This Cilantro Lime Crema recipe is a keeper. It is bold, bright, and herby. Whip it up in minutes and serve with chips or drizzle on top of tacos.

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A hand dipping a tortilla chip into a bowl of creamy green dip on a wooden surface. Fresh cilantro and lime are nearby, along with other tortilla chips.

This Cilantro Lime Crema recipe is hard not to love. It’s ready in minutes and requires only a handful of simple ingredients.

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The result is a deliciously creamy sauce that you can put on everything! Or serve as is with tortilla chips.

Looking for a condiment or dipping sauce with a little more kick? Try Chipotle Mayo Sauce.

Table of Contents

1 🌱 Ingredients
2 Substitutions
3 🥣 Instructions
4 🌶️ Spice It Up
5 🫙 Storing Instructions
6 🍴 Serve With
7 😋 Hungry for More?
8 Cilantro Lime Crema recipe

🌱 Ingredients

Fresh Cilantro Leaves
Salt
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder
Fresh Lime Juice
Sour Cream

Substitutions

Substitute sour cream for half mayonnaise and half heavy whipping cream. OR, traditional mexican crema, heavy cream, plain Greek yogurt, or plain yogurt. Don’t have lime? Swap it out for yellow lemon.

🥣 Instructions

A top view of a blender with fresh cilantro inside. Next to it, there is a cutting board with a halved lime. On the left, there are two small decorative bowls, one empty and the other with a brown sauce. The countertop is wooden.

Add all the ingredients to the blender or food processor.

To reduce the tangy flavor, add 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise or heavy whipping cream.

Optional: ½ bar of cream cheese. For an extra creamy sauce texture, simply add softened cream cheese to the blender along with the rest of the ingredients. Or add a ripe avocado.

A hand pressing down on the lid of a blender. Nearby are a lime cut in half on a wooden board, a small floral dish with liquid, and a decorative blue and white bowl. The scene is on a rustic wooden surface.

Blend until smooth.
Stir then pour into a bowl. Keep in fridge until ready to serve.
Serve with chips, french fries, salads, and more!

🌶️ Spice It Up

This cilantro lime crema recipe is not spicy. To make it spicy, add a roasted jalapeno (extra spicy) or roasted poblano pepper (spicy) to the blender. For a mild spice taste, add a can of green chilis to the blender or a dash of hot sauce.

A bowl of creamy green dip garnished with a spoon, surrounded by tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, and lime halves on a wooden surface.

🫙 Storing Instructions

This can be done days ahead of time. Place in an airtight container and put in the refrigerator. Best to consume within 5 days.
Unlike this easy mole sauce, cream sauces do NOT freeze well. They tend to separate when thawed. That’s why freezing is not recommended.

A spoon holds a creamy, green avocado salsa above a bowl. Surrounding the bowl are tortilla chips, fresh cilantro, and half a lime on a wooden surface.

🍴 Serve With

You’ll make this Cilantro Lime Crema recipe over and over again. This dip is creamy, tangy, and loaded with bright flavors. Think nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, burritos and more, it goes great on just about everything!

😋 Hungry for More?

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