This Mexican-inspired Chipotle Crema sauce adds creaminess and smokiness to any dish. It is a great dipping sauce or taco topping. It only takes about 5 minutes to whip up and only requires a few pantry staples.
Homemade sauces are so much better than store bought. If you are looking for more sauce recipes, try my Roasted Poblano Sauce, Jalapeño Lime Crema recipe or Cilantro Garlic Sauce.
This creamy crema is delicious sauce for fish tacos, my Air Fryer Shrimp Tacos, burritos, or Steak Street Tacos.
You can also use this chipotle lime crema recipe for chicken, like my Air Fryer Frozen Chicken Breast. It adds so much flavor!
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Highlights
- This chipotle crema recipe only takes about 5 minutes to make.
- The chipotle crema ingredients are super simple. The base of the crema is sour cream, but the crema can also be made with plain Greek Yogurt.
- Chipotle lime cream sauce is a great sauce for tacos.
- This sauce is gluten free and vegetarian. I also have a vegan chipotle crema variation below. It is also low carb!
- This chipotle crema sauce is rich, smoky, savory, and has a hint of sweetness.
Ingredients
- Sour Cream: Substitute for plain Greek yogurt.
- Chipotles: Taste the crema and add more chipotle if desired. This will add more smoky flavor and spice.
- Honey: Swap for 1 teaspoon of white sugar.
Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.
How to Make Chipotle Crema
Quick Overview
- Add all of the chipotle crema ingredients to the food processor.
- Blend until smooth.
Step 1: In a food processor, add the sour cream, chipotles, lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic.
Step 2: Pulse until the peppers and garlic are completely pureed and the sauce is smooth. Add ½ - 1 tablespoon of water to thin the sauce out more, if desired.
TIP - Use a spatula to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the food processor to make sure everything is incorporated.
Expert Tips & Recipe Notes
- Use fresh lime. I do not recommend using the lime juice that comes in a squeeze bottle. Fresh has a much better taste.
- Use a spatula. Be sure to scrape the food processor between the pulses. I have noticed that chunks of garlic or chipotle might get stuck. You want the sauce to be smooth.
- Taste as you go. Taste the sauce and make adjustments as needed. You can always add more, but you can’t take away. So I always err on the side of less and add after I taste. You might want to add more salt, lime, garlic, or chipotle.
- The sauce is pretty thick and continues to thicken in the refrigerator. Add about ½ tablespoon (or more) of water at any point to thin the sauce out a bit. It will not affect the flavor.
Storage Tips
- This chipotle crema develops more flavor as it sits. It can easily be made one day in advance and stored in the fridge.
- Refrigerator: Store leftover chipotle crema sauce in the fridge in an airtight container or jar for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: I do not recommend freezing this sauce. However, you can freeze leftover chipotle chiles in adobo sauce. Store them in an airtight bag or container for up to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge overnight.
Ways to Use Chipotle Sauce
- As a dipping sauce for Mexican Potatoes, Air Fryer Frozen French Fries, or Carne Asada Quesadillas
- On top of Instant Pot Turkey Tacos, Instant Pot Shredded Beef Bowls, or Baked Cilantro Lime Tacos
- The options are endless!
Variations
- Vegan chipotle crema: Swap the sour cream for vegan sour cream and the honey for white sugar.
- Chipotle avocado crema: Swap about ⅓ of the sour cream for ⅓ cup mashed avocado.
- Extra spicy: Add an extra chipotle pepper.
FAQs
Chipotle peppers are ripe jalapeños that are smoked and dried. These peppers are then canned in a sauce made of acidic tomatoes and spices. These are different than chipotle powder.
Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce taste rich, smoky, spicy, and savoury. They have a lot of depth.
It is made of some sort of creamy base (yogurt, sour cream, or mexican crema) and chipotle peppers.
It depends how many chipotle peppers you add. This recipe is pretty mild, but you add more chipotles for a more intense smokey and spicy flavor. Be sure to taste as you go.
Mexican crema is very similar to sour cream or creme fraiche. It has a runny consistency, a slight tang, and a pinch of salt.
I recommend using sour cream, greek yogurt, or creme fraiche.
Related Recipes
Easy Chipotle Crema
Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup (6 ounces) sour cream*
- 1 Tablespoon chopped chipotles in adobo sauce*
- ½ lime, juiced
- 1 teaspoon honey*
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1-2 cloves garlic
Instructions:
- In a food processor, add the sour cream, chipotles, lime juice, honey, salt, and garlic.
- Pulse until the peppers and garlic are completely pureed and the sauce is smooth. Add ½ - 1 tablespoon of water to thin the sauce out more, if desired.
My wife will love this!
So easy to make, we loved this recipe.