Easy Avocado Lime Crema with Cilantro
This delicious Avocado Crema recipe is the perfect topping for tacos, nachos, enchiladas and more! It's a smooth and creamy sauce made with rich avocado, peppery cilantro leaves, sour cream, and bright tangy lime juice. It's sure to take your taco night to the next level with its fresh flavors.
What can you serve avocado crema with? Try my favorite grilled fish tacos or dollop it onto crispy carnitas street tacos! And on juicy birria quesatacos? Oh my Lawd, it's so good!
We Serve this Delicious Avocado Crema Recipe on Just about Everything!
Avocado lime crema is a versatile condiment perfect for jall of your favorite Mexican dishes and beyond, from tacos to burrito bowls, as a sauce for nachos, and even makes a great salad dressing or dip. It's similar to guacamole in it's flavor profile, turned into a smooth, savory, tasty sauce.
Not only is it made with only a handful of simple ingredients and flavors like cilantro and lime, it takes like 3 minutes to make, but y'all this stuff has got us obsessed it's so delish.
Now honey, let me tell you something about this recipe I'm sharing with y'all: it's so good, my husband couldn't resist putting some on his tacos last night while I was setting up in my studio. Half the batch was gone before photos, I had to make more, which wasn't much of a problem, it's such a simple sauce.
We ended up using it as a dipping sauce for tortilla chips and watching "That's My Jam," and he ate the other half of that batch like it was his job. It's really that good.
Make this any time you are setting down for Taco Tuesday or whenever you want a bright, creamy, tangy condiment with your dinner!
This post may contain Affiliate Links. Please see my Full Disclosure Policy for more details.
Jump to:
Why You Will Love This Recipe
- So easy, so simple to make - this avocado crema sauce requires no cooking skills whatsoever, but it's fabulous on literally anything.
- The perfect accompaniment to hot salsas - this crema pairs well with a variety of dishes, especially ones with spice; it's a refreshing, cooling break from all the heat!
- Comes together in less than 5 minutes!
Equipment
- High-Powered Blender, a Mini Food Processor, or Immersion Blender - While any blender will do, the real powerhouse models like Vitamix will whip this up into a velvety smooth texture that you’re gonna want to put on everything.
- Mason Jar - Optional, but great for easy storage, especially if you use a wide-mouth mason jar and immersion blender. Bonus points if you use a flip-top lid for easy pouring!
Ingredients
- Ripe Avocados - Hass avocados are preferred because the avocado flesh have a creamy texture and rich, nutty flavor that really stands out in recipes like this creamy avocado sauce.
- Sour Cream - I always opt for full-fat sour cream. The light and nonfat versions are usually loaded with stabilizers and artificial ingredients, and they just don’t taste as good! Feel free to use crème frâiche, Mexican crema, or even plain Greek yogurt as substitutes.
- Fresh Lime Juice - I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — fresh limes are always best!
- Fresh Cilantro - My family and I LOVE this stuff. If you’re one of the unfortunate souls who taste nothing but soap, consider swapping in lemony parsley instead.
- Sea Salt - Because seasoning = life. Even a pinch of salt will bring vibrancy to your creamy avocado sauce.
- Garlic Powder - Garlic powder has a milder, sweeter flavor than a fresh garlic clove. Use a clove of fresh garlic if you want more of a spicy punch to your creamy avocado crema.
- Ground Cumin - For a touch of warmth. If you only have whole cumin seeds on hand, give them a quick toast in a dry pan until fragrant, about 45 seconds, then pulverize them in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
- Chili Powder - Believe it or not, this is actually a spice blend made from various chile peppers and spices like cumin. If you don’t have any on hand, feel free to swap in a mild ground chili variety like sweet paprika.
How to Make Avocado Crema with Cilantro and Lime
Step 1: Blend. Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blend until creamy and smooth.
Step 2: Adjust as needed. For a thinner crema, add a little lime juice or a little water and pulse till it reaches your desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more salt or lime juice until it's a perfect flavorful sauce.
Variations and Substitutions
While I think this avocado cilantro crema is condiment perfection, you’re welcome to make it your own with any of the following variations:
- Lighter Version - Swap in plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream for a lighter, probiotic-packed dressing that’s perfect for dipping tacos.
- Make a Vegan Avocado Cilantro Lime Crema - Feel free to use your favorite plant-based sour cream alternative instead of dairy cream to make this a vegan avocado crema that everyone will enjoy.
- Spicy - Add half (or all) of a seeded jalapeño for a little kick (or a lot of kick!). You can also swap in a spicier chili powder like cayenne or hot paprika if you prefer.
- Fancy Fraiche - Use creme fraiche instead of sour cream. And instead of buying it at the store, make your own with heavy cream and buttermilk!
Pro Tips
- Pick the best avocado - Look for a dark brown, almost black skin on your avocado, and pop off the stem at the grocery store. It should come off with no resistance and have a green color on the flesh under it. If the flesh is brown and the avocado feels mushy, it's overripe!
- Avoid avocado hands - use a spoon to scoop out both the pit and the avocado flesh, so you don't end up slicing your hands with a knife.
- Too thick? Mix in a little extra lime juice or water for a thinner consistency
What Can I Serve Avocado Crema with?
- Drizzle some over any tasty protein! Try it on this easy honey chipotle salmon, spoon it onto slices of smoked tri tip steak, or as a dressing on a chicken bacon salad.
- Use it as a dipping sauce for soft pretzel bites, roasted potatoes, delicious crispy chicken wings, or my mama's amazing coconut shrimp.
- It also makes a great spread on sandwiches, too. It's incredible in grinder salad sandwiches, on a smoked brisket sandwich, or a crispy chicken sandwich!
Storage
If the avocado crema is stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it can last for 3-5 days.
However, it's important to note that due to the avocado’s tendency to oxidize, it may start to brown after a day or two. While this can affect its appearance, it doesn't necessarily mean it has gone bad.
To prevent browning, add a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly on top of the surface of the crema before sealing the lid to minimize air exposure and slow the oxidation process.
FAQs
Yes, you can make it ahead of time, keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You may need to add more lime juice or water to the sauce before serving, as it can become thicker as it sits.
It is not recommended to freeze your crema, as the consistency of the sauce may change once it is thawed. It is best to make it fresh and consume it within a couple of days.
Avocado crema and guacamole both contain avocado, but they are different in their consistency and ingredients.
Guacamole is chunky and often full of other ingredients like tomatoes, jalapeños, and diced onion, while the crema is smooth from its time in a food processor or blender.
If you are a fan of guacamole, or just love avocado in general, you'll really enjoy this creamy avocado lime crema.
Traditional Mexican crema is a super close latino cousin to creme fraiche...which is just a looser, French sister to sour cream. Made with at least 30% butterfat (to sour cream's 20%) it's creamier, richer, with a higher fat content, and isn't likely to curdle when mixed into hot dishes in Mexican cuisine like sopa or enchiladas. Mexican-style crema is made with heavy cream and buttermilk, using the active cultures to thicken the heavy cream.
More Delicious Sauce Recipes
Click here to subscribe SWEET TEA & THYME’S NEWSLETTER for free and fresh recipes right into your inbox!
To pin this recipe and save it for later you can use the Pin button on the recipe card, the sharing buttons above or below this post, or on any of the photos above.
Tag me @sweet_tea_thyme on Instagram to share your remakes with me, I love looking through your photos!
Enjoyed the recipe? Leave a 5 star rating and comment below to let me know. I appreciate ya!
📖 Recipe
Avocado Lime Crema Recipe with Cilantro
Ingredients
- 2 ripe Hass avocados pitted and peeled
- ½ cup sour cream
- 3 tablespoon lime juice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼ teaspoon chili powder
Instructions
- Place all the avocado crema ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
- If the mixture is too thick, add in a little splash of water.
- Keep in a airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
Storage
If the avocado crema is stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, it can last for 3-5 days. However, it's important to note that due to the avocado’s tendency to oxidize, it may start to brown after a day or two. While this can affect its appearance, it doesn't necessarily mean it has gone bad. To prevent browning, add a piece of plastic wrap pressed directly on top of the surface of the crema before sealing the airtight lid to minimize air exposure.Variations and Substitutions
While I think this avocado cilantro crema is condiment perfection, you’re welcome to make it your own with any of the following variations:- Lighter Version - Swap in plain Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream for a lighter, probiotic-packed dressing that’s perfect for dipping your veggies.
- Vegan - Feel free to use your favorite plant-based sour cream alternative to make this a vegan avocado crema recipe that everyone will enjoy.
- Spicy - Add a piece (or all) of a seeded jalapeño for a little kick (or a lot of kick!). You can also swap in a spicier chili powder like cayenne or hot paprika if you prefer.
