Coriandrum sativum
Cilantro microgreens (Coriandrum sativum) are the most patient crop in the ChefPax lineup — slow to germinate, demanding in their growing conditions, and well worth the wait. We grow Leisure Splits cilantro, using split coriander seeds pre-soaked for 4–6 hours, on a thin soil layer over coco coir. The process takes 18–25 days from seed to harvest — the longest lead time of our standard crops.
The result is a microgreen that tastes unmistakably like fresh cilantro — bright, citrusy, and classic — but more concentrated and tender than the mature herb. If you love cilantro in tacos, salsas, and Asian cooking, cilantro microgreens will feel immediately familiar while delivering a more intense aromatic punch in a smaller quantity.
Austin's taco and Tex-Mex culture means cilantro is a staple in many households, and cilantro microgreens have become a natural extension of that tradition. They're perfect for people who burn through fresh cilantro bunches and want a continuously fresh source — snip what you need from a live tray rather than watching a bunch wilt in the back of the refrigerator.
Cilantro microgreens taste exactly like fresh cilantro — bright, citrusy, and herbal with the distinctive flavor that cilantro lovers prize. The flavor is concentrated compared to mature leaves — a small pinch of microgreens delivers the same impact as several mature leaves. There's a clean, fresh finish with no bitterness.
Cilantro microgreens are rich in vitamin K, vitamin A, and vitamin C, with notable mineral content including potassium and manganese. They contain quercetin and kaempferol — flavonoids with antioxidant properties — as well as the essential oils responsible for cilantro's characteristic aroma. Like most microgreens, the nutrient density per gram is significantly higher than the mature plant form.
For a deeper look at vitamins and phytonutrients studied across varieties, see the microgreens nutrition guide.
Cilantro microgreens are available in both 5×5 and 10×20 live tray formats. The live tray is particularly well-suited to cilantro — the roots keep it fresh far longer than any pre-cut herb package. Keep in indirect light at room temperature and snip as needed. Expect 7–10 days of fresh cilantro from a live tray.
Full storage tips — container types, fridge placement, and shelf life by crop — are in the microgreens storage guide.
We're building dedicated cilantro microgreens recipes for this page. In the meantime, these recipes from similar crops are a great starting point:
12 min
Warm street tacos crowned with spicy radish microgreens for a bold finish.
30 min
Tender herb-crusted pork tenderloin with a spicy radish microgreen finish that adds heat and freshness.
18 min
Spicy ground beef tacos with crunchy, horseradish-flavored radish microgreens for a fresh, bold finish.
Cilantro seeds (technically coriander fruits) have a thick hull and naturally slow germination. We use split coriander seeds and pre-soak them to speed germination, but even with these techniques, cilantro takes 18–25 days — about twice as long as broccoli or radish.
Probably not — cilantro microgreens have the same flavor chemistry as mature cilantro, including the compounds that taste like soap to people with certain gene variants. If mature cilantro tastes off to you, cilantro microgreens will have the same effect. We recommend radish or sunflower microgreens as flavorful alternatives.
Use cilantro microgreens anywhere you'd use fresh cilantro: tacos, salsas, pho, banh mi, and grain bowls. Start with our radish microgreens taco recipe as a template and substitute cilantro microgreens as the herb garnish.
