This crema is perfect for drizzling over Mexican or Tex-Mex food, such as tacos, burritos, nachos or enchiladas, or for using as a dip with corn chips, tortilla chips or veggies. Like crema fresca, avocado crema is great to pair with hot sauces or a salsa, such as my Mexican breakfast salsa ranchera recipe. The sauce has a cooling effect which balances the spice levels in your dish. I love it served over my Mexican breakfast burrito with egg, chorizo and potato!
Similar but different to guacamole, avocado crema is a smooth, creamy sauce made from blended avocados mixed with crema, sour cream or yogurt and lime juice. Guacamole, on the other hand, is a chunky dip made from mashed avocados with lime juice, onions, along with herbs and spices.
Essentially an avocado cream sauce, the crema can be made with yoghurt, sour cream or with a proper Mexican crema fresca. For the most authentic avocado crema, you should use crema fresca - it's easy to make if you're not in a border state.
Avocado crema ingredients
- Avocado - our hero of the day, select a large, ripe avocado.
- Crema fresca is the authentic cream to cut the avocado with. I have a recipe for crema fresca, but you can substitute with yoghurt or sour cream.
- Garlic or garlic powder
- Coriander leaves/cilantro
- Lime juice
- Salt & pepper, to taste
Equipment you need to make avocado crema
You need a food processor to make avocado crema, or a lot of patience with a potato masher or fork! The crema has to be smooth and not chunky - it's not guacamole!
How to make avocado crema
Make crema - add all ingredients to a food processor (1) except salt and pepper and process until smooth and uniform (2).
Adjust seasoning - add salt and pepper to taste.
How to use avocado crema
Here's some ideas for how you can use avocado crema:
- As a drizzling sauce over tacos, burritos, enchiladas, etc. I love it served over my Mexican breakfast burrito with egg, chorizo and potato!
- As a sandwich spread.
- Use in place of guacamole as a dip - pairs well with corn chips, tortilla chips and vegetables like cucumber, carrot and capsicum/bell peppers.
- A dollop or so on a grilled piece of protein.
No food processor?
A food processor will give you the best result for making avocado crema, but you can make the recipe without a food processor if needed.
Mash the avocado with a potato masher or fork until it is smooth. Then, in a bowl, combine the mashed avocado with the other ingredients and whisk well to blend everything together until you achieve a creamy and uniform consistency.
You can also use an immersion blender if you have one.
Make ahead and freezing avocado crema
You can make the avocado crema up to 3 days in advance, and store it in the fridge until you're ready to use.
The recipe isn't suitable for freezing.
Avocado crema/sauce
| Prep | Total |
|---|---|
| 5 mins | 5 mins |
- 1 large avocado must be ripe
- 1/3 cup crema fresca substitute with yoghurt or sour cream, see note 1
- 1 garlic clove suggest using a small cloves, or 1/2 a regular clove, or garlic powder to taste
- 2 tbsp coriander leaves/cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, juiced
- Salt & pepper to taste
- Make crema - add all ingredients to a food processor except salt and pepper and process until smooth and uniform.
- Adjust seasoning - add salt and pepper to taste.
- Crema fresca is the ingredient to use to be authentic. My recipe for crema fresca (TBC) is simple & straight forward, but if you'd like to make this with the minimal friction and can't source crema fresca, use sour cream or yoghurt. If you use sour cream the texture will be thicker.
- No food processor? Use an immersion blender, or mash the avocado with a potato masher or fork until it is smooth. Then, in a bowl, combine the mashed avocado with the other ingredients and whisk well to blend everything together until you achieve a creamy and uniform consistency.
