Cilantro Crema

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This delicious Cilantro Lime Crema recipe is easy to make and a great way to add flavor to tacos, seafood, or salads!

I want to bathe in this crema ๐Ÿ˜ it’s so delicious and the perfect topping for taco bowls, tacos, burritos, bowl dinners, and roasted vegetables.

Honestly, this crema is so delicious, I might start putting it on everything. Did I mention how good it is with salmon?!

The crema however, it full of zesty, herby flavor, and itโ€™s quick and easy to mix up!

cilantro lime crema in a saucer with a silver spoon

What is lime crema?

You may have heard the word โ€œcremaโ€ before and wondered just what the heck that actually means! This recipe for cilantro lime crema is a top tier example.

Crema, the Spanish word for cream, typically takes sour cream and thins it out while adding flavor.

Some grocery stores sell crema, but this one is so easy to make at home, and the homemade results are undeniably more delicious! The next time youโ€™re having taco night, serving nachos for a snack, or making burrito bowls, whip up this tangy and slightly salty crema as a major upgrade to plain sour cream!

Cilantro Lime Crema Ingredients

Their are only a handful of ingredients that go into making this easy and delicious cream sauce.

sour cream, mayonnaise, and limes in small bowls
  • Sour Cream – The tangy, tart flavor of sour cream backed by a rich creaminess is the base for this crema.
  • Mayonnaise – You may be able to substitute the mayonnaise for Mexican Crema if you have it or prefer the flavor.
  • Lime – For this recipe you are going to need the juice and zest of the lime! I love the citrusy flavor it brings.
  • Cilantro – Obviously! Pro-tip with cilantro, fresh is best – typical this herb does not dry well so the fresher the better. For this recipe, make sure you finely chop it.
  • Garlic – You can mince your own garlic for this recipe or buy it in a jar.

Did you know: This entire recipe is Keto friendly?!

How to Make Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce

Making a crema at home is simple. It takes about 5 minutes and about as much effort as simply combining a few ingredients.

In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, cilantro, and minced garlic.

I like to serve this with my favorite tacos or seafood!

Pro-Tip: Don’t like fish or seafood? Serve with my favorite Sweet Potato Fries!

Three Ways to Make this Lime Crema Recipe

By hand – This is my preferred method. It’s quick, it’s easy, and you don’t need to dirty another dish or appliance. The caveat here is you need to ensure you chopped the cilantro super fine.

Food processor – If you have one, you may want to use it! A food processor is super easy to blend small batches of sauce or dips. Throw it in and let is whiz!

This mini food processor is perfect for mixing up sauces and dressings.

Blender – A smaller blender, a large blender, or an immersion blender all work well to get the job done here! However, watch the consistency when you are blending, you don’t want it too runny!

Pro-Tip: When using a food processor or a blender for this recipe, you don’t want the crema to become a soup! Watch the consistency when you are blending and processing.

You may want to leave out some of the sour cream and hand stir that in with the rest of the ingredients before serving.

How to Serve Cilantro Crema

Fish Tacos – I love a good fish taco with the perfect sauce!

SeafoodShrimp, salmon, and most fish all taste delicious with this sauce!

Burritos – Dip your favorite homemade or takeout burrito in something delicious with this crema!

Fries – I love to dip sweet potato fries, but any french fry will work!

shrimp taco bowl close up

Veggies – Whether you roast, pan fry, or microwave your veggies, they will thank you for dipping them in this incredible crema.

Salads – Tired of that same old salad dressing? Me too! Instead of your go-to bottle dressing, give this a try!

Nachos – Looking for a unique dip for your nachos? This will give your nachos the perfect bite.

Quesadillas – Because I want to put this sauce on everything, why not a quesadilla? Take a chance – thank me later!

cilantro lime crema in a white bowl and lime wedges

If you love the flavors of cilantro lime, you might want to try this Cilantro Lime Farro or this Cilantro Lime Tahini Sauce.

How to Store this Cilantro Lime Crema Recipe

I love to store my homemade sauces in these Weck jars. You can also purchase wooden or plastic lids if you prefer those. The jars look so nice, I don’t mind leaving them on the counter!

WANT TO TRY THIS CILATRO LIME CREMA RECIPE?

PIN IT to your dipping sauce recipes or crema recipes board to save it for later!
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cilantro lime crema pinterest pin

Did you make this recipe? Post a photo on Instagram and tag me @JZEATS or #JZEATS so I can see! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think, too!

Tap stars to rate!
4.50 from 8 votes

Cilantro Lime Cream Sauce

This delicious Cilantro Lime Crema recipe is easy to make and a great way to add flavor to tacos, seafood, or salads!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time0 minutes
Total Time5 minutes
Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8
Calories: 50
Author: Jordan

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 Iime, juice and zest
  • 3 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, lime juice and zest, cilantro, and minced garlic. Serve with your favorite tacos or seafood!
  • Serve immediately or store in a glass jar for later.
If you tried this recipe, please leave a review letting me know how it was!

Nutrition

Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 1g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 6mg | Sodium: 39mg | Potassium: 10mg | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 55IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg
Nutrition information is approximate and was calculated using a recipe nutrition label generator.
Tried this recipe?I’d love to see your dish, mention @jzeats or tag #jzeats!

4.50 from 8 votes (4 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. How long does this keep for in the fridge

  2. Dona Hawley says:

    5 stars
    Made this crema today. Very good, quick and easy. Definitely a keeper. ๐Ÿ˜Š

    1. So glad you enjoyed!

  3. Shauna Feller says:

    unfortunately I can’t see this recipe as ads pop up all over the content!

    1. there are plenty of cookbooks without ads you can purchase

  4. Meredith Walker says:

    5 stars
    Delicious!! We made this for roasted cauliflower tacos, but now we keep it on hand at all times and put it on everything!!

  5. Victoria Rodriguez says:

    5 stars
    Came out great!

    1. Jason Wright says:

      1 star
      mayonnaise? you cannot be serious, thatโ€™s as inauthentic as possible not to mention disgusting

      1. don’t yuck somebody’s yum, carol.

      2. Lorraine Sonoqui says:

        I used Mexican crema. Not using mayonnaise ๐Ÿคข