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    Bites with Bri » Sauce & Dip » Jalapeño Lime Crema

    Jalapeño Lime Crema

    Published: Mar 4, 2021 · Modified: May 19, 2022 by Brianna May · This post may contain affiliate links.

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    This Jalapeño Lime Crema will become your new favorite dip, dressing, and sauce. It is so creamy, tangy, and only takes 5 minutes to make. Put it on tacos, salads, bowls, or dip chips/veggies in it. Regardless, it is absolutely addicting. 

    closeup of the crema on a spoon

    One of my favorite ways to spice up a dish is with a good sauce. All you need is a base, some herbs/spices, a food processor, and you're good to go. Sauces are so easy to make, yet they add so much flavor.

    I recently just started liking sour cream on my tacos (I know, I'm weird). But I wanted to spice up my sour cream with some cilantro and jalapeños. And that's how this crema was born. It all started with a taco but now I put it on everything.

    Jump to:
    • Highlights
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Expert Tips
    • FAQs
    • Related Recipes
    • Jalapeño Lime Crema

    Highlights

    • ready in 5 minutes
    • only 8 simple ingredients
    • you can make it spicy or mild
    • use it as a dressing, dip, or sauce
    • small batch recipe so you don't end up with more sauce than you can eat
    • recipe can easily be doubled for a large crowd

    Ingredients

    all of the ingredients
    • White onion - swap for green onion or yellow onion
    • Honey - swap for white sugar
    • Sour cream - swap for greek yogurt (any fat content will work)
    • Jalapeños - If you are extremely sensitive to heat, start with ½ of a jalapeño. If not, start with one whole jalapeño. Add another if you want it to be spicier. I always start with a little and taste as I go. You can always add more!

    Complete list of ingredients and amounts is located on the recipe card below.

    Instructions

    before you start

    • Set up your food processor.
    • Wash and pat dry the cilantro. If you do not dry the cilantro well, the excess water will water down the sauce.
    • Wash and prep the onion, garlic, and jalapeño.

    Step 1: In a food processor, add the cilantro, sour cream, onion, 1 jalapeño, garlic, lime, honey, and salt.

    Step 2: Pulse until smooth. Scrape down the sides in between pulses if needed.

    before and after of the ingredients in the food processor being blended

    TIP - Keep a spatula near by to scrape the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are blended.

    Expert Tips

    • Keep a spatula near by to scrape the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are blended.
    • Taste as you go. You can always add more jalapeños but you can't take them away.
    crema up close on a chip

    FAQs

    What is Mexican crema?

    It is like sour cream, but has a much thinner consistency. This sauce is my version of a flavored crema. However, I use sour crema instead of a traditional Mexican crema. The other ingredients help thin out the sauce making the consistency similar to crema.

    What can I use jalapeño lime crema on?

    My favorite way to use this sauce is on tacos, like these Instant Pot Beef Short Rib Barbacoa tacos or Steak Street Tacos. It adds so much flavor. You can also use it as a salad dressing or as a dip with tortilla chips. It is also a great topping for buddha/nourish bowls. I have yet to find something I do not enjoy it on.

    How do I store leftover sauce?

    Store the leftovers in a an airtight container for 4 days in the fridge.

    Related Recipes

    • Steak Street Tacos
    • Instant Pot Beef Short Rib Barbacoa Tacos
    • Baked Homemade Lime Healthy Tortilla Chips
    PRINT RECIPE PIN RECIPE COMMENT
    5 from 39 votes

    Jalapeño Lime Crema

    This Jalapeño Lime Crema will become your new favorite dip, dressing, and sauce. It is so creamy, tangy, and only takes 5 minutes to make. Put it on tacos, salads, bowls, or dip chips/veggies in it. Regardless, it is absolutely addicting. 
    Servings1 cup
    Prep5 minutes
    Total5 minutes
    Course: Sauce/Dip
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Author: Brianna May

    Ingredients:

    • 1 cup cilantro leaves and stems packed
    • ⅔ cup (6 ounces) cup sour cream*
    • 1 Tablespoon onion, chopped
    • 1-2 jalapeños*, with seeds and membranes
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 Tablespoon lime juice
    • 1 teaspoon honey*
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions:

    • In a food processor, add the cilantro, sour cream, onion, 1 jalapeño, garlic, lime, honey, and salt.
    • Pulse until smooth. Scrape down the sides in between pulses if needed.

    Notes:

    White onion - swap for green onion or yellow onion
    Sour cream - swap for greek yogurt (any fat content will work)
    Jalapeños - If you are extremely sensitive to heat, start with ½ of a jalapeño. If not, start with one whole jalapeño. Add another if you want it to be spicier. I always start with a little and taste as I go. You can always add more!
    Honey - swap for white sugar
    Keep a spatula near by to scrape the bowl to make sure all of the ingredients are blended.
    Taste as you go. You can always add more jalapeños but you can't take them away.

    NUTRITION:

    Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 18g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 80mg | Sodium: 714mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 12g
    Did you make this recipe? Tag me on Instagram!Mention or tag @bites.with.bri_ or use the hashtag #biteswithbri
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Jessica Formicola

      March 01, 2023 at 9:31 am

      5 stars
      I made this sauce for taco night last night and it was delicious!

      Reply
    2. Elizabeth

      March 01, 2023 at 8:05 am

      5 stars
      This is such a simple recipe and I love it. I plan to try it tonight subbing our the sour cream and honey for vegan options!

      Reply
    3. Gloria

      March 01, 2023 at 6:30 am

      5 stars
      This is perfect for our Mexican-themed dinner nights. A great topping for tacos, nachos and more.

      Reply
    4. Maham

      October 01, 2022 at 6:57 pm

      This sauce is amazing. We make it whenever we make tacos, burrito bowls, etc and it is a must now for us! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!

      Reply
      • Brianna May

        October 10, 2022 at 9:15 am

        Love to hear it!

        Reply
    5. Angela

      August 30, 2022 at 11:23 am

      5 stars
      Made these exactly as the recipe called for and they are fabulous! Reminds me of shrimp tacos we get in Puerto Vallarta! I didn’t include the jalapeño seeds to bring the spice down for my kid who doesn’t do too spicy, but could probably add a few seeds in next time. Authentic, super easy and great flavors and crunch. The whole family loved them and are such a quick week-night recipe!

      Reply
      • Brianna May

        August 30, 2022 at 11:40 am

        Thank you so much Angela for the review! I am so glad it was a hit.

        Reply
    6. MAR

      August 07, 2022 at 4:45 am

      Nice compliment on my Mexican Pork tacos. Easy to make with my submersible hand blender. YUM!

      Reply
      • Brianna May

        August 08, 2022 at 11:02 am

        Awesome! Thank you.

        Reply
    7. Brent

      May 30, 2022 at 8:00 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect!!!! I doubled the recipe and made a sauce for steamed mussels. I removed the mussels after steaming and then introduced the cream sauce and whisked. I put the mussels back in and turned on low until serving with crusty artisan bread. Perfect!!!!

      Reply
      • Brianna May

        June 03, 2022 at 8:16 am

        I am so happy to hear this! Sounds super yummy.

        Reply
    8. Trinity

      February 07, 2022 at 5:46 pm

      I was really excited to try this recipe but I don't have a food processor. So instead I roasted all of the veggies low and slow, took the skins off, and everything turns out soft enough to mix into a smooth sauce. Roasting always adds a little more flavor too!

      Reply
      • Brianna May

        February 10, 2022 at 7:16 am

        Yum!! I need to try this.

        Reply
    9. Andy

      June 16, 2021 at 4:53 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe! I substituted the jalapeño with 3 serrano and it was perfect. The honey softens the spice just a touch.

      Reply
    10. SC

      May 09, 2021 at 12:33 pm

      5 stars
      Perfect addition to my tacos!

      Reply
    11. WB

      May 09, 2021 at 12:28 pm

      5 stars
      This is so good I plan on making a gallon for my July 4th cook out

      Reply
    12. Madeline Margraves

      November 10, 2020 at 4:55 pm

      Add one avacado to the above! Yummy

      Reply
      • Brianna May

        November 10, 2020 at 7:42 pm

        I love that idea!

        Reply
        • Connor

          September 13, 2022 at 4:40 pm

          5 stars
          This recipe was great and easy. I added half an avocado to make it a little more creamier.

        • Brianna May

          September 14, 2022 at 8:17 am

          Great so happy to hear!

    13. Susie

      October 11, 2020 at 1:37 pm

      5 stars
      This looks great...I will try this with roasted onions as my husband can't stand the raw!

      Reply
    14. Karen

      October 11, 2020 at 12:39 pm

      5 stars
      This is so yummy and adds the perfect amount of spice and zest to my tacos!

      Reply
    15. BFF

      October 11, 2020 at 11:12 am

      5 stars
      Easy to make and great flavor!

      Reply
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    Hi, I'm Bri!

    I am a recipe developer, food photographer, blogger. My goal is to teach you how to cook, not just follow my recipes. I love to cook with bold flavors that are still family friendly. My hubs is a picky eater and all of these recipes are approved by him, so I am sure you and your family will love them too. Learn more about Bri >>

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