Lime crema is an easy cheater recipe for Mexican crema, and it’s hands down the perfect taco sauce. Made in just 5 minutes, you need only 4 simple ingredients to create a zesty, tangy cream that packs a flavor punch for tacos, soups, nachos, quesadillas, and enchiladas!
Everyone in my family LOVES tacos. Whether it’s Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos, Easy Spicy Salmon Tacos, or Black Bean and Corn Salsa Tacos, we simply cannot get enough!
What I’ve noticed though, is that most taco shops make their tacos with some sort of creamy sauce on top… and it’s delicious!
I did some research and recipe testing and found that this recipe for lime crema is the PERFECT sauce for tacos, and it will literally steal the show at the dinner table!
Let’s talk about this amazing tangy sauce…
What is Crema? Lime Crema vs. Mexican Crema
First off, lime crema is a sour cream-based sauce. We add a pinch of lime, garlic, and salt and let it sit while we make the rest of our taco ingredients. In less than 15 minutes, you have a super flavorful sauce that will taste amazing on any Mexican dish… tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, and even soups!
I call this a “cheater” version of Mexican crema because it has similar ingredients and it’s used in the same way. The biggest difference is that Mexican crema doesn’t use sour cream. It uses heavy cream and buttermilk and it has to sit for 24 hours, which makes it a bit less convenient when you’re trying to get dinner done quickly.
Lime Crema Recipe Ingredients
It’s crazy to think that something so good can come from just four simple ingredients, but that’s all you need to make this lime crema!
- Sour Cream: I usually use full-fat, but you can use low-fat or fat-free if that better fits your diet. A lower-fat sour cream will make a slightly thinner lime crema. Creme fraiche can be substituted or plain Greek Yogurt if you’re in a pinch.
- Limes: For zesting and juicing. I use the medium holes in my old-school cheese grater to zest the lime.
- Granulated Garlic: You need just a tiny bit, and fresh garlic clove is a bit too overpowering in my opinion.
- Kosher Salt
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HOW TO MAKE LIME CREMA
Step 1. Combine the sour cream, lime zest, fresh lime juice, garlic, and salt in a small bowl.
Tip: Keep the sour cream container and reuse it for leftover lime crema! Just be sure to label the container so you don’t mistake it for plain sour cream later.
Step 2: Whisk together to combine the ingredients well. Other than the zest, you don’t want any clumps in the sauce.
Step 3: Refrigerate the lime crema until it’s time to serve, at least 15 minutes. This will give the flavors time to develop.
Lime crema will store in the refrigerator inside an airtight container for about one week.
Variations for Lime Crema
Avocado Crema
Make the lime crema recipe with this change: Reduce the sour cream by half and add one ripe avocado, mashed well. You may want to combine the ingredients in a food processor if you want a super smooth avocado lime crema. Add additional lime juice, garlic powder, and/or salt as desired.
Cilantro Lime Crema Recipe
Make the lime crema recipe as written, adding 2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise and ¼ cup of chopped cilantro. A blender or food processor will help give you a silky smooth cilantro lime crema recipe if you prefer.
Tip: If you don’t have mayonnaise, here’s my Failproof Homemade Mayo recipe. You only need four ingredients and it’s ready in two minutes!
Jalapeno Lime Crema
Make the lime crema recipe as written, adding ½ to 1 whole ripe jalapeno. Add additional lime juice, garlic powder, and/or salt as desired. If you have it, a tablespoon or two of chopped cilantro is really good!
Tip: The more brown “wrinkles” a jalapeno has, the hotter it will be. Choose your peppers wisely!
HOW TO USE LIME CREMA
Lime crema has become a staple in our home, and I almost always have some in the fridge. If you have leftovers after taco night, here are some ways you can use it up:
- Tacos: Salmon Tacos, shrimp tacos, Chicken Tacos!
- Nachos: traditional or Buffalo Chicken Potato Nachos
- Burritos
- Quesadillas
- Enchiladas: Spinach and Chicken Enchiladas, Sweet Potato Black Bean Enchiladas
- Stuffed Baked Potatoes
- Soups: Chicken Tortilla Soup, Mexican Potato Soup
- Grilled Chicken or Carne Asada
- Salad Dressings: Cilantro Lime Salad Dressing, Ranch Dressing
- Dip for Fish Sticks
- Chicken Wings
FAQs for Easy Lime Crema
What is lime crema made of?
You need sour cream, fresh lime, granulated garlic, and salt to make lime crema. If you’re in a pinch, plain Greek yogurt works in place of sour cream.
What is a good substitute for Mexican crema?
That’s a great question, and I don’t know! But I think it has to do with the tangy creamy citrus flavor, and how it seems to compliment so many dishes so well!
More Easy Sauce Recipes:
- Homemade Salsa Verde
- Failproof Homemade Mayo
- Magic Thai Peanut Sauce
- Creamy Cauliflower Sauce
- Mayo Free Caesar Dressing
- Homemade Ranch Dressing
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Lime Crema
This easy lime crema recipe comes together in less than 5 minutes. With just 4 simple ingredients, you’ll have a zesty, tangy, creamy sauce to take your taco night to the next level!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 8 oz 1x
- Category: Sauces/Condiments
- Method: Bowl
- Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients
- 8 oz sour cream
- 2 big limes, about 2 ¼” in diameter
- ½ tsp granulated garlic
- ½ tsp salt
Instructions
- Combine the sour cream, lime zest, fresh lime juice, garlic, and salt in a small bowl. Tip: Keep the sour cream container and reuse it for leftover lime crema! Just be sure to label the container so you don’t mistake it for plain sour cream later.
- Whisk together to combine the ingredients well. Other than the zest, you don’t want any clumps in the sauce.
- Refrigerate the lime crema until it’s time to serve, at least 15 minutes. This will give the flavors time to develop.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Nutrition
- Calories: 66
Keywords: lime crema, crema recipe, lime crema recipe, crema sauce, crema
Candice
Wow! This is so yummy! Even my picky kiddos loved it. Saving this one!
★★★★★