A Velvety, Flavor-Packed Sauce You’ll Want To Put On Everything
Poblano crema is a rich, creamy sauce made from charred poblano peppers, sour cream, lime juice, garlic, and cilantro. It’s a smokier version of my cilantro lime crema that instantly transforms any Tex-Mex or Mexican dish, though when I have leftovers I often drizzle it over roasted veggies or grilled meats alike. It’s also fantastic over salads, like my ground beef taco salad!
This Mexican green sauce is made entirely in a blender so it has a smooth, velvety texture. Leave the seeds in for a bit more heat or remove if you want a milder sauce. Either way, I think you’re going to love it!
If you’re a sauce lover like me, you’ll also want to try my creamy, sun-dried tomato marry me sauce, rich, thick avocado crema, or this bold, herbaceous cilantro chimichurri, perfect on grilled meats, poultry, and seafood!
Ingredient Notes For Personalizing Crema For Tacos
- For a bit more heat, simply leave the pepper seeds in.
- Whole milk sour cream yields the creamiest, most luscious texture, but you can use light or fat-free if preferred (but note that the Mexican crema will be thinner).
- Fresh lime juice is superior to bottled. It’s the truth! 🤷🏻♀️
Other Peppers I’ve Tested
Poblano peppers aren’t all that spicy, but if you want a little more heat, use jalapeño or serrano peppers, the latter of which is spiciest.
Step-by-Step Instructions
After steaming, simply use a paper towel or kitchen towel to rub away the blistered skin. It should come off easily. Discard the stems, then transfer (with or without seeds) to a blender.
Quick Tips From Recipe Testing
- Strain the poblano cream sauce through a fine mesh sieve before refrigerating. This yields a smoother texture.
- Give it a stir before serving to recombine any separated liquids, especially if made more than 1 day in advance.
- Consider using roasted garlic or garlic confit, which are sweeter than raw garlic.
I don’t recommend freezing cream sauces (or creamy salad dressings, for that matter). Dairy can take on a funny texture during freezing and thawing.
How To Enjoy
This is great on tacos of any variety (chorizo tacos, salmon tacos, or carnitas tacos!). I also love it drizzled over enchiladas, nachos, used as a dipping sauce for quesadillas, crispy taquitos, or burritos, or as a poblano dressing for a big taco salad!
You can also use it as a sandwich spread, drizzled over roasted veggies, grilled meats, or seafood. It can do no wrong! 💯
Make this today, thank me tomorrow. Once you start using this poblano cream sauce, you’ll find yourself drizzling it over just about everything. If you make this recipe, please leave a review and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below!
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6-Ingredient Poblano Crema (For Tacos & Salads!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 poblano peppers charred on all sides, then peeled — see instructions below (you can leave the seeds in or remove depending on preference)
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- ½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 lime, zested and juiced
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- Pinch of kosher salt
Instructions
- If you haven’t already, char the peppers. To char with a gas stove top: Turn the gas flame to high, then using tongs, place the chiles directly over the flame. Rotate as needed until the skin is blistered and charred on all sides To char on a gas grill: Preheat the grill to high. When hot, add the chilies directly to the grates. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, rotating as needed, until the skin is blistered and charred on all sides.
- Cool, then peel. Place charred peppers in a bowl, then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes. Use a paper towel or kitchen towel to gently rub away the charred skin. Next, remove the stems and scrape out any seeds.
- Make the poblano crema. Place ⅔ cup sour cream, ½ cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, 3 peeled and seeded poblano peppers, 2 cloves chopped garlic, lime zest, lime juice, ¼ tsp cumin, and a pinch of Kosher salt in the bowl of a blender. Process until very smooth, then taste and adjust seasoning. Refrigerate until needed, then serve with your favorite Mexican-inspired dishes!
Notes
- If you want a spicier sauce, leave the poblano pepper seeds in.
- Leftovers: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in a fridge for up to 3 days. Can be kept in a small squeeze bottle for easy serving!
- Use fresh lime juice for best flavor.
- Sour cream can be substituted with Greek yogurt, but the sauce will be tangier and thicker than sour cream.
- Recommended for serving alongside burritos, sheet pan quesadillas, tacos, and more!
Nutrition
Photography by: Alana of Your Home Made Healthy.
I made this for a dip for chicken wings and boy was it good! Tonight we’ll use it for pork dumplings. It’s very versatile and will be a go to condiment.
Oh man, now I’m craving chicken wings… yum! Gonna have to make another batch soon. Thanks for sharing, Laurie! Cheers, Ari