Chipotle Crema

Chipotle crema is smoky and spicy! It’s the ideal sauce or topping for tacos, bowl meals, nachos, and more.

Looking for a sauce to add a sparkle to bowl meals, tacos, or even as a dip for fries? Try this Chipotle Crema: creamy, spicy, and altogether irresistible! This delectable sauce stars chipotle chilis in adobo sauce: a unique Mexican pepper that adds a smoky heat to anything it touches. You can customize this sauce to your desired spice level, with variations for mild to spicy. Then get ready to dollop on tacos, burrito bowls, nachos, and more.

Ingredients in chipotle crema

Crema is a thickened cream often used in traditional Mexican cuisine to dollop over soups, tacos, burritos, enchiladas. Traditionally, a crema would be made with actual Mexican crema, but sauce can also be made with sour cream, yogurt, or mayonnaise.

This recipe takes inspiration from the rich cultural food tradition of this Mexican sauce: you can use either sour cream, Mexican crema, or a combination of Greek yogurt and mayo. The ingredients you’ll need are:

• Sour cream or Mexican crema (or Greek yogurt and mayo; see below)
• Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce
• Lime juice
• Garlic
• Salt

The magic ingredient: chipotle chilis in adobo sauce

The key to chipotle crema? A can of chipotle chilis in adobo sauce! You can make this sauce two ways: with chopped chipotle chilis, or using just the adobo sauce in the can. Here are a few notes on this ingredient and the two variations of this sauce:

• Chipotles in adobo sauce are sold in most grocery stores here in the US, available near the Mexican products. The can includes chipotle chiles: smoked and dried jalapeños that are rehydrated and canned, and adobo sauce, a purée of tomato, vinegar, garlic, and other spices.
• For a spicy sauce, use a knife to finely chop then grind the chili peppers into a paste. This makes the most forward, spicy chipotle flavor! The sauce comes out slightly chunky with this method, so if you’re looking for a perfectly smooth sauce you can pass it through a fine mesh sieve using a spatula.
• For a mild sauce, use adobo sauce only! This makes for a sauce that’s milder, with a backend heat. If you use adobo sauce only, you may want to add a bit of smoked paprika or paprika for color.

Purchase or make DIY Mexican crema

Mexican crema is a thickened cream often used in traditional Mexican cuisine. It tastes creamy and slightly tangy, like a combination between American sour cream and French crème fraîche. It’s richer than sour cream because it has a higher fat content.

You can find Mexican crema at the grocery store: look near the sour cream and creme fraiche. Or, you make your own Mexican crema! It’s a fun kitchen DIY that takes 48 hours to thicken. Go to How to Make Mexican Crema.

How to use chipotle crema

This chipotle crema recipe we created especially for our Ahi Tuna Tacos, which taste incredible paired with cilantro lime slaw and this creamy sauce! Here are a few more ways to dollop or dip this sauce:

• Tacos like Salmon Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, Fish Tacos, or Black Bean Tacos
• Bowl meals like Easy Rice Bowl, Shrimp Bowl or Quick Burrito Bowl
• Quesadillas like Easy Quesadillas, Quesadillas in the Oven or Breakfast Quesadilla
• Dollop for nachos like Sheet Pan Nachos
• Dip for fries like Baked Fries or Baked Sweet Potato Fries
• Burrito sauce like Easy Breakfast Burrito or Vegan Burrito

More recipes with chipotle chilis

Chipotle chilis in adobo sauce are a true kitchen magic trick! They add a smoky heat to anything they touch, bringing complexity to vegetarian and vegan dishes in particular. Here are some favorite recipes using chipotle chilis:

• Opt for Chipotle Aioli
• Try Homemade Enchilada Sauce, Easy Taco Sauce or Easy Fajita Sauce
• Go for Chipotle Ranch Dressing
• Try Easy Taco Soup or Vegetarian Tortilla Soup
• Grab Best Jackfruit Tacos

01

Chipotle Ranch Dressing

02

Vegetarian Tortilla Soup

03

Easy Taco Sauce

04

Chipotle Aioli

This chipotle crema recipe is…

Vegetarian and gluten-free.

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