Zesty Chipotle Crema
Our deliciously zesty Chipotle crema is the perfect finishing touch to any dish with southwest / Mexican flavors. Drizzle the crema on tacos, a southwest bowl, or even enchiladas. The smoky flavor completes any dish, I swear! You could also make this Chipotle crema as a dip for tortilla chips or quesadillas!
Want to Save this Recipe or Activity?
Enter your email and we will send it straight to your inbox! You’ll also get the latest posts from Platein28!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Platein28.
❤️ Why We Love Chipotle Crema
There’s something about the smoky flavor of this Chipotle crema that’s – how else can I say it? – addicting. I want to put it on everything! Aside from having exceptional flavor, we love this Chipotle crema for being so easy to make (taking less than 10 minutes) and for not needing any special equipment. No food processor or blender required.
🤔 What is Crema?
Crema is a creamy, Mexican sauce made from sour cream, heavy cream, (sometimes buttercream), lime juice and salt. It can be used as a sauce, condiment, topping, or a dip. Crema is thinner than sour cream and therefore, easier to pour and drizzle on food. And it’s similar to the French crème fraîche, but also not as thick. In our recipe, we skip the heavy cream and add in some other fun flavors.
🛒 Ingredients & Substitutions
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and quantities. Not pictured: water.
Notes
Most of the ingredients can be adjusted by amount, to taste.
- Lime juice – the juice from 1/2 a lime, which is about 1 Tablespoon.
- Lime zest – optional, but totally worth it. I used a Microplane grater (my fave!) to zest roughly 1/8 teaspoon.
- Water – the purpose of water is to thin the crema. Play with the amount until you get the consistency you like.
- Chipotle seasoning – you can find this in the spice section of your market.
- Kosher salt – if you only have table salt, use half as much as Kosher salt.
Substitutions
Because this is such a small, simple recipe, there aren’t many substitutions for the ingredients, but here are some options:
- Sour cream – sub 🔁 Greek yogurt or partial mayo
- Honey – sub 🔁 maple syrup or pineapple juice for the sweetness
- Garlic powder – sub 🔁 fresh, minced garlic, but no more than 2 cloves
- Chipotle seasoning – sub 🔁 a mix of chili powder & paprika
👩🍳 Instructions
Only one, simple step here! Just put all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
✔️ Expert Tips and Tricks
- Use water to thin out your crema until it’s the consistency you like.
- For zesting the lime, we highly recommend using a Microplane grater.
- The juice from 1/2 a lime = roughly 1 Tablespoon.
- To drizzle the crema on your food, I recommend making an easy, DIY piping bag. Just take a small Ziploc bag, add some of the crema, seal the bag, and cut a tiny hole on one of the bottom corners. Gently squeeze the bag to release a thin stream of crema from that hole.
- Sprinkle your homemade Chipotle sauce with a fresh herb, like cilantro, to enhance the flavors. Plus, it looks pretty 🙂
🍴 How to Eat Chipotle Crema?
Oh my goodness, this Chipotle crema is the delicious finishing element for so many dishes! I call the ways you can enjoy crema as the 3 D’s: drizzle, dip, & dollop. It’s the perfect drizzle atop any southwest or Mexican-flavored dishes, e.g. our Southwest Bowl, Chicken Enchiladas and Chicken Fajita Tacos. You can also use the crema as a dip for tortilla chips, Steak Quesadillas, roasted veggies, and sweet potato fries. OR dollop it on top of nachos, a Taco Bowl, or our Bean Salad. This Chipotle crema could even double as a salad dressing, depending on the salad.
❓ FAQ
Chipotle is a jalapeño chili pepper that is smoked-dried. The flavor is sweet, smoky, and spicy, and is common in Mexican dishes. Chipotle peppers are easiest to find canned in adobo sauce, packaged whole and dried, or ground up into a powder seasoning.
Chipotle seasoning is made from smoke-dried jalapeño peppers, ground into a powder. Chipotles in adobo sauce are smoke-dried jalapeño peppers canned in an adobo sauce, which is a sauce made of tomatoes, onion, garlic, vinegar, and spices. Both are spicy.
Refrigerate crema in an airtight tupperware. Because the main ingredient in our Chipotle crema is sour cream, you could store the crema until the sour cream’s package expiration date.
🌮 Mexican-Inspired Dishes We Love
Follow Platein28 on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook and Sign up for our newsletter for all the latest recipes and crafts!
🌶️🍋🟩 Zesty Chipotle Crema
Equipment
- small bowl
Ingredients
- 8 oz sour cream
- 1/2 lime (the juice + 1/8 tsp zest)
- 1/2 Tbsp water
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/4 – 1/2 tsp Chipotle seasoning
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a small bowl. Whisk together until fully combined.
Video
Notes
-
- Use water to thin out your crema until it’s the consistency you like.
- For zesting the lime, we highly recommend using a Microplane grater.
- The juice from 1/2 a lime = roughly 1 Tablespoon lime juice.
- To drizzle the crema on your food, I recommend making an easy, DIY piping bag. Just take a small Ziploc bag, add some of the crema, seal the bag, and cut a tiny hole on one of the bottom corners. Gently squeeze the bag to release a thin stream of crema from that hole.
- Sprinkle your homemade Chipotle sauce with a fresh herb, like cilantro, to enhance the flavors. Plus, it looks pretty 🙂
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
Want more 28-minute recipes? Sign up and get recipes straight to your inbox!
