Add some smoke and spice to your favorite recipes with this Chipotle Crema. A Mexican-inspired sauce, this creamy mix is made with chipotles in adobo to give a boost to tacos, salads, and more!
Want to Save This Recipe?
Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!
By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from Platings + Pairings.
My Chipotle Crema is bound to become your new favorite dipping sauce, garnish, or taco topping. With a million different uses under its belt, this crema will enhance the flavor of everything in which it’s added. All you need is a blender or food processor and 5 minutes to whip it up!
Just like with my cilantro lime crema recipe, the ingredients in the chipotle sauce are quite simple. Made with sour cream, mayonnaise, chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and a few aromatics, the crema turns out light, tangy, and smoky.
It’s the perfect companion to Fish Tacos, Steak Carnitas Bowls, Sweet Potato Tacos or as a dipping sauce for Air Fryer Quesadillas, Chicken Wings, Air Fryer Salmon Bites and Boiled Shrimp.
What is crema?
This Mexican condiment has a very similar taste, texture, and purpose as sour cream. Tangy and rich, crema is traditionally made with cream, buttermilk, and lime juice. It’s a cool and creamy finishing touch to tacos, enchiladas, or soups.
The westernized version is typically made with a base of mayonnaise and sour cream before being flavored with add-ins. I used chipotle peppers in this recipe, but lime juice, avocado, and cilantro are all wonderful choices as well.
Ingredients needed
- Sour Cream – Regular or fat-free. You can also use Greek yogurt.
- Mayonnaise – Regular or fat-free.
- Chipotle Peppers & Adobo Sauce – Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce are jalapeno peppers that have been smoked and dried. To rehydrate the peppers, they’re added to a smoky adobo sauce made from peppers, tomato paste, and warm spices. The end result is a somewhat spicy, sweet, smoky, and tangy mix you can use in sauces, chili, salsa, beans, enchiladas, and more.
- Lime
- Garlic
- Cumin
- Salt
How to make it
Add all of your ingredients to a blender or food processer. Blend until the sauce is smooth. Give it a taste to see if you need to add more salt.
Either serve the finished crema right away or refrigerate until you’re ready to serve.
How to use it
You can use the chipotle sauce for almost anything! It adds creamy and smoky elements to your meals or appetizers, plus it’s an amazing go-to dip for your snacks. Here’s how I suggest using it:
- With seafood: Drizzle some crema on top of fish taco bowls, salmon, or shrimp skewers. It’ll also add a nice smokiness to an avocado tuna salad and poached fish.
- As a dip: For zucchini fries, air fryer quesadillas, sweet potato fries, air fryer shrimp, chicken wings and tenders, and brussel sprouts.
- As a dressing: On burrito bowls, buddha bowls, southwest salad, street corn chicken tacos, and stuffed poblano peppers.
- As a spread: On sandwiches, paninis, and hamburgers.
Variations
- If you don’t have chipotles in adobo, use chipotle powder or smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne instead.
- Vegan crema: Replace the mayonnaise and sour cream with plant based alternatives.
- For extra spice, blend an additional chipotle pepper in the sauce or add a pinch or two of cayenne.
- To lighten it up, replace the mayonnaise or sour cream with plain Greek yogurt.
Storing
The adobo crema stores well in a sealed jar or squeeze bottle in the fridge. Use it up within 5 days.
The texture of the crema will naturally thicken as it sits in the fridge. If it’s too thick, stir in a little lime juice or a splash of water until it thins out.
Recipes to enjoy with chipotle crema
- Quinoa and Turkey Taco Lettuce Wraps
- Slow Cooker Carnitas
- Chicken Tortillas Soup
- Mexican Meatballs
- Sweet Potato Tacos
- Air Fryer Quesadillas
- Cauliflower Tacos
More homemade sauces
- White BBQ Sauce
- Jalapeno Ranch Dip
- Chick-Fil-A Sauce
- Aji Amarillo
- Remoulade Sauce
- Mojo Sauce
- Buffalo Sauce
- Honey Mustard Sauce
- Cilantro Lime Crema
- Lebanese Garlic Sauce
- 9+ Tasty Taco Sauces
Did you try this chipotle crema sauce recipe?
If you loved this chile crema I would appreciate it so much if you would give this recipe a star review! Also, be sure to snap a picture of your finished dish and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #platingsandpairings and tagging me @platingsandpairings.
For more great Platings and Pairings recipes, be sure to follow me on Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest and Facebook.
Chipotle Crema
Ingredients
- ¾ cup sour cream (regular or fat-free)
- 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise (regular or fat-free)
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 3 Tablespoons adobo sauce
- 1 lime (zested and juiced)
- 1 clove garlic (peeled)
- ¼ teaspoon cumin (optional)
- Salt (to taste)
Instructions
- Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Season with salt, to taste.
- Transfer to a jar or squeeze bottle and serve immediately, or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Equipment
Simple, yet so tasty. Nice twist to an otherwise ordinary mayo and sour cream based dressing. Really needed to double up on the recipe because it went so fast!! So good, so good! 🙂
Thanks Linda!
This was the perfect sauce for our Carne Asada tacos. A perfect amount of creamy smokey spice, I can see myself using this on so many things…oh can you say avocado toast?
Thanks Nancy!
First of all, your website has been a great go-to for me! We are a family of 4, with my kids in competitive ice hockey and fastball. We try not to get too much fat into our meals and I love how you provide options.
This chipotle crema sauce is so good! My husband loves it. I send it with him to work to put on his power bowls.
Thank you!
Thank you so much Mona!
Loved your chipotle sauce recipe. I made it as one of three dipping sauces for my air fryer coconut shrimp. This was the big winner! Yum!
Thanks Molly!
Can this be frozen in an ice cube tray for later, individual use ?
It can Suzanne! The texture may change a little bit, but it will still be yummy!