Avocado is one of my favorite ingredients, not just for its creamy texture and versatility in cooking but also because it reminds me of Mexican cuisine. Whenever I think of avocados, I think of Mexican food! My Avocado Lime Crema is like a taste of paradise, perfect for adding a heavenly touch to Mexican dishes. I also love using it as a dressing for salads or as a dip for roasted veggies and grilled meats.
This creamy avocado sauce seamlessly blends flavors from the ripe avocado, a hint of roasted garlic, and zesty lime. The cilantro lends a fresh, herby flavor, and the sour cream rounds out the flavors nicely while increasing creaminess. Ready to experience all this crema goodness? Let's dive straight into this Mexican Crema!
This recipe is: Low Carb, Keto, Gluten Free, Paleo and Vegetarian
Table of Contents
5 Reasons to Love This Recipe
I have made this avocado lime dressing countless times, and I never seem to have had enough of it. Here are some reasons why you will also find it addicting:
- Fresh flavors that are irresistible.
- It stores well.
- Easy and quick.
- It needs just a few simple ingredients.
- Versatile applications.
Is Avocado Lime Crema Low-Carb?
Yes, you can create a low-carb avocado lime crema with ingredients like fresh avocado, lime, sour cream, garlic, salt and other seasonings with negligible amounts of carbohydrates.
This avocado dressing recipe is wonderfully low carb with less than 3 g net carbs per ¼ cup serving (approximately 4 tablespoons). This means that if you use 1 tablespoon as your dipping sauce or salad dressing, you consume less than 1 g of carbs.
Avocado Lime Crema Ingredient List
To make this flavorful avocado cilantro lime dressing, you need these simple ingredients:
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled and pits removed
- 4 cloves roasted garlic
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup water (adjust for desired consistency)
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Ingredient Substitutions
Here are some great substitutes in case you are missing some ingredients on the list above:
- Sour cream: Full-fat or Greek yogurt is the ultimate sour cream alternative. It will give this creamy sauce a smooth texture.
- Cilantro: Fresh basil or parsley are refreshing alternatives that add aromatic, herby flavors. Find more substitution ideas for cilantro.
- Roasted garlic: 1 clove of garlic is fine.
Additional Ingredients
You can elevate the flavors of this avocado cilantro crema with the following optional ingredients:
- Heat: If you love to set your palate on fire as I do, try a pinch of chipotle powder, chili pepper flakes, or chili powder. Freshly chopped and seeded jalapeno or poblano peppers will also give you some good heat.
- Veggies: Peel a fresh cucumber, cut it, and de-seed it. Chop it and add about ¼ cup to the dressing for a good crunch. Finely diced fresh red bell pepper or quartered cherry tomatoes will also add robust flavors and texture to the crema. Be mindful not to turn this into guacamole, as crema is typically pourable.
Note: These ingredients are optional and not part of the original recipe or the nutritional information in the recipe card below.
Cooking Tools
Gather the following tools to prepare this flavor-packed avocado lime salad dressing:
How to Make Avocado Lime Crema: Complete Guide
Cooking Method
- No-cook recipe
Preparation Steps
- Gather all the ingredients and tools.
- Wash, peel, and pit the avocados.
- Combine the avocados, sour cream, cilantro, roasted garlic, lime juice, kosher salt, and black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Start with the ¼ cup of water included in the ingredients. Blend and adjust the consistency by adding more water if needed until the crema is smooth and easily pourable but not too thin.
- Taste the crema and adjust the seasoning if necessary. You may want to add more lime juice for an extra acidic kick or salt and pepper to taste.
Note: If you need help peeling avocado, check out my post on how to peel avocado for quick tips.
Step 1: Gather avocados, sour cream, cilantro, roasted garlic, lime juice, salt and pepper in a blender.
Step 2: Blend until it becomes smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Adjust the seasoning to taste adding more lime juice, salt or pepper.
💡 My Pro Tip
Consistency is key to good avocado lime crema. Too thin and you have an avocado soup, too thick and you have guacamole. The best thing to do is add water to the avocado mix in the blender or food processor in small bits. Add about a tablespoon as you blend. If it is still too thick after ¼ cup, add extra lime juice (one tablespoon) at a time until you reach a pourable consistency. Remember to adjust other ingredients to taste when you add more water, especially the salt.
⏲️ Time-Saving Tips
- Use regular garlic instead of roasted garlic. If you don't have any roasted garlic on hand, use raw garlic and save some time. If you want the delicious garlic aroma, mince the garlic and sautee with some olive oil and a pinch of salt over low heat for 4-5 minutes. Cool it to room temperature, then add to the crema.
- Measure everything before you start making the crema to avoid confusion.
- Find a perfect ripe avocado. The most frustrating thing about making anything from avocados is finding ripe avocados. Look for avocados with dark skin and are slightly soft to the touch. If it has a stem, pop it off and see if the color underneath is lime green. If it is white, it is not ripe. If it is brown, it is overripe. Keep your avocado in the fridge until ready to use.
What to Eat with Avocado Lime Dressing?
Creamy avocado lime crema is a classic condiment to various foods. Use it as a salad dressing, toppings, dips - anything! It is going to taste incredible! I enjoy its rich flavors on foods like:
- Cajun Chicken Wings: The smoothness of the creamy avocado crema rounds out the cajun wings' spiciness nicely. The crema's tangy flavor adds a delightful zing to the wings.
- Pulled Pork Tacos: Drizzle the rich avocado dressing on your tacos for bright flavors. Its tanginess will mitigate the heat from the chipotle pepper sauce and add depth to the tacos.
- Chicken Fajita: These low-carb chicken fajita bowls taste great with the avocado lime dressing drizzled over them.
- Southwestern Salad Power Bowl: The vibrant, crunchy salad is more satisfying with the avocado crema. It adds brightness to the salad bowl's layers of flavor.
- Spicy Roasted Broccolini: The heat in this broccolini pairs well with the crema's lime flavor. Drizzle 1-2 tablespoons of the crema over the spicy baby broccoli and enjoy the bursting flavors.
Storage
- This avocado crema sauce stores well in the fridge for up to 4 days. Transfer your leftover avocado crema to a plastic container, then cover it with a plastic wrap before storing it in the fridge. The SECRET to maintaining its attractive bright green color and freshness is ensuring no air enters the storage container. Air oxidizes the avocado and turns it brown. The plastic wrapped tight on the surface of the dressing prevents the oxidation process.
Recipe Conclusion
This Avocado Lime Crema recipe is condiment perfection. It is inspired by a 'chic fil a' avocado lime ranch dressing I had a while back. I gave it a low-carb twist, and voila! A versatile condiment with maximum flavors! The crema is easy to make thanks to a minimal ingredients list that you can customize to suit your tastes. The steps are also very straightforward. Remember, the primary goal is a pourable creamy consistency.
Go ahead and give the recipe a shot! Make a large batch and store it to use as dressing for your salads or sauce for your veggie burgers. Share your experience with me as well. Please write in the comments any questions or suggestions you may have. You can also find us on Facebook or Instagram.
More Condiment Recipes:
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FAQs
Although both share a creamy texture, crema is a foam characteristic that forms after blending or processing certain foods and beverages, while sour cream is a dairy product with a tangy flavor commonly used as a condiment or cooking ingredient.
Fresh lemon juice adds a nice bright flavor to avocado, prevents it from browning, and keeps it moist.
A typical lime yields 1-2 tablespoons of juice, depending on its size and juiciness.
Avocado Lime Crema 🥑
Ingredients
Avocado Lime Crema Ingredient List
- 2 ripe avocados peeled and pits removed
- 4 cloves roasted garlic
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¼ cup water adjust for desired consistency
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Gather all the ingredients and tools.
- Wash, peel, and pit the avocados.
- Combine the avocados, sour cream, cilantro, roasted garlic, lime juice, kosher salt, and black pepper in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Start with the ¼ cup of water included in the ingredients. Blend and adjust the consistency by adding more water if needed until the crema is smooth and easily pourable but not too thin.
- Taste the crema and adjust the seasoning if necessary. You may want to add more lime juice for an extra acidic kick or salt and pepper to taste.
Notes
Nutrition
“This website provides approximate nutrition data and information for convenience and as a courtesy only.”
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