In 5 minutes with 4 pantry ingredients and just a whisk, you can make creamy, zesty, spicy Chipotle Crema. It’s the ideal topping for tacos and all of your favorite Mexican dishes like burritos, salads, quesadillas, nachos, and more.
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The great thing about making this sauce at home is that you can adjust the ingredient amounts to make it your own. Not spicy enough? Add more hot sauce. Want more zing? Increase the amount of fresh lime juice and zest. Think of this simple recipe as a place to start and adjust from there.
Table of Contents
Recipe at a Glance
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 cup (about 8 two-tablespoon servings)
- Skill Level: Easy (no food processor or blender required)
Chipotle Crema Ingredients
- Sour Cream: or Mexican Crema
- Lime: juice and zest
- Chipotle Hot Sauce: such as Cholula brand or Tabasco
- Kosher Salt: or fine sea salt
How to Make Chipotle Crema
In a medium bowl whisk together sour cream, lime juice and zest, chipotle hot sauce and season with salt to taste. Serve!
Recipe Options
- Kick up the spice with chipotle powder or standard chili powder to taste. Or swap in a couple of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce for the hot sauce and combine with the remaining ingredients in your food processor.
- Instead of sour cream or Mexican crema, use crème fraiche or even plain Greek Yogurt.
- For those who want the creamy zing without the spice, make Lime Crema, Cilantro Lime Crema, or Avocado Crema instead.
Pro Tips
- Taste as you go with the hot sauce: Spice levels vary a lot by brand. I use Cholula brand, but if you’re using Tabasco or another label, start with 2 tablespoons and taste before adding more.
- Use both the zest and the juice of the lime: The zest adds a bright, floral note and the juice adds acidity. It’s a lot easier to zest the lime before you juice it.
- Let it rest if you can: It’s not a must, but 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator gives the flavors of the crema time to meld with the sour cream or Mexican crema.
Storage
Chipotle Crema keeps well in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. The texture thickens a bit as it sits, so give it a stir before serving. If it’s too thick, loosen it with a small squeeze of lime juice or a splash of water. Don’t freeze this crema. The dairy will separate when thawed and there’s no way to revive the texture.
FAQ
Absolutely, just know those peppers are a lot spicier than hot sauce. Blend 1 or 2 chipotle peppers in adobo with the rest of the ingredients in a food processor until smooth. If you go that route, you’ll need a food processor or powerful blender, while my hot sauce version just needs a whisk.
Yes. You can swap the sour cream for a plain unsweetened dairy-free yogurt or a cashew-based sour cream.
Mild to medium, depending on your hot sauce and how much you use.
Yes, and I recommend it. Make it up to 4 days in advance and refrigerate in an airtight container.
Serve With
- Carne Asada Burritos
- Pulled Pork Nachos
- Shrimp Tacos or Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa
- Carne Asada Tacos
- Pulled Pork Quesadillas
Chipotle Crema
Ingredients
- 1 cup sour cream or Mexican crema
- 1/2 medium lime juice and zest
- 3 tablespoons chipotle hot sauce or more to taste, (recipe note #1)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or more to taste
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients together until smooth: sour cream (or Mexican crema), lime juice and zest, chipotle hot sauce, and kosher salt. Set aside (refrigerate if making well ahead of time). Serve as desired.
Notes
- I used Cholula brand Chipotle Hot Sauce – the level of spice varies by brand, so I recommend tasting as you go!
- Makes about 8 2-tablespoon servings.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Oh, this sounds delicious, and my mind is racing with all of the different ways it could be used! I’m thinking this needs to be drizzled on top of grilled shrimp tacos. That would be a fantastic summer meal right there!!
haha…you read my mind, David!
Easy peasy and so tasty! I love it 🙂
Thanks, Angie!