13 Tasty Dishes with Cilantro

Cilantro is a love-it or hate-it herb, adored by many for its fresh, pungent flavor or reviled by others as "soapy." If you fall into the first camp, you know it's an essential seasoning in cuisines from Southeast Asian to South America, and enjoyed in dishes from Mexican salsa to Indian chutney.

Designed for cilantro fans, this Indian-style chutney gives chicken breasts loads of flavor and keeps them moist in their parchment-paper packets. Don’t let the grill get over 425°, or the paper may catch on fire.

Recipe: Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Coconut Chutney

This low-cal, tangy dish is based on a recipe in Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless, who opened Red O in L.A. last year.

• Recipe: Chicken Escabeche with Cilantro Black Beans

Look no further for this season’s go-to grilled chicken dish from chefs Mary Sue Milliken and Susan Feniger of Border Grill in Santa Monica and Las Vegas and Ciudad in Los Angeles. They marinate chicken very simply, then spoon an addictive Indian-style pickled salsa on top.

Recipe: Grilled Cilantro Chicken with Pickled Tomato and Avocado Salsa

Sweet onions and shrimp meet the gentle heat of garlic and chiles in this easy recipe. Be careful, it's addictive.

Recipe: Garlicky Shrimp-Cilantro Tacos (Tacos de Camarones al Mojo de Ajo)

The flavor in this dish just doesn’t stop. The sharp, slightly herby marinade tenderizes and flavors the meat and makes a great bridge to the chimichurri.

Recipe: Gaucho Steak with Four-Herb Chimichurri

This Indian-spiced meat mixture makes great burgers too—try them on folded naan with the chutney and a slice of tomato.

Recipe: Mini Lamb Meatballs with Cilantro-Mint Chutney

Chef Christian Graves, from Jsix Restaurant in San Diego, loves how well the grilled flavor of the mussels pairs with the coolness of the cucumber and the spicy hit of the chiles. He prefers ‘Corno di Toro’ chiles for his recipe, but you can also use Fresnos.

Recipe: Grilled Mussels with Cilantro Bath

This is a California-style version of an old Parsi favorite, green peas ma gos ("in meat"). The California touches are to use leeks instead of regular onions and to cook the peas for far less time than is traditional.

Recipe: Lamb Stew with Green Chiles, Cilantro, and Peas

Spicy and loaded with all our favorite toppings, tortilla strips, avocado, Monterey jack cheese, cilantro, and sour cream--this chicken soup is a crowd pleaser.

Recipe: Tortilla Soup

This may look like your grandma's coleslaw, but it sure doesn't taste like it.

Recipe: Chipotle Coleslaw

From Colorado chef Mark Fischer, here’s a combo that’s especially good with Latin- or Southwestern-flavored grilled meat. Offer any leftover butter to spread on warm bread.

Recipe: Grilled Corn on the Cob with Cilantro Queso Fresco Butter

This salsa is best when freshly made.

Recipe: Cranberry, Jicama, and Cilantro Salsa