recipe: Classic Caipirinha Cocktail

You know the rice that comes in the burrito bowl you order from your favorite takeout chain? There's a good chance it's cilantro lime rice. You may have assumed that you can only get it when you order from somewhere like Chipotle, but it's actually incredibly easy to make your own cilantro lime rice at home. It's a simple combination of flavors, but both cilantro and lime taste light and fresh, which make for an excellent pairing to enhance your favorite rice-based dishes.

Recipe: Cilantro Lime Rice

This Mongolian-inspired beef salad is an excellent way to get your protein in while still keeping your dinner tasting light and fresh — it's exactly what we're looking for during the hotter months of the year. But like any good salad, this recipe gets much of its flavor from the dressing. Lime and ginger join forces here to create one that boasts an incredible amount of flavor. There's some punchy spice from the ginger, which pairs beautifully with the fruity acidity of the lime. Your summer salad situation just got a lot more interesting.

Recipe: Mongolian Beef Salad with Ginger-Lime Vinaigrette

Tired of making the same old boring baked salmon over and over again? Salmon is a staple in a lot of households, but it can get old if you're always seasoning it the same way. You don't have to pick up a ton of fancy ingredients to switch things up, though — just try combining honey and lime for a beautifully balanced flavor profile that features both sweetness and tang. It's a quick and easy recipe that you'll want to revisit time and time again, and it tastes even better knowing that you used up all of those limes that were about to go bad.

Recipe: Honey Lime Salmon

All too often, home cooks treat a side salad as an afterthought and just a way to get some greens on a plate. But when you make this salad, you know it's going to be the star of the show. Bitter kale and sweet corn join forces to create an interesting contrast on both the flavor and textural level. Then, you have the ginger lime dressing, which really brings it all together with a combination of slightly spicy and fruity flavors.

Recipe: Kale and Corn Salad with Ginger-Lime Dressing

The temps are climbing, and maybe you're craving a light and refreshing snack that will help quench your thirst and satisfy your sweets cravings at the same time. Enter this watermelon lime slushie. Watermelon and lime work well together, considering their complementary flavors and the fact that they're both so fresh-tasting. By adding coconut water, you're making the beverage/snack hybrid even more hydrating.

Recipe: Watermelon Lime Slushie

Overnight oats are arguably one of the best ways to get your morning off to a great start, since you can make the meal the night before and just grab it on your way out the door. But why settle for a boring overnight oats flavor combo when you can make this key lime cheesecake number? This recipe has it all: the tang from the lime, the creaminess meant to mimic cheesecake, and the crunch from the graham cracker topper.

Recipe: Key Lime Cheesecake Overnight Oats

If you ask us, nachos are almost always better when you make them at home, because you have so much more say over the toppings and how they're arranged. But you don't have to settle for the same old toppings when you could whip up these chili-lime chicken nachos instead. With heat, acid, and plenty of protein, you're getting an appetizer that you could easily enjoy as a meal.

Recipe: Loaded Chili-Lime Chicken Nachos

It's burger night, but you're craving a burger that's a little lighter than a typical beef burger. That's exactly when you should make these tilapia burgers. But don't assume that because you're working with fish, these burgers are bland. With a cilantro-lime seasoning, they're absolutely packed with fresh and bold flavors that taste like they belong at a restaurant. It's one of our favorite ways to eat fish, and it might just take your burger night to a whole new level.

Recipe: Cilantro-Lime Tilapia Burgers

Who said dessert couldn't pack plenty of protein? Certainly not us! With these key lime pie bars, you're getting a full 4 grams of protein per serving, which is pretty solid when you consider that you don't have to add any protein powder. Instead, that protein comes from silken tofu, which is also responsible for creating the bars' creamy texture. The mild flavor of the tofu works exceptionally well when paired with the bold tang of lime.

Recipe: High-Protein Key Lime Pie Bars

You've probably had lemon bars before, but what about lime bars? We love using lime for this style of recipe because it packs an even bolder punch of flavor. But this Thai-inspired recipe gives a standard lemon bar a creative twist with the inclusion of lemongrass. It adds a complex, herbal flavor to the cookies, which mingles with the sour, refreshing notes you'll find in lime. This is the kind of dessert recipe you pull out when you really want to impress.

Recipe: Thai Lemongrass Lime Bar Cookie

If you love chicken wings, then Wingstop might just be one of your favorite chain restaurants. But if you're trying to save some money in your wings budget, give this recipe a try. These spicy lime wings bring plenty of heat, but that spiciness is balanced out by the inclusion of lots of lime. These wings offer an intense flavor that you might have assumed you can only get at Wingstop, but you could just find that the homemade version is even better than the original.

Recipe: 'Better Than Wingstop' Fiery Lime Wings

Yes, you can absolutely use tequila as an ingredient in your cooking, and this grilled chicken recipe is proof. The chicken takes on a margarita-like flavor profile, thanks to the inclusion of both tequila and plenty of lime. Yes, there's a nice lime flavor in this recipe, but we love that the tequila also offers a unique complexity that you can't get from other ingredients. Feel free to whip up some margaritas on the side if you still have leftover limes (or tequila) — it's a pairing that's basically bound to be delicious.

Recipe: Tequila and Lime Grilled Chicken

If you love dessert, then there's probably one dish that automatically comes to mind when you're trying to figure out what to do with a bunch of leftover limes. That dish is key lime pie, and it's one of our all-time favorites. Although there are countless different versions of the dessert you could make if you're trying to capture this specific flavor profile, there are times when you just want to keep it simple, and that's what this recipe does so well. With the perfect balance of sweet and tart flavors, you're going to want to make this pie recipe on repeat.

Recipe: Sweet and Tart Key Lime Pie

Looking for a way to take your guacamole to a whole new level? Then you have to try blistering the limes and tomatoes before adding them to the mixture. This extra step will give you an incredible depth of flavor without negating any of the tartness that limes offer the dip. This guacamole recipe is a bit more involved than many others we've tried, but that extra bit of effort is so worth it once you get that first taste.

Recipe: Guacamole with Blistered Limes and Tomatoes

Shrimp and chorizo are one of our favorite protein combos, because the leanness of the shrimp pairs so well with the fattiness of chorizo. To create even more balance in this dish, this recipe calls for a lime aioli. It's rich and creamy, but it has just enough tang and tartness that it makes the whole dish taste more refreshing with just a little drizzle. Your next cookout just got a lot more interesting.

Recipe: Shrimp and Chorizo Skewers with Lime Aioli

Cilantro and lime once again join forces in this easy recipe for shrimp tacos. Shrimp has a relatively mild flavor on its own, so it's only right to pair it with the bold, but fresh, flavors of cilantro and lime. Once you add a slew of fresh toppings, you'll understand why this is one of our favorite warm-weather taco recipes. Don't forget to serve them with extra lime wedges on the side.

Recipe: Cilantro Lime Shrimp Tacos

Forget the basic steak recipe you always follow, and try something new with this unique take on a classic flank steak. The marinade is really the star of the show in this recipe. It combines ingredients like lime zest, tequila, and agave nectar for a distinctly margarita-like flavor. Once it soaks into the meat, you'll get a lightness and freshness in the beef like you've never experienced before. Don't forget to serve with extra lime wedges.

Recipe: Margarita-Inspired Flank Steak

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