This avocado crema is a luxuriously creamy and tangy green sauce that comes together in minutes and pairs beautifully with tacos, bowls, or as a dipping sauce.
Here’s my new favorite luxuriously creamy green sauce to use on everything: this avocado crema! The first thing that struck me when I blended it up was the texture: it’s silky smooth and creamy, somewhere between a traditional Mexican crema and a green goddess dressing.
The other great thing is that unlike guacamole (with browns within minutes!), avocado crema stays bright green for days! I love it on shrimp tacos, as a sauce for baked salmon, as a dip for fries or quesadillas, or on rice bowls. It’s a must try!
Why You’ll Love This Sauce
- Silky smooth texture that’s great for dolloping or dipping with tacos, veggies or chips, or burrito bowls.
- Comes together in 5 minutes with just 6 ingredients and a food processor.
- Stays bright green for up to 5 days without any special tricks, making it great for meal prep.
5 Star Reader Review
“Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! It is so yummy and easy! I have already made this several times and have shared it with other family members! It is an awesome addition to street tacos and a great dip for tortilla chips, too!” -Beki B.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Crema is a thickened cream often used in traditional Mexican cuisine to dollop over soups, tacos, burritos, enchiladas. A traditional avocado crema would be made with actual Mexican crema. But this type of sauce can also be made with sour cream, yogurt, or mayonnaise. Here’s what you’ll need for my spin on this classic recipe:
- Ripe avocados: Try to find a ripe Hass avocado that’s not overly soft or brown inside (sometimes this can be tricky!).
- Sour cream or Mexican crema: Sour cream adds tanginess and helps achieve the perfect consistency. You can also use Mexican crema, which is traditional and slightly richer. You can find it near the sour cream section at many grocery stores.
- Greek yogurt alternative: If you prefer, substitute plain full-fat Greek yogurt for the sour cream. This adds extra protein and creates an even tangier flavor profile.
- Mayonnaise: This adds richness and also helps with the texture.
- Fresh lime juice: Fresh juice prevents the avocado from turning brown and adds the right tangy flavor.
- Garlic: A tiny bit adds savory depth.
Want another type of crema? Try Lime Crema or Chipotle Crema.
Tips for Making Avocado Crema
- Pick out perfectly ripe avocados: The avocado should give slightly when you press on it but shouldn’t feel mushy. If you cut it open and see brown spots, you can scoop those out: the rest will still work.
- Use a food processor: A food processor is easiest to blend with the quantity of ingredients for this creamy avocado crema. If you’re doubling the recipe, a standard blender can work.
- Adjust the consistency: The consistency should be thicker than ranch dressing but thinner than sour cream: pourable but not runny. If it seems too thick, thin it with a tablespoon of water or additional lime juice. If it’s too thin, add a drizzle of water.
Serving Ideas
Avocado crema is similar to our favorite avocado sauce: without cilantro and a bit richer from the sour cream! It’s become a go-to around here because of its silky texture and zingy flavor. Here are some of our favorite ways to use it in recipes:
- For dolloping tacos like Salmon Tacos, Shrimp Tacos, Fish Tacos, or Black Bean Tacos
- As a dip for quesadillas like Easy Quesadillas, Quesadillas in the Oven or Breakfast Quesadilla
- Dipping sauce for fries like Baked Sweet Potato Fries
- Sauce for bowl meals like Easy Rice Bowl or Quick Burrito Bowl
- Dollop for nachos like Sheet Pan Nachos
- Sauce for burritos like Easy Breakfast Burrito or Vegan Burrito
Storage Notes
This avocado crema stays good refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Unlike guacamole, there’s no need to store it with plastic wrap on the surface. There’s enough acidity in the lime juice to make the avocado stay green, instead of turning brown as it does naturally.
For meal prep, it’s great to make a batch in advance so it’s ready for quick weeknight dinners. The flavors actually improve over time.
Can you freeze avocado crema? I don’t recommend freezing this sauce. The combination of dairy and avocado doesn’t freeze well and becomes grainy after thawing.
Dietary Notes
This avocado crema recipe is vegetarian and gluten-free.
Frequently Asked Questions
The main difference is texture and ingredients. Guacamole is chunky and typically contains tomatoes, onions, cilantro, and jalapeño along with mashed avocado and lime. Avocado crema is completely smooth and blended with dairy (sour cream, Greek yogurt, or Mexican crema), creating a pourable sauce rather than a thick dip.
Avocados are packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and vitamin A. While this sauce does contain sour cream or Greek yogurt, the portion sizes are typically small (a dollop or drizzle), making it a more nutrient-dense choice than plain sour cream or heavy cream-based sauces.
Not quite. Mexican crema is thicker and less tangy than American sour cream, with a thinner, more pourable consistency. It has a higher fat content and tastes closer to French crème fraîche. If you want to make traditional Mexican crema from scratch, it’s a fun 48-hour kitchen project! Here’s how to make Mexican crema.
Yes, though it takes more effort and won’t be quite as silky smooth. Mash the ripe avocado very thoroughly with a fork until no lumps remain, then whisk in the remaining ingredients. You can also use a blender if you’re doubling the recipe: single batches are sometimes too small for standard blenders to process.
There are several ways to add heat, though I personally find crema is better as a cooling sauce.
You can blend in half a jalapeño with the seeds removed (add the seeds back for extra heat), stir in a teaspoon of hot sauce, or add a pinch of cayenne or chipotle powder. Start with small amounts and taste as you go: you can always add more but you can’t take it away.
Easy Avocado Crema
Pin RecipeThis avocado crema is a luxuriously creamy and tangy green sauce that comes together in minutes and pairs beautifully with tacos, bowls, or as a dipping sauce.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: About 1 cup 1x
- Category: Sauce
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Mexican inspired
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 ripe avocado
- ⅓ cup sour cream (or Mexican crema)
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons lime juice (1 large lime)
- ⅛ teaspoon grated garlic (about 1/4 clove)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Cut the avocado in half, pit it, and scoop both halves into a food processor (or small blender*).
- Add the remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. Store in a covered jar for up to 5 days refrigerated: it stays green without special storage instructions (unlike guacamole).
Notes
*Double the recipe for a standard sized blender.
More Avocado Recipes to Try
from A Couple Cooks https://ift.tt/XR1pJcm
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